Cincinnati 2022: Jessica Pegula vs Caroline Garcia preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Western & Southern Open
Match Details
Fixture: (7) Jessica Pegula vs (Q) Caroline Garcia.
Tournament: Western & Southern Open.
Date: August 19, 2022.
Round: Quarterfinals.
Venue: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Ohio, United States.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $2,527,250.
Match timing: Not before 7 pm local time, 1 am CET, 11 pm GMT, 4:30 am IST.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - Rogers Sportsnet, TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Jessica Pegula vs Caroline Garcia preview
Seventh seed Jessica Pegula will take on French qualifier Caroline Garcia in the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Friday.
Pegula has had a terrific season so far, although she is yet to add a title to her cabinet. Following her run to the Australian Open quarterfinals, she made the semifinals in Miami.
The American then reached the biggest final of her career at the WTA 1000 event in Madrid on clay. Pegula backed it up with a quarterfinal appearance at Roland Garros.
Although the World No. 8's grass season wasn't up to the mark, she has bounced back on hardcourt during the ongoing US Open Series.
She made it to the semifinals in Toronto last week, suffering a three-set defeat to eventual champion Simona Halep. Pegula is now seeking yet another berth in the last four, this time in Cincinnati.
The American was stretched to three sets by rising star Marta Kostyuk in her opener. However, she managed to close out her win against reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu in straight sets in the next round.
Former World No. 4 Caroline Garcia, meanwhile, is enjoying a season of resurgence. In the first half of the year, the Frenchwoman's only notable performances were reaching the quarterfinals in Sydney and the semifinals at home in Lyon.
Garcia came alive on grass, winning her eighth career title at Bad Homburg, which she followed up with a fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon.
She then put up decent runs in Lausanne and Palermo, where she reached the semifinals and the quarterfinals respectively. The World No. 35 went a few steps further by lifting her second trophy of the season in Warsaw.
Although her Toronto campaign ended prematurely with a tight three-set loss to compatriot Alize Cornet in the first round, Garcia has looked good in Cincinnati. She got through the qualifiers and has since registered some fantastic wins in the main draw against Petra Martic, Maria Sakkari and Elise Mertens.
Garcia will now be eager to continue her winning streak against Jessica Pegula, a player she beat in their most recent meeting.
Jessica Pegula vs Caroline Garcia head-to-head
Pegula leads Garcia 2-1 in the head-to-head. The American won their first-ever face-off in Marseille in 2012 in three sets.
The two split their next two meetings, with both winning in straight sets. While Pegula came through in Wimbledon last year, Garcia turned the tables on her in Sydney earlier this year.
Jessica Pegula vs Caroline Garcia odds
(All odds sourced from Oddschecker)
Jessica Pegula vs Caroline Garcia prediction
This has the makings of a tightly contested thriller, with both striking the ball well in the last few weeks.
Jessica Pegula played excellent first-strike tennis against Raducanu in the third round, winning 81% of her first-serve points. She also saved two of the three break points she faced in what was a complete performance.
Caroline Garcia, meanwhile, served six aces against Mertens in the Round of 16. Although she won only 68% of her first-serve points, the Frenchwoman was difficult to break, saving seven of nine break points.
Garcia has traditionally struggled to be consistent under pressure, but has improved that aspect of her game in recent weeks and has reaped huge dividends. The fact that she conceded only a couple of breaks despite facing nine break points against her serve will give her tremendous confidence..
Additionally, the courts in Cincinnati are fast, which typically aids the Frenchwoman's game. Her flat strokes off both wings and lucid movement are tailor-made for success on this type of surface if she can serve well and keep her unforced errors in check.
Pegula has enjoyed a solid stint in Cincinnati but Garcia has looked equally good, if not better. Unless she is tired from her exploits earlier this week, she has a good chance of edging Pegula and making it through to the last four.
Pick: Caroline Garcia to win in three sets.
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Anantaajith Raghuraman