San Diego Open 2024 Day 3: Women's singles predictions ft. Jessica Pegula vs Jule Niemeier
Second-round matches will begin on Wednesday at the 2024 San Diego Open.
Former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki was sent home in the first round as Anna Blinkova defeated her 1-6, 6-4, 6-1. Dayana Yastremska and Donna Vekic made winning starts but an injury forced Leylah Fernandez out of the tournament.
Two of the top four seeds, Jessica Pegula and Beatriz Haddad Maia, will take to the court on Wednesday. Four singles matches are scheduled for the day with players eyeing a place in the quarterfinals.
Here's a look at the predictions for all the matches lined up on Day 3 of the San Diego Open:
#1 - Jessica Pegula vs Jule Niemeier
It hasn't been smooth sailing for Pegula thus far in 2024. As part of the American contingent at the United Cup, where they were the defending champions, they were knocked out in the group stage itself.
Pegula performed better at her next tournament, the Adelaide International. She made it to the semifinals but withdrew before her match. She was upset by Clara Burel in the second round of the Australian Open, after which she took a month-long break to recover from an injury.
Niemeier came through the qualifying rounds of the San Diego Open and then defeated Varvara Gracheva 6-3, 6-0 in the first round. It marked just her second main draw win of the season.
Pegula has already played a match here as she won her doubles tie alongside Desirae Krawczyk. Niemeier is yet to defeat a top 20 player on hardcourts, so the American has the advantage in this match-up.
Predicted winner: Jessica Pegula
#2 - Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Katie Boulter
Haddad Maia bowed out in the third round of the Australian Open after a 7-6 (7), 6-3 loss to Maria Timofeeva. She then reached the semifinals of the Abu Dhabi Open but was defeated by Daria Kasatkina in three sets.
The rest of the Middle East swing wasn't as successful for Haddad Maia. She was knocked out in the first round of the Qatar Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships by Wang Xinyu and Jasmine Paolini respectively. As the second seed at the San Diego Open, she received a first-round bye.
Boulter made light work of Lesia Tsurenko as she defeated her 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of the San Diego Open. The Brit has made tremendous progress in the past year as she has steadily climbed up the rankings to entrench herself in the top 50.
Haddad Maia's on a three-match losing streak but has the game to turn it around. Boulter will need to wrap this one up as soon as possible because the longer the match goes on, the more it'll favor the Brazilian as she's known for her endurance.
Predicted winner: Beatriz Haddad Maia
#3 - Tatjana Maria vs Daria Saville
Maria made it to the second round of the San Diego Open after Fernandez had to throw in the towel due to an injury. The German lost the first set but led 4-0 in the next before the Canadian called it quits.
Saville came through the qualifiers and eliminated Zhu Lin in the first round here. Both have a comparable win-loss record for the season. Maria's varied style of play often frustrates her opponents but the Australian has the patience to deal with such players.
However, Maria hasn't won back-to-back matches this season. Saville's best result has been a semifinal finish at the Hobart International, though she hasn't performed as well of late. Nevertheless, the Australian will be backed to make it through this clash.
Predicted winner: Daria Saville
#4 - Marta Kostyuk vs Taylah Preston
Kostyuk was unable to build upon her quarterfinal run at the Australian Open as an illness forced her to halt her Qatar Open campaign. She won her first-round match against Caroline Dolehide but retired a few minutes into her second-round contest against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Kostyuk was made to work in the first round by Ann Li but subdued her opponent for a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win. Preston needed three sets to get past Magdalena Frech in her opener, as she secured a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 victory.
It marked Preston's maiden win at the WTA level. The 18-year-old is a promising talent but given her relative inexperience at this stage, Kostyuk will be the overwhelming favorite to win this match.
Predicted winner: Marta Kostyuk