Melbourne (AFP) - Jessica Pegula flew into her second straight Australian Open quarter-final Sunday -- but her immediate attention was the Buffalo Bills' blockbuster NFL clash with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 21st-seeded American stormed through a first-set tiebreaker and kept her foot on the gas in overpowering Greek fifth seed Maria Sakkari 7-6 (7/0), 6-3 on Margaret Court Arena.
She will play either world number one and title favourite Ashleigh Barty or Naomi Osaka's conqueror Amanda Anisimova for a place in the semi-finals.
"That was definitely my best match of the year," said Pegula, 27, who has been relaxing in Melbourne by playing Blackjack at a local casino.
"I thought I returned really well, I wanted to put pressure on her serve and I felt I did that.I was trying to be patient and play as smart as I could."
Pegula was equally excited about tuning in to watch the Bills, who are owned by her billionaire businessman father Terry.
They are due to face the Chiefs in the American Football Conference Championship divisional round late Sunday.
"I think it's a fun little thing that I get to look forward to.My whole family is there.I Facetimed them earlier.They're all in Kansas City," she said.
"It's cool to kind of see them in another big situation, then me in a big situation today.
"I will take time to make sure I watch them, then hit later in the day afterwards."
Pegula's tycoon father, who made his money in natural gas, took over the Bills in 2014, outbidding rival suitors Donald Trump and rock star Jon Bon Jovi.
Pegula also made the last eight at Melbourne in 2021, when she lost to fellow American Jennifer Brady.
It sparked her best-ever season, making the quarter-finals or better on seven occasions to break into the top 20 for the first time.
"It's definitely something that I was thinking about as well, backing up a season," she said.
"Tennis is kind of brutal that way, where you can have a really great year and we're right back here again and it kind of forces you into the same position, puts a lot of pressure on.
"Still a lot more tournaments.It's a long year.I'm excited I did well here and hopefully I can take that into the rest of the year like I did last year."
Right-hander Sakkari, who made the semis at both the US Open and French Open last year, had a 2-0 win-loss record over Pegula and had not dropped a set at Melbourne Park.
But she found the going tough in searing heat.
They traded blows throughout the first set until the tiebreak when Pegula found another gear with her flat and fast groundstrokes helping her race through it without dropping a point.
She earned a break in the second set to move 4-1 and held on to take the win when Sakkari slapped a backhand wide.
