“I’m glad I just got off to a really good start” – After getting a mid-match walkover in her first match, Jessica Pegula finally seals a victory with a dominating performance in the R16. She will now face Russia’s Anna Blinkova in the QF of the 2025 ATX Open. She turned 31 on February 24, and so far birthday week has gone pretty well.

Can Pegula make this week even more memorable by securing her spot in the SF of this tournament?

Jessica Pegula vs. Anna Blinkova: Preview

Jessica Pegula had already made a couple of long runs in her previous tournaments this season. Even here, she has looked quite impressive so far. She defeated Spain’s Nuria Parrizas-Diaz by 6-1, 6-3 in a 1 hour 5 minutes encounter in the previous round. Can she repeat a similar dominating performance in her next match?

Well, this is Anna Blinkova’s second QF appearance this season. She’ll be entering this contest following her impressive 6-2, 6-2 victory over the 37-year-old German star Tatjana Maria.

Pegula vs. Blinkova: Head-to-Head

Jessica Pegula and Anna Blinkova have met each other four times in their careers so far. Currently, the American has a 3-1 lead over Russian in the H2H record.

• 2024 Indian Wells Masters R64: Blinkova 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
• 2024 San Diego QF: Pegula 6-1, 2-6, 6-2.
• 2023 Beijing R32: Pegula 6(2)-7, 6-2, 6-1.
• 2023 Charleston R32: Pegula 6-2, 6-0.

Prediction: Pegula to win in straight sets

The world number 4, Jessica Pegula looks in good form at the moment. This is her third QF appearance in the 2025 season. She currently has a win-loss record of 10-4. However, her opponent in this match, Anna Blinkova (74) has a win-loss record of just 8-5 as of now. So, looking at their performances in their previous matches this season and considering their H2H record, we’re picking the American in this QF clash.

However, apart from that, we must not forget that home-favorite Jessica Pegula will be having a lot of support from the crowd in this match. Can the 26-year-old Russian tennis player handle the pressure efficiently? Time will tell!

We all know Anna Blinkova loves playing on the hard courts. Blinkova’s playing style, which mainly comprises her stunning forehand and sliced serves, may come in handy on this surface. She has an incredible ability to adapt to different conditions, and she loves mixing her aggressive style of play with her defensive counter-punching style. However, her biggest weakness has been a high number of double fault counts. She has hit 22 aces so far this season but committed 35 double faults. Apart from that, finding consistency in her game has been a bit challenging for Blinkova over the last few years. She is often seen struggling a bit in the rallies.

Anna Blinkova often tends to commit a lot of unforced errors when she’s under pressure. Keeping things tidy against Jessica Pegula will be extremely crucial for this Russian star. Now, if we take a look at Pegula’s style of play, well, the 31-year-old loves playing an aggressive brand of tennis. Her game usually comprises strong groundstrokes, and she loves utilizing her wide wingspan to full effect in her matches. Pegula’s favorite shot is her backhand down the line and she also has a good return game.

Jessica Pegula is regarded as one of the most tactically intelligent players on the Tour. Considering her vast experience on the Tour, we believe there is a higher possibility of her sealing the deal pretty quickly in this QF clash as well.