Wimbledon 2023: Jessica Pegula vs Marketa Vondrousova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (4) Jessica Pegula vs Marketa Vondrousova
Tournament: Wimbledon 2023
Date: July 11, 2023
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: London, United Kingdom
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Grass
Prize money: £44,700,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | Canada - TSN & RDS | UK - BBC & Eurosport | India - Star Sports
Jessica Pegula vs Marketa Vondrousova preview
Fourth seed Jessica Pegula and World No. 42 Marketa Vondrousova will face off on Tuesday in what will be the first Wimbledon quarterfinal for both.
World No. 4 Pegula has maintained her consistency throughout the season after playing a key role in Team USA's United Cup triumph in January. She made the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, the final in Doha, and the semifinals in Dubai and Miami before the start of the clay season.
On the clay, the American continued to impress with a run to the semis in Charleston and the quarters in Madrid.
Pegula played only one grass event at Eastbourne in the lead-up to Wimbledon, where she finished her campaign in the last eight.
The 29-year-old has now put up her best performance at the London Major, advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time in her career. Pegula has so far dropped just one set in four matches, which came in the first round against compatriot Lauren Davis.
With a spot in the last eight at Wimbledon booked, Pegula has now made the quarters at all four Slams.
Marketa Vondrousova, meanwhile, is best remembered for her runner-up finish at the 2019 French Open and her silver medal win at the Tokyo Olympics.
Injuries, surgery and a lack of consistency, however, haven't allowed the former World No. 1 junior from building on the exceptional promise she showed after transitioning into the senior circuit.
The Czech southpaw, once a World No. 14, has been trying to resurrect her career this year after her physical woes. She reached the semifinals in Linz in what has so far been her best result in any tournament in 2023.
Vondrousova also reached the quarterfinals at the Adelaide International 1 at the start of the season and most recently in Berlin on grass. It majorly boosted her confidence as evident from her dazzling progress in the third Slam of the year.
On her way to the last 16, the 24-year-old knocked out quality players in 12th seed Veronika Kudermetova and 20th seed Donna Vekic, both of whom have reached a grass final this year.
Vondrousova then faced compatriot 32nd seed Marie Bouzkova in the fourth round. Having conceded her first set of the fortnight, the southpaw bounced back in three sets to advance to the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the very first time. This is the first time Vondrousova has made it to the last eight of any Major since her breakout French Open final run in 2019.
Jessica Pegula vs Marketa Vondrousova head-to-head
Pegula and Vondrousova have never squared off on the tour before. Hence, their head-to-head currently remains tied at a 0-0 deadlock.
Jessica Pegula vs Marketa Vondrousova odds
(Odds sourced from oddschecker.com)
Jessica Pegula vs Marketa Vondrousova prediction
While Pegula is the higher ranked player in this encounter with more experience and consistency, Vondrousova does have the tools in staging yet another upset.
The Czech southpaw's ability to mix up bursts of power with variety and finesse could very well break down the rhythm of Pegula's hard-hitting baseline game. Vondrousova can quickly change the speed of her shots and occasionally throw in the dropshot, which could be highly effective on the low-bouncing grass.
However, putting the American on the backfoot might not be that easy as she is one of the cleanest and most precise ball-strikers around. Vondrousova was able to produce only 54% first serves in the first set against Bouzkova which she went on to lose. Although she improved that statistic as the match went on, Vondrousova needs to come out with a better serving display to have success against a returner of Pegula's caliber.
If Vondrousova manages to make a strong start and keep her errors in check, she does have a good chance of making her first semifinal at Wimbledon.
Pick: Vondrousova to win in three sets.