Fasten your seatbelts! America’s Jessica Pegula is all set to take on the two-time Grand Slam champion, Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) in the second group stage match at the 2024 WTA Finals on Tuesday (November 5). Both these players need to win this match in order to keep their hopes alive in this tournament. Pegula looked in supreme touch at the North American hardcourt swing, however, Krejcikova struggled a bit after her heroics at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. Can the Czech upset the American in this enticing encounter?

Jessica Pegula vs Barbora Krejcikova: Preview

Jessica Pegula is entering this match after facing defeat at the hands of her compatriot, Coco Gauff in the first match. Shortly after the disappointing result in her first group stage match, we heard Pegula say, “I just felt kind of off.” However, she claimed, “I’ve been playing well all week, so I know that it’s there. I just need to kind of put my head down, look forward to the next match, and really try and I think, kind of get some more energy the next match.” In this season, Jessica Pegula has won two titles! The first one came at the Grass Court Championships in Berlin and the next one came at the Canadian Open. Apart from that, she also reached the final of the Cincinnati Masters and the US Open. 

Can Jessica Pegula get back to her winning track in the next match? Her opponent in the next match, Barbora Krejcikova stunned the tennis world with her performance at the Wimbledon Championships this year. She defeated Italy’s Jasmine Paolini by 6-2,2-6,6-4 in the final, but after that, she struggled a bit to make an impact in the next few tournaments. Even here in Riyadh, she started her campaign with a loss against Iga Swiatek in the first match. Swiatek defeated her by 4-6,7-5,6-2! What will be the scoreline in her next match?

Pegula vs Krejcikova: Head-to-Head

Jessica Pegula and Barbora Krejcikova have played against each other two times in their careers so far. Currently, their H2H record is well poised at 1-1. It’ll be interesting to see who takes the lead with the first step forward in their third meeting.

• 2023 Dubai SF: Krejcikova 6-1,5-7,6-0.
• 2023 AO R16: Pegula 7-5,6-2.

Prediction: Pegula to win in straight sets

Jessica Pegula has looked quite impressive on the hard courts this season, and that’s one of the reasons to keep her ahead in this contest. She’s currently ranked 6th in the world and has a win-loss record of 39-16. On the other hand, Barbora Krejcikova (13) has a win-loss record of just 19-15. So, considering all these factors, we’re expecting the American to wrap up this match pretty quickly and keep her hopes alive of reaching the SF.

If we take a look at their playing styles, Jessica Pegula loves playing an aggressive brand of tennis. Her game usually comprises strong groundstrokes and she likes to utilize her wide wingspan to full effect in her matches. Power and precision are two key factors in her game! Her favorite shot is backhand down the line. Krejcikova needs to watch out for Pegula’s strong return game right from the start of this match to stand a chance in this epic contest. Apart from all these things, we must not forget that Jessica Pegula is also one of the most tactically intelligent players on the Tour. So, this match is really going to be a big test for someone like Barbora Krejcikova.

Krejcikova on the other hand, is also an aggressive player with an all-court game. She’s known for her venomous serve and groundstrokes. She has a unique ability to inject sudden pace during the rallies and also has a decent net game. Her two-handed backhand is arguably one of her most lethal weapons. She can strategically apply slice to her backhand, continually breaking IP the pace of rallies, allowing her to construct points intelligently. Even her forehand shots and incredible drop shots have the capability to cause a few troubles for the American in this match.

However, the biggest concern in her game at the moment, is her high number of double fault scouts. So far, Krejcikova has hit 103 aces and committed 144 double faults in the 2024 season. Considering all these factors, we feel Jessica Pegula has the upper hand in this contest!