BNP Paribas Open 2023: Jessica Pegula vs Petra Kvitova preview, head-to-head & prediction | Indian Wells
Match details
Fixture: (3) Jessica Pegula vs (15) Petra Kvitova
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open
Round: Fourth round (Round of 16)
Venue: Indian Wells, California, USA
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $8,800,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Jessica Pegula vs Petra Kvitova preview
Jessica Pegula and Petra Kvitova came through similarly dramatic wins on a stellar Indian Wells weekend to book a fourth-round date at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open.
First through into the second week, Pegula overcame a break deficit in the third set of her marathon tussle against Anastasia Potapova. Bouyed by a boisterous home crowd, the American surged in the afternoon heat to take the match 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 after two hours and 17 minutes on the court.
Having already been pushed to three sets twice this week, the battle-hardened Pegula will face another uphill battle against Kvitova — a player who has already beaten her this year.
Kvitova, meanwhile, survived a late-night thriller against fellow Grand Slam champion Jelena Ostapenko. Having failed to win a single game in the opening set, the Czech found her best tennis over the course of the next 40 minutes to reel off 10 straight games before Ostapenko mounted her own comeback.
The southpaw, however, was determined to close out a win — which she did after breaking her opponent at 4-4 in the decider. The dramatic 0-6, 6-0, 6-4 scoreline tells the story of the match. Heading into the fourth round though, Kvitova will need to find ways to steady the ship.
Jessica Pegula vs Petra Kvitova head-to-head
Kvitova leads Pegula in their current head-to-head 3-1. The Czech also took the duo's latest meeting, beating her opponent as recently as this year's United Cup.
Jessica Pegula vs Petra Kvitova odds
(Odds to be updated soon)
Jessica Pegula vs Petra Kvitova prediction
Indian Wells has not been a happy hunting ground for Petra Kvitova, who rarely gets anything out of the slow, high-bouncing courts and heavy conditions. That said, the Czech has shown her ability to still generate enough firepower off the ground in her two matches this week and that augers well for her.
Kvitova is hitting the ball rather cleanly and has returned especially well. The one area where she will be looking to put in some work before the fourth round will be her serve — which has been hit-or-miss in the last two matches.
Jessica Pegula, for her part, has struggled to find her best tennis in the desert. The American, much like her opponent, possesses flat groundstrokes that don't always fly in slower conditions. Her struggles on serve this week have also been evident, as she is barely managing to win 60% of her first-serve points.
Pegula's consistency is her biggest strength out on the court, and the conditions in Indian Wells seem to have left her lost for answers. Playing against someone like Kvitova, who will step out looking to be the aggressor and attack each ball, she will have even less time to process things. Unless she can rediscover her steady form and push Kvitova past her breaking point, the third seed risks being blown off the court.
Prediction: Kvitova to win in two tight sets