Pegula battles fatigue to reach Dubai third round

Jessica Pegula fought off fatigue from a pair of weekend WTA finals, recovering with a runaway third set to reach the third round in Dubai on Tuesday.

The third-ranked American lost the Doha singles final to Iga Swaitek but won the doubles trophy; she booked the third round here .

Pegula managed a 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 win over Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova but admitted she had to push hard for the comeback win.

“In the third set I was a lot more aggressive, I came out swinging,” she said. “I played my first match on Sunday when conditions were dry and chilly.

“It was tough today, I won’t lie : I feel a little rough right now.”

Pegula needed just over two hours to advance. “Getting through this match will help, but I’m looking forward to a lot of recovery before the next round.”

Another American, Madison Keys, scored a minor upset as she beat fourth seed Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-4 for the fourth consecutive time – all without the loss of a set.

The 2017 US Open finalist now faces double Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka, who defeated Amanda Anisimova 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5).