China Open 2024: Jessica Pegula vs Veronika Kudermetova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (2) Jessica Pegula vs (32) Veronika Kudermetova

Date: September 29, 2024

Tournament: 2024 China Open

Round: Third Round (Round of 32)

Venue: National Tennis Center, Beijing, China

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Hardcourt

Prize Money: $8,955,610

Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN

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Jessica Pegula vs Veronika Kudermetova preview

Second seed Jessica Pegula will square off against 32nd seed Veronika Kudermetova in a tantalizing third-round encounter at the 2024 China Open on Sunday, September 29.

Pegula entered Beijing with a 35-11 match record, fresh off her first Grand Slam finals appearance at the US Open where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka. She had a successful North American hardcourt swing overall, reclaiming her crown in Toronto and reaching the finals in Cincinnati.

Pegula opened her campaign in Beijing against Diane Parry in the second round after receiving a bye in the first. She started strong, breaking Parry in the very first game and then saving two break points in the next to take a 2-0 lead. From there, it was all one-way traffic as she comfortably secured the first set with two more breaks of serve.

The second set was much tighter, with Parry adopting a more aggressive approach by coming to the net. Both players also served brilliantly, taking it to a tiebreak. Pegula's experience shone through in the decisive moments as she sealed a 6-1, 7-6 (4) victory.

Kudermetova, on the contrary, has had an indifferent season leading up to the China Open, reflected in her modest 16-21 match record. However, she recently had an impressive week in Korea, reaching her first semifinal of the season. She defeated second seed Liudmila Samsonova along the way but lost to eventual champion Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Seeded 32nd in Beijing, Kudermetova opened her campaign in the second round, where she faced local player Xinyu Wang and secured a comeback victory with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

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Jessica Pegula vs Veronika Kudermetova head-to-head

Veronika Kudermetova leads Jessica Pegula 2-0 in their head-to-head. She won their previous encounter 7-5, 6-1 in the final of the Tokyo Open last year.

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Jessica Pegula vs Veronika Kudermetova odds

(Odds sourced from BetMGM)

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Jessica Pegula vs Veronika Kudermetova prediction

Jessica Pegula carried her strong form from the North American hardcourt swing into her first round in Beijing, dominating both from the back of the court and on serve. She showed no signs of rust despite not having competed in the past couple of weeks. She excelled in pressure moments, ultimately winning the match thanks to her big-match experience.

Kudermetova, meanwhile, has returned to her best in the past couple of weeks after a subdued run on the tour until the US Open. She hadn’t won three consecutive main draw matches all year until in Korea last week where she reached the semifinals. Although she was a bit slow to start in her opener in Beijing, she became unstoppable once she found her rhythm. Kudermetova's net play in particular was a standout, earning her rewards every time she moved forward.

Pegula enters this match as the favorite thanks to her superior record on the tour this season, especially on hard courts. Kudermetova has struggled with consistency and has only reached the later stages of tournaments twice this year. If she doesn’t start well on serve, dominate on return, and consistently attack the net, it could be an easy win for Pegula.

Pick: Pegula in straight sets.