Jessica Pegula has reflected on her time so far in Shenzhen, China, following the USA’s victory against Kazakhstan in the Billie Jean King Cup quarter-finals.
After losing the second rubber to Elena Rybakina, Pegula partnered with Taylor Townsend during their tie-clinching doubles match against Rybakina and Puntintseva.
Lindsay Davenport said she was ‘really proud’ of her team during an on-court interview immediately after the nation’s triumph.
In the semi-finals, the US will face either Japan or Great Britain, who are looking to shatter an unfortunate statistic.
Pegula, who has previously played in Shenzhen when it was the location of a WTA event, spoke about the city’s culture and crowd following her country’s triumph.
Jessica Pegula ‘really impressed’ by the BJK Cup final setup and describes Shenzhen as a ‘really great city’
Pegula, the highest-ranked singles player on the US team, appeared for her post-match press conference alongside her captain, Lindsay Davenport.
One reporter asked Pegula: “Jessica, you mentioned that you came to this city before. How do you feel about the atmosphere of playing a tennis match in Shenzhen? Also, I want to get your view on how do you feel about the facilities, the crowd, the audience, the culture of the city?
Pegula replied: “Yeah, I played Shenzhen a long time ago, very long time ago, when there was a WTA event here. I think I did actually pretty well. That was the last time I was here before Australia one year.
“It’s nice being back. I always remembered it as being a really great city. Even though we played very early today, I think there was a lot of fans here, which was really fun and supportive.
“There’s always a lot of fun signs that the fans make for me. I always enjoy that aspect, especially when I come to China.
“So far it’s been a great experience. The center court is awesome. I knew that WTA Finals was here. They have a great facility, a great setup.
“It’s my first Final for Billie Jean King. I’ve been really impressed.”
When was the Shenzhen Open last a WTA Tour event?
The Shenzhen Open was a WTA 250 tournament that debuted in 2013.
The tournament was first won by Chinese Grand Slam champion Li Na, who defeated Klára Zakopalová 6–3, 1–6, 7–5 in the final.
The tournament was contested for eight years before being removed from the WTA Tour calendar in 2021.
The last edition of the competition saw Russian player Ekaterina Alexandrova win the title, beating Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-4 in the final.
Other notable winners of the tournament include Agnieszka Radwańska and Simona Halep, who won their respective titles in 2016 and 2018.
