San Diego Open 2024 Day 5: Women's singles predictions ft. Jessica Pegula vs Anna Blinkova
Day 5 of the 2024 San Diego Open will see the players go toe-to-toe in the quarterfinals.
Beatriz Haddad Maia, Dayana Yastremska, and Leylah Fernandez are the only seeded players to not make the last eight. While the first two were eliminated in the second round, the latter was forced to retire due to an injury in the first round.
Top seed Jessica Pegula's return from an injury break has gone quite smoothly. She has done quite well here in both singles and doubles. Fellow American Emma Navarro has continued her strong start to the season as she has reached the quarterfinals here as well.
With a pretty strong mix of players, here's a look at the predictions for the quarterfinal fixtures set for Friday at the San Diego Open:
#1 - Jessica Pegula vs Anna Blinkova
Pegula made a winning return from an injury layoff with a convincing 6-0, 6-4 win over Jule Niemeier in the second round of the San Diego Open. Blinkova trailed by a set and a break in the first round but staged a turnaround to defeat Caroline Wozniacki 1-6, 6-4, 6-1.
The Russian then bested this year's Australian Open semifinalist Dayana Yastremska 7-6 (6), 6-2 in the second round. She has now reached her first quarterfinal of the season.
Pegula will be the favorite to win this encounter, though Blinkova cannot be written off completely. She scored a memorable win over Elena Rybakina earlier this year at the Australian Open. The American will be vary of her opponent's threat level but given how she played in the previous round, she doesn't have a lot to worry about.
Predicted winner: Jessica Pegula
#2 - Emma Navarro vs Daria Saville
Navarro overcame a second-set stumble to beat Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the second round of the San Diego Open. Saville came through the qualifiers here and then knocked out Zhu Lin in the first round.
Saville was up against former Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria in the second round. The Australian was on the back foot for most of the match but raised her level to register a 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-2 win.
Navarro's 14-4 record for the season is a lot better than Saville's 6-3. Three of the American's four losses have come against players ranked higher than her. Yastremska was the only lower-ranked player to get the better of her but she was in the midst of a purple patch at the Australian Open. The 22-year-old will be expected to continue her time at the San Diego Open.
Predicted winner: Emma Navarro
#3 - Donna Vekic vs Katie Boulter
Vekic kicked off her run at the San Diego Open with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Katherine Hui. She got the better of Marina Stakusic in the second round with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory.
Boulter knocked out Lesia Tusrenko in the first round and followed it up with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over second seed Beatriz Haddad Maia. The Brit has now reached her first quarterfinal at the WTA 500 level.
Vekic's had a rather easy draw so far as she had to beat opponents ranked 872nd and 283rd in the world. The fact that she was pushed to three sets by a player ranked so far below her doesn't bode too well for her chances.
As for Boulter, she has played some great tennis this year now that she's not constantly bothered by injuries. She played at a pretty great level to outlast Haddad Maia too. If she continues to compete like this, dealing with Vekic shouldn't be too much of a hassle.
Predicted winner: Katie Boulter
#4 - Marta Kostyuk vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Kostyuk fought past Ann Li in three sets but had a relatively easier time in the second round as she scored a 6-4, 6-3 win over Taylah Preston. Pavlyuchenkova dropped the first set against Wang Xinyu in the second round and trailed 4-0 in the second set.
The Russian then staged an impressive fightback to score a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2 win. She now gets to duke it out with Kostyuk once again just a couple of weeks after their first meeting at the Qatar Open.
Kostyuk couldn't finish that match as she was forced to retire just minutes into the first set due to an illness. Both have had considerable success this season and given their form, this contest could swing either way. The Ukrainian will be the fresher of the two having spent less time on court, which could sway the tide in her favor.
Predicted winner: Marta Kostyuk