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Match details
Fixture: (3) Jessica Pegula vs Camila Giorgi
Date: March 10, 2023
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Indian Wells, California, USA
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $8,800,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel/TC Plus | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Jessica Pegula vs Camila Giorgi preview
Third seed and home hope Jessica Pegula will begin her BNP Paribas Open campaign on Friday with a blockbuster first-round clash against Camila Giorgi.
World No. 3 Pegula has had a fine season so far, as evident from her 13-4 win-loss record for the year. The American won four of her five matches at the United Cup to make a commendable start to the 2023 season. Touted as one of the favorites for the Australian Open title, the 29-year-old's campaign ended in the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.
Pegula bounced back soon after with a dazzling run to the final of the Qatar Open, where she lost to World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. In Dubai the very next week, she made it to the last four before getting edged by eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova.
Pegula will now aim to make a deep run in the second WTA 1000 tournament of the season, where she surprisingly suffered a second-round exit last year.
Italian veteran Camila Giorgi has been inconsistent so far this season, but will be proud to already have a title under her belt. The 31-year-old dropped a solitary set on her way to clinching the WTA 250 event in Merida, Mexico in February.
In the other five competitions that she played this year prior to the BNP Paribas Open, the World No. 46 won a combined three matches only.
At Indian Wells, Giorgi began her campaign on Wednesday with a commanding 6-3, 6-3 win over Arantxa Rus. The victory improved her win-loss record for the season to 9-5.
Jessica Pegula vs Camila Giorgi head-to-head
Pegula has a 6-2 lead over Giorgi in their head-to-head. The American has completely dominated this rivalry in recent times, winning their last three encounters.
However, their last two meetings, both of which came in 2022, weren't easy. Pegula needed three sets to see off Giorgi at Madrid and Toronto each.
Jessica Pegula vs Camila Giorgi odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Jessica Pegula vs Camila Giorgi prediction
Pegula comes into this contest as the favorite by dint of her ranking and her recent record over Giorgi. The American is one of the steadiest players on the tour, which has been reflected in her success over the past year.
Pegula will look to use her forehand to strike it big past Giorgi but the Italian is capable of causing an upset on her day.
Giorgi is currently one of the hardest hitters of the ball on the women's side, but her all-out attack has its own pitfalls as she often struggles to keep her unforced errors at bay. If the World No. 46 struggles to contain her aggression and gives away free points to the American, she will only make it easier for Pegula.
The third-ranked player's composure under pressure and confidence in her game should help her pull through this one.
Pick: Pegula to win in three sets.
