MELBOURNE, Australia — American world No. 6 Jessica Pegula usually loves playing in Melbourne. She’s an aggressive stroke-maker, who uses her racket head speed to generate huge power and push her opponents around the courts.
The Australian Open is her best Grand Slam in terms of consistency; she’s made the quarterfinals here three times, whereas she’s only made, or passed, that mark four times at all other Slams combined.
So when she was beaten soundly by unseeded Serb Olga Danilovic in the third round Friday night, it raised eyebrows.
Pegula said conditions were drastically different on a cool evening on Rod Laver Arena compared to other courts, declaring the featured stadium “slower than a clay court” — no mean feat given the racy blue surfaces at Melbourne Park are usually quite zippy.
Generally, grass courts are the fastest on the tour; a lack of friction means shots — in particular, serves –…
