Jessica Pegula’s summer resurgence continued on Saturday with a place in the fourth round of the US Open.

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No. 6 seed Pegula of Buffalo, New York, swept past rising Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-3, 6-3 under the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

In their first meeting, Pegula needed 1 hour and 10 minutes to defeat 74th seed Bouzas Maneiro and advance to the round of 16 of the US Open for the third year in a row. It is her first round of 16 appearance at a Grand Slam tournament this year.

“I thought it was pretty straightforward today,” Pegula said. “I think I just played solid tennis. I didn’t have to do much or anything crazy out there. I felt like I was able to execute my strategy and figure things out and get things done pretty quickly.”

Pegula will next face another player who has broken out this year: 18th seed Diana Shnaider, who defeated Sara Errani 6-2, 6-2 on Saturday. Pegula already defeated Shnaider in the semifinals in Toronto this summer.

Here are the lessons learned from the Battle of the Jessicas:

Pegula’s strong waves affect: Pegula, the second-highest-ranked American behind No. 3 seed Coco Gauff, has been virtually unbeatable since stepping foot on North American hard courts following her early Olympic exit.

Pegula has recently turned expert in Canada and successfully defended her title at the WTA 1000 National Bank Open, triumphing in Toronto this year after taking the crown in Montreal last year.

Pegula reached the WTA 1000 final for the second consecutive year the following week in Cincinnati before suffering her only hard court loss to date against No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.

With three additional wins at the US Open, Pegula is at an impressive 12-1 on this year’s hard court series. After missing the entire European clay court tour due to injury (except for the Olympics after Wimbledon), Pegula’s season seems to be back on track.

She has achieved great results on hard courts: This tournament streak is clearly benefiting Pegula, who is just one win away from her seventh Grand Slam quarterfinal. Pegula has reached the quarterfinals of every major, but two-thirds of those have been hard-court Slams.

“I think I play just as well in the other Grand Slam tournaments, but I think for some reason I was able to use the momentum that I have as an American at the US Open and do pretty well,” Pegula said. “Maybe the crowd support or the fact that I’m in the US contributes a little to that.”

Since the start of the 2023 season, Pegula has won 65 hard court matches at tour level. Only world number one Iga Swiatek has won more during this period, with 69.

If the seedings are right, Pegula could face Swiatek in the quarterfinals as the American aims for a coveted first Grand Slam semifinal.

The American’s serve games were on point: Pegula’s excellent overall performance was reflected in the hall on Saturday, as the roof remained closed throughout the game due to the risk of rain.

In the calmer conditions, Pegula was particularly focused on her serve in the first set. The American won all 10 first serve points in the first set and also managed 6 of 8 second serve points in that set as she won four games in a row after trailing 3-2.

Bouzas Maneiro finally got a handle on her return at 3-1 in the second set, converting her fourth break point of the match with a precise backhand return winner down the line. But Pegula was immediately back on top form, winning her next two service games to zero on her way to victory.

Bouzas Maneiro – one to keep an eye on: Despite the loss, 21-year-old Bouzas Maneiro is one to watch, having risen nearly 100 places in the rankings over the past eight months. After starting the year ranked 152nd, she is now on the verge of breaking into the top 60.

Bouzas Maneiro defeated defending champion Marketa Vondrousova on Centre Court in the first round of Wimbledon 2024 to win her first top-10 title, reaching her first Grand Slam round there and repeating that result this week with wins over Petra Martic and 31st seed Katie Boulter.

However, Pegula’s summer sweep was too much for the Spaniard, and she was denied her second top-10 win and her new career-best result at a major.