“Every week is a new chance to turn your year around” – Jessica Pegula doesn’t have fond memories of the Wuhan Open. She last took part in this tournament in 2019; however, she failed to reach the second round at that time. Things are a bit different this time as she has been in red-hot form in the last few months. “Hopefully, I’ll try to redeem myself a little bit for a better result than in 2019,” said Pegula in a recent interview. She will face Russia’s Anastasia Potapova in the second round (R32) of the Wuhan Open. Can Pegula make a winning start to her campaign at this iconic tournament?

Jessica Pegula vs Anastasia Potapova: Preview

essica Pegula has played some outstanding tennis this season. She has made quite a few deep runs in previous tournaments this year. Pegula has won two titles so far this season. The first came at the Grass Court Championships in Berlin, and the second was at the Canadian Open. She even made it to the finals in Cincinnati and the 2024 US Open. On both of these occasions, she was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets. Pegula is entering this tournament after facing defeat at the hands of Sabalenka’s ‘soulmate’ Paula Badosa in the R16 of the China Open. Can JP win the hearts of her fans in Wuhan?

Well, for the moment this answer lies in the hands of Anastasia Potapova. If we take a look at Potapova’s season so far, she hasn’t yet won a title in 2024 but has made quite a few SF and QF appearances this year. She secured a hard-fought victory against America’s Katie Volynets in the first round of this tournament. Potapova beat Volynets 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, and now it’ll be interesting to see how well she performs against the other American.

Pegula vs Potapova: Head-to-Head

Jessica Pegula has faced Anastasia Potapova four times in her career so far. We have seen some close fights between these two in their previous encounters; however, Pegula has always managed to end up on the winning side. She currently leads the H2H scoreline by a 4-0 margin.

• 2021 Doha Qualifying R2: Pegula 6-2,6(3)-7,7-6(6).
• 2021 US Open R128: Pegula 6-2,6-2.
• 2023 Indian Wells Masters R32: Pegula 3-6,6-4,7-5.
• 2023 Miami Open QF: Pegula 4-6,6-3,7-6(2).

Prediction: Pegula to win in straight sets

Looking at the form Jessica Pegula has been in over the last few months, it’s very hard to pick against this American. She’s currently ranked 3rd in the world and has a win-loss record of 38-14. On the other hand, Anastasia Potapova (ranked 38) has a win-loss record of just 26-21. So, looking at these factors and their H2H record, Jessica Pegula seems most likely to win this contest.

Jessica Pegula thrives on her strong return game, while Potapova has a big serve, which often puts her opponents under pressure. Pegula is one of the most tactically intelligent players on the Tour. We often see her testing her opponents, targeting their weaknesses. Potapova, on the other hand, possesses very solid defensive skills. So, we can expect the 30-year-old American to take a more aggressive approach in this match right from the word ‘go.’

Pegula’s aggressive brand of tennis usually comprises strong groundstrokes. She likes to utilize her wide wingspan to full effect. Power and precision are also key factors in her game. Jessica Pegula’s favorite shot is her backhand down the line. These are some of the lethal weapons we can expect to see in this match. On the other hand, Potapova can also take an aggressive approach in her games, depending on the situation. Her hard court skills are exceptional, and we can expect fireworks in this epic clash. However, Potapova needs to keep a check on her double fault count.

She has hit 109 aces this season but committed 219 double faults. Potapova committed 13 double faults in her previous match against Volynets. If things take a similar route in this match, then we could see Pegula wrapping things up quickly!