Wimbledon 2024: Jessica Pegula vs Ashlyn Krueger preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (5) Jessica Pegula vs Ashlyn Krueger
Date: Tuesday, July 2
Tournament: Wimbledon 2024
Round: First Round (Round of 128)
Venue: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England, United Kingdom
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Grass
Prize Money: £50,000,000
Live Telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel | UK - BBC | Canada - TSN, RDS, & ESPN International | India - Star Network
Jessica Pegula vs Ashlyn Krueger preview
Fifth seed Jessica Pegula is slated to open her 2024 Wimbledon campaign against Ashlyn Krueger in an enthralling all-American first-round clash on Tuesday, July 2.
Pegula returned to the tour at the Libema Open after spending time on the sidelines due to a back and neck injury. Playing in her first competitive match since the Charleston Open in April, Pegula was quick to get out of the blocks with an emphatic victory over Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the opening round. She fought valiantly against Aleksandra Krunic in the subsequent round but eventually went down in three grueling sets.
Seeded fourth at the Ecotrans Ladies Open in Berlin the following week, Pegula kicked off her campaign with a routine win over Donna Vekic. She then got the better of Katerina Siniakova from a set down courtesy of some brilliant serving and play from the back of the court. Up against the top seed Coco Gauff in the last four, Pegula played some of her best tennis to shock her good friend in straight sets.
An in-form Anna Kalinskaya awaited Pegula in the final. It was the Russian who struck first, claiming the first set in the tie-breaker. A monumental fightback from the American saw her save five championship points en route to the victory. However, Pegula failed to win her opener at the Rothesay International last week, going down to home favorite Emma Raducanu despite winning the first set.
Krueger, on the contrary, kicked off her Grasscourt Swing at the Rothesay Open in Nottingham. She comfortably saw off Wang Yafan in her opener in straight sets. An inspired Francesca Jones brought an end to her campaign in the subsequent round.
Krueger participated at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne next. She ploughed through the qualifiers with comfortable wins over Brits Eden Silva and Ella McDonald to secure a berth in the main draw of the WTA500 event. She started exceptionally, getting the better of her much experienced opponent Viktorija Golubic in the first round. Eventual finalist Leylah Fernandez swept her off-court in the following round, dropping just three games en route to an emphatic win.
Jessica Pegula vs Ashlyn Krueger head-to-head
Jessica Pegula edges compatriot Ashlyn Krueger 1-0 in their head-to-head, having won their only encounter at the 2024 Hana Bank Korea Open in straight sets.
Jessica Pegula vs Ashlyn Krueger odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Jessica Pegula vs Ashlyn Krueger predictions
Jessica Pegula might have missed a big chunk of the 2024 season, but that didn't stop her from getting off to a spectacular start on the grass. She was quick to get off the blocks and hardly displayed any signs of rust. Her superb form from the back of the court, on serve, and particularly at the net, was crucial in her lifting the title in Berlin a couple of weeks ago.
Krueger, meanwhile, displayed glimpses of great form on the surface but lacked consistency overall. She excelled on the return with a high rate of covered break point opportunities. Her serve, however, will need lots of work if she is to see off her compatriot.
Krueger is set to make her Wimbledon main draw debut while Pegula is making her fifth main draw appearance. Her best finish yet was a run to the quarterfinals last year. Pegula's experience both on the WTA tour and at the Championships should give her the edge and see her comfortably pass this test.
Pick: Jessica Pegula to win in straight sets.