After competing within the finals of the ATX Open on Sunday, McCartney Kessler, Zhang Shuai, Yue Yuan and Anna Blinkova confronted a prolonged journey to their subsequent occasion in Indian Wells – till Jessica Pegula stepped in.
American Pegula, who beat compatriot Kessler 7–5 6–2 within the singles remaining in Austin, provided the 4 gamers use of her non-public jet to fly straight from Texas to California.
The world quantity 4 even waited till after the doubles remaining – which noticed Yue and Blinkova beat Kessler and Shuai 3-6, 6-1 10-4 – to make sure everybody may make the 1,263-mile journey.
The gamers would have in any other case confronted a stopover in Los Angeles or journeys to airports in Dallas and Houston, leaving little time to arrange for Indian Wells, which begins on Wednesday.
“She may have left proper after her singles remaining, however she is such a selfless and beneficiant woman,” China’s Zhang posted on Instagram.
“This message is to not present I took the jet, [I] simply needed to understand and switch the love.”
Russian Blinkova and China’s Yue shared Zhang’s story on Instagram and likewise thanked 31-year-old Pegula, whose billionaire dad and mom personal NFL’s Buffalo Payments and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
Blinkova has been drawn to play Kessler within the first spherical at Indian Wells, whereas Yue will play Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.
Pegula, seeded fourth, has been given a first-round bye. Zhang will enter the doubles occasion later within the match.
