Some moments in sports defy explanation.

Wuhan: Scores | Draws | Order of play

Jessica Pegula’s recent run in China — six three-set wins in seven consecutive three-set matches — may not rival Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game or Serena Williams’ 39 straight Grand Slam victories, but it’s impressive, nonetheless.

On Friday at the Dongfeng · Voyah Wuhan Open, Pegula dropped the first set 6-2 to qualifier Katerina Siniakova in just over 30 minutes. After logging more than 15 hours on court over the past 13 days, she looked spent.

Then, it happened again.

Pegula stormed through the second set in just 23 minutes, delivering a bagel to force a decider. She then sealed a 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory in 1 hour and 36 minutes to reach her first Wuhan semifinal.

Even she couldn’t explain how she’s endured the grind.

“I don’t know,” Pegula said after the match. “I guess I’m in really good shape. I definitely don’t think I need to play anymore matches or work on any physical stuff because I’ve been able to battle through these matches and play really well. But yeah, I don’t know. 

“I’m happy I’ve been able to figure things out. Obviously, I wish maybe it was more straightforward for my mental and physical sake, but if I win every match for the rest of my life in three sets, I think I’d be pretty happy.”

After the past couple weeks, she might want to be careful what she wishes for — because at this rate, it just might happen.

For now, she can take solace in becoming the first player with at least seven consecutive completed three-set matches in WTA main draws since Jelena Ostapenko played eight in a row in 2023.

Ostapenko won five of those matches. Pegula has already claimed six.

Here’s how she captured her latest win:

Dialing back her serve: Early in the match, Pegula appeared to be pressing more than usual. Fatigue likely played a role, as did the inspired play of Siniakova, but nerves may have crept in as well.

“I think I was just going for too much,” Pegula said. “Maybe I wasn’t relaxed enough. I think she came out pressuring me really quickly, and then I just got kind of tense. So, in the second set, I just tried to, honestly, chill out and let my hands and feet and everything just get into timing.”

The shift in approach showed up on the stat sheet, especially in her serving numbers.

In the first set, Pegula dropped only one point on her first serve but landed just 46% of them. In the second set, that number jumped to 80%. She lost only two points on her first serve and didn’t face a single break point, compared to three in the opening set.

Clutch play in big moments: While Pegula’s serve remained solid in the third set, it wasn’t quite as untouchable as it had been in the second. That opened the door for Siniakova, the doubles world No. 1, who was chasing her first WTA 1000 semifinal in singles.

But Pegula wouldn’t budge.

Siniakova earned her first pair of break points while leading 1-0 in the final set, but Pegula saved both, rallying from 15-40 down to level the set at 1-all. Pegula then reeled off 11 straight points to go up a break, but Siniakova fought back. Trailing 4-3, she had a prime opportunity to even the score.

Instead, she botched a forehand winner with plenty of open court in front of her. Pegula gave her another look, but Siniakova followed with an unforced error that all but sealed her fate. Pegula backed up the hold by coming from 40-0 down in Siniakova’s next service game, winning the final six points of the match to secure victory.

It marked Pegula’s 18th consecutive win against qualifiers and lucky losers, having last lost to Taylor Townsend in Rome in 2023.

What’s next: Pegula will compete in her third straight semifinal, following final four runs in Beijing last week and at the US Open last month. It’s her eighth semifinal of 2025, with a 5-2 record in the previous seven. However, she’s dropped her last two after starting the year 5-0.

One of those losses came to Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated her in three sets in New York and will be her opponent again in Saturday’s semifinal. Pegula enters the matchup with a 2-8 career record against the singles world No.1, having lost four straight and eight of their last nine meetings.

Still, there’s a glimmer of hope.

In three of the last five tournaments where Pegula has faced Siniakova, she’s gone on to win the title — including earlier this year in Bad Homburg.

One thing is certain: if Pegula is to make it four out of six, she’ll likely need to survive at least one more three-set battle along the way.