US Open 2022: Jessica Pegula vs Petra Kvitova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (8) Jessica Pegula vs (21) Petra Kvitova
Date: September 5, 2022
Tournament: US Open 2022
Round: Fourth Round (Round of 16)
Venue: New York, United States
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $60,102,000
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & ESPN2 | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sony Liv, Sony Ten & Sony Six
Jessica Pegula vs Petra Kvitova Preview
Eighth seed and home favourite Jessica Pegula will lock horns with two-time quarterfinalist and 21st seed Petra Kvitova in the Round of 16 at the US Open on Monday.
The American has shown terrific consistency all season. She reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, establishing herself in the big league.
Wih a run to the semifinals in Miami on hardcourt and the final at Madrid on clay, Pegula has shown her versatility and adaptibility to different surfaces. The World No. 8 has come to the US Open after making the semifinals in Toronto and the last eight in Cincinnati.
While Pegula blitzed through her first two rounds at her 'home' Slam, dispatching Viktorija Golubic and Aliaksandra Sasnovich in straight sets, she faced a stern test against Chinese qualifier Yue Yuan in the third round on Saturday.
Pegula for a spot in the quarterfinals!
Petra 🆚 Pegula for a spot in the quarterfinals! https://t.co/XgiI3sr3TQ
Pegula lost her first set of the tournament before regrouping for a 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-0 win. She did squander a 5-2 lead and a match point in the second set tiebreak, though.
Meanwhile, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova mightily struggled in the first half of the season, posting a 10-13 win-loss record. She, however, turned her season around on grass, winning the Eastbourne title.
Although her Wimbledon campaign ended in the third round, the 32-year-old caught fire in Cincinnati, where she won five matches before losing to Caroline Garcia in the final.
The World No. 21 started her New York campaign with a 7-6(3), 6-0 win over Erika Andreeva. After a walkover against Anhelina Kalinina in the second round, Kvitova squared off against fellow two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza in a blockbuster third-round clash on Saturday.
The two fought tooth and nail before Kvitova saved a couple of match points to secure a 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(10) win in two hours and 38 minutes.
If a photo could talk 📣
A big win for @Petra_Kvitova, rallying from 2-5 in the 3rd set, saving 2 match points in a #USOpen thriller against Muguruza to reach R4!
Final score: 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(10) https://t.co/STS4XAnusd
Jessica Pegula vs Petra Kvitova Head-to-head
Petra Kvitova holds a flawless 2-0 lead over Pegula in their head-to-head. The Czech came through 6-4, 6-3 in the pair's first meeting at the 2020 US Open before earning a 6-4, 6-4 win in Doha last year.
Jessica Pegula vs Petra Kvitova Odds
(All odds sourced from Oddschecker)
Jessica Pegula vs Petra Kvitova Prediction
Although Kvitova would have got a huge confidence boost after her fighting win over Muguruza, the oscillations in her form during the match were concerning. She struck 14 aces but also undid her good work with as many as 12 double faults.
Kvitova had a bigger winner count (43) than Muguruza (21) but also made more errors (50) than the Spaniard (32). Her inability to take her chances consistently put her on the brink of defeat against the former World No. 1.
The left-hander could have a tough time against a steady and reliable player like Pegula if she struggles for consistency again. Moreover, the physical duel with Muguruza would have also taken a lot out of the 32-year-old Czech's energy levels, which tilts the balance towards the eighth seed.
Pegula dropped just four points (36/40) on her first serve in the third round. She also reined in her aggression well, producing 35 winners to 25 unforced errors. The American was impressive in her return game too, breaking her opponent six times from nine opportunities.
Having shown fabulous consistency at the highest level, Pegula looks primed to earn her first win over Kvitova in front of her home crowd.
Pick: Jessica Pegula to win in two tight sets