WTA Finals 2022: Ons Jabeur vs Jessica Pegula preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Ons Jabeur vs (3) Jessica Pegula.
Date: November 2, 2022.
Tournament: WTA Finals 2022.
Round: Round robin.
Venue: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, United States.
Category: Year-ending championships.
Surface: Hardcourt.
Prize money: $5,000,000.
Match timing: Not before 5 pm local time, 6 pm ET, 10 pm GMT and 3:30 am IST.
Live telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video.
Ons Jabeur vs Jessica Pegula preview
Two-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur will take on World No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the group stage of the 2022 WTA Finals on Wednesday.
Jabeur faced Aryna Sabalenka in her first group tie on Monday. The Tunisian was in complete control of the opening set. She started the match by securing a break of serve, didn't face a single break point and broke her opponent's serve once again in the end to clinch the set.
Sabalenka led by a break thrice in the second set and even held a set point, but Jabeur managed to claw her way back into the set every time and took it to a tie-break. The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up led 5-3, but missed an easy forehand that would've set up a match point for her.
It proved to be costly for Jabeur as Sabalenka went on to win the tie-break to level the proceedings. The Tunisian snagged an early break in the third set to go 3-1, but her opponent fought back to tie the score at 4-4. The Belarusian managed to secure a break of serve in the last game of the match to win 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5.
Pegula kicked off her WTA Finals campaign against Maria Sakkari, who she defeated in the final of the Guadalajara Open last month. The Greek struggled to hold on to her lead in the first set, surrendering a break advantage thrice. However, she edged out her opponent in the tie-break to capture the set.
Sakkari jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second set, but Pegula got back on serve eventually to make it 3-3. The two were quite steady on serve after that. The American even saved a couple of match points at 6-5 as she held serve to force a tie-break.
Pegula bagged a slim lead of 2-0 in the tie-break, but Sakkari gained the upper hand down the line to defeat the American 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4).
Ons Jabeur vs Jessica Pegula head-to-head
Jabeur leads Pegula 3-2 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2022 Madrid Open in three sets.
Ons Jabeur vs Jessica Pegula odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Ons Jabeur vs Jessica Pegula prediction
Both players are in need of a win following their defeat to start the group stage of the WTA Finals. Jabeur was quite close to a victory against Sabalenka, but couldn't get across the finish line. The Tunisian's drop shots fetched her limited success.
While the slow courts and low bouncing conditions are quite conducive to Jabeur's brand of tennis, her opponents often figure out her pattern of play. It was what led to her downfall against Sabalenka.
Pegula, on the other hand, had an off day against Sakkari. She was quite subdued and was unable to adjust to the conditions properly as well. She even went on to lose her doubles tie with Gauff later on. Her serve, which is usually quite reliable, didn't work that well either.
Their previous encounter in Madrid earlier this year was a topsy-turvy affair, with Jabeur surviving a second set bagel to win the title. The Tunisian showed more promise in her previous match here and if she's able to build upon it, she should be able to defeat Pegula.
Pick: Ons Jabeur to win in three sets.
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