WTA Finals 2023 Final: Iga Swiatek vs Jessica Pegula preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Iga Swiatek vs (5) Jessica Pegula
Date: November 6, 2023
Tournament: WTA Finals 2023
Round: Final
Venue: Cancun, Mexico
Category: Year-ending championships
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize money: $9,000,000
Live telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video
Iga Swiatek vs Jessica Pegula preview
Second seed Iga Swiatek will take on fifth seed Jessica Pegula in the final of the WTA Finals on Sunday.
Swiatek had a strong start to the year-end championships with a 7-6(3), 6-0 win over seventh seed Marketa Vondrousova and followed it up with a 6-0, 7-5 win over third seed Coco Gauff. She then triumphed 6-1, 6-2 over sixth seed Ons Jabeur to book her place in the semifinals.
Here, Swiatek faced top seed Aryna Sabalenka and saved a break point before converting one of her own to lead 3-1. She eventually took the set 6-3. The Pole was very strong on her serve in the second set and broke the Belarusian's serve twice to register a 6-3, 6-2 win and book her place in the final of the WTA Finals.
Jessica Pegula had a good start to the year-end championships as she beat fourth seed Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-2 in her opening fixture. She then defeated top seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-3 to confirm her place in the semifinals. Pegula won the Bacalar Group by beating eighth seed Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-2 in her final round-robin fixture.
The American then faced her doubles partner Coco Gauff in the semifinals and broke in the very first game. The 19-year-old broke back to level the score at 2-2 before Pegula won the next four games to take the set 6-2.
She dominated the second set and won it 6-1 to seal her spot in the final of the WTA Finals.
Iga Swiatek vs Jessica Pegula head-to-head
Swiatek leads Pegula 5-3 in their head-to-head. Their last encounter came in the semifinals of the Canadian Open in Montreal, with Pegula winning 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-4.
Iga Swiatek vs Jessica Pegula odds
(All odds are sourced from BETMGM)
Iga Swiatek vs Jessica Pegula prediction
Swiatek looks to be back at her lethal best after a slight blip at the US Open and the Pan Pacific Open. However, Pegula has beaten the Pole twice in three meetings this season. She will be high on confidence heading into the match.
Swiatek is a powerful ball striker and loves to play aggressively. Her stamina, movement and elite mentality will aid her in the final. However, the Pole has hit 69 unforced errors so far in Cancun and will have to be careful not to produce too many on Sunday.
Pegula is also an aggressive player with a pretty good net game and volleying skills. Her on-court movement has improved a lot lately and will be crucial in dealing with Swiatek's power. The American, like her opponent, has also produced plenty of unforced errors in the tournament.
Pegula has often dropped off a little in the latter stages of Grand Slams but seems to be doing better at Masters 1000 events. Considering her performance against Gauff in the semifinals, she won't be easy to beat.
Swiatek and Pegula put on a show when they last met in the semifinals of the Canadian Open and we could be in for another classic in Cancun.
Pick: Pegula in three sets.