Jessica Pegula, daughter of Buffalo Bills owners, into 4th round at Australian Open

American Jessica Pegula advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open for the second consecutive year with a 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory over Nuria Parrizas Diaz on Thursday.

The tournament's No. 21 seed recorded seven aces and 20 winners in the 91-minute clash. She'll next face fifth-seeded  Maria Sakkari, who cruised past  Veronika Kudermetova with 6-4, 6-1 victory.  

After the victory, Pegula wrote on the on-court camera in celebration: "Bills you're next."

Pegula's parents, Kim and Terry, own the  Buffalo Bills and the team is slated to play the  Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday with a spot in the AFC Championship Game on the line.

Pegula, 27, tweeted about wearing Bills' colors during her time in Melbourne earlier in the week.

"Coincidence I'm in Bills colors?" she wrote.

Pegula recorded her best career major result at the 2021 Australian Open with a run to the quarterfinals before losing to eventual finalist and fellow American  Jennifer Brady.

Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka joined Pegula in the fourth round for the first time since 2016 after overpowering 15th-seeded Elina Svitolina 6-0, 6-2.

The 24th-seeded Azarenka won the title at Melbourne Park in 2012 and 2013, and she also has been the runner-up at the US Open three times, most recently in 2020. Since a quarterfinal run in Australia in 2016, Azarenka lost first-round matches last year and in 2019 and missed the hard-court tournament in 2017, 2018 and 2020.

"I always feel privileged that I'm able to have him here,'' said Azarenka, who was accompanied by her 5-year-old son when talking to reporters after the match. "These kind of moments are really priceless for me. To be able for me to share that with my son is pretty incredible.''

Azarenka will next face French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, who rallied from a set and a break down against No. 26-seeded Jelena Ostapenko to win 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

In other results on Day 5, eighth-seeded Paula Badosa had a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 win over Marta Kostyuk to move into a fourth-round match against American Madison Keys, who held off Wang Qiang 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2).

The Associated Press contributed to this report.