Guadalajara Open 2022: Jessica Pegula vs Sloane Stephens preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Jessica Pegula vs Sloane Stephens.
Date: October 21, 2022.
Tournament: Guadalajara Open 2022.
Round: Quarterfinal.
Venue: Panamerican Tennis Center, Guadalajara, Mexico.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Hardcourt.
Prize money: $2,527,250.
Match timing: Approx. 3:30 pm local time, 8:30 pm GMT, 4:30 pm ET and 2 am IST.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video.
Jessica Pegula vs Sloane Stephens preview
Compatriots Jessica Pegula and Sloane Stephens are set for a quarterfinal showdown at the 2022 Guadalajara Open on Friday.
Pegula saved three match points en route to defeating reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the second round. She took on 2019 US Open winner Bianca Andreescu in the third round.
Andreescu was the first to strike as she went up a break to lead 2-0 in the opening set. Pegula fought back to level the score immediately. The American secured a break of serve in the seventh game to go 4-3 up and extended her lead to 5-3 with a hold of serve.
With Andreescu now serving to stay in the set, she saved four set points before managing to hold serve. Pegula served out the set in the following game with ease. She raced to a 5-1 lead in the second set as well, but faced some trouble while closing out the match.
Andreescu bagged three games in a row to make it 5-4, but Pegula closed out the proceedings on her second try to win the match 6-4, 6-4.
Sloane Stephens defeated Linda Fruhvirtova and Belinda Bencic to set up a third-round date with World No. 10 Caroline Garcia. Stephens trailed 4-1 in the first set, but managed to get back on serve when her opponent failed to wrap up the set at 5-3.
The set eventually went to a tie-break, in which Garcia jumped to a 5-0 lead. Stephens didn't give up and turned things around in spectacular fashion to snatch the set by winning eight of the next nine points. The American carried the momentum into the second set as she quickly raced to a 3-0 lead.
Garcia leveled the score by securing a break of serve to make it 4-4. It looked like the set was headed for a tie-break, but Stephens managed to break her opponent's serve in the 12th game to win the match 7-6(6), 7-5.
Jessica Pegula vs Sloane Stephens head-to-head
Pegula leads Stephens 2-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2022 Miami Open in straight sets.
Jessica Pegula vs Sloane Stephens odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Jessica Pegula vs Sloane Stephens prediction
Stephens has played some amazing tennis this week, winning all three of her matches in straight sets. She went toe-to-toe with Garcia in the third round and used her forehand perfectly to dictate the play.
Pegula proved to be too solid for Andreescu to overcome in the previous round. Her consistency is hard to break down, with the American rarely trying to do too much with her shots. She has won her previous matches against Stephens with ease, but the former US Open champion seems to be on a roll this week.
Stephens loves playing in Guadalajara and seems to fancy the conditions here. The encounter might be more competitive than their previous ones, but Pegula has been steady all year long and is likely to overcome her fellow countrywoman.
Pick: Jessica Pegula to win in three sets.