By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Friday, January 17, 2025
Photo credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty
This Australian Open is all about comings and goings.
World No. 55 Olga Danilovic delivered staying power and showed US Open finalist Jessica Pegula the door in a confident performance on Rod Laver Arena.
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The left-handed Danilovic run off nine of the last 11 games toppling the seventh-seeded Pegula 7-6(3), 6-1 to reach the Australian Open fourth round for the first time.
“I am super happy with the way I played, honestly,” Danilovic said. “I mean she’s on the top of the world. She’s such a great player. I knew I had to have my A plus plus game to beat her.
“In the back of my mind I really believed in myself, you know? I came onto this court to enjoy myself. This is my first time on such a big court, in Rod Laver Arena, so I mean I don’t know what to say. I’m so happy at this moment.”
Following Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic onto Rod Laver Arena, Danilovic unleashed Serbian celebration that had Djokovic himself applauding her.
A beaming Danilovic waved to screaming Serbian fans and put her hand over her heart completing her third career Top 10 victory.
It is Danilovic’s first Top 10 triumph since she defeated No. 10 Danielle Collins en route to the Roland Garros round of 16 last summer. Pegula said the left-hander’s precise serving and increased aggression as the match progressed were keys to her win.
“I mean, from 3-All in the tiebreaker, she played some pretty good tennis,” Pegula told the media in Melbourne. “Just kind of started going for her shots I feel like a lot more.
“Her serve percentage didn’t really drop. Her level, it just got better. Maybe had chances in that first game she served — or second game she served in the second, but she hit a winner on every breakpoint opportunity I had. So, yeah, credit to her. She played really well.”
The 23-year-old Danilovic is the first Serbian woman to reach the Australian Open round of 16 since 2014 when former world No. 1 players Jelena Jankovic (fourth round) and Ana Ivanovic (quarterfinals) each did it.
Down 4-5 in the first set, Danilovic amped up her aggression. Deadlocked at 3-all in the tiebreaker, a determined Danilovic ran off four points in a row seizing a one-set lead.
Danilovic dodged four break points in an arduous third game holding for a 2-1 second-set lead.
A Pegula drive hit the net and sat up. Hustling forward, Danilovic dabbed a reply and the American’s lob floated long. Danilovic broke for a one-set, 3-1 lead.
The left-hander, who had been consistently sliding her serve wide on the ad side, mixed it up and pumped a serve down the T holding at love for 4-1.
Grand Slam king and Serbian compatriot Novak Djokovic was watching this match unfold from inside Rod Laver Arena and liked what he saw as Danilovic broke again for 5-1.
When the jumbo screens inside Rod Laver Arena showed Djokovic watching this match, Serbian fans began chanting “Nole! Nole!” in delight seeing his support.
The 5’11” Danilovic is the daughter of former Serbian basketball star Predrag Danilovic and showed competitive composure at closing time.
Danilovic earned double match point at 40-15 serving for the fourth round. Pegula dug down to deny both match points and draw even at deuce.
Shrugging it off, Danilovic drilled an ace down the T for a third match point.
Whipping one final wide serve, Danilovic closed one of the biggest hard court wins of her career then walked to the center of the crowd and waved to the roaring crowd putting her hand over her heart in a show of appreciation for the support.
“I’m so proud,” Danilovic said. “Twelve months ago I was here and I lost in the second round of qualies. Those moments are so tough. But I have a great team behind me. I have family that’s always been supporting me. I believed in myself, I worked really hard and yeah, I’m here in the second week.”
Next up for Danilovic is hard-hitting Spaniard Paula Badosa.
Danilovic has won two of three meetings vs. Badosa. The winner of that match will advance to the quarterfinals against either WTA Finals champion Coco Gauff or former Olympic gold-medal champion Belinda Bencic.
