'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Match Details
Fixture: (11) Jessica Pegula vs (24) Tamara Zidansek
Date: 28 May 2022.
Tournament: French Open 2022.
Round: Third round (Round of 32).
Venue: Paris, France.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Outdoor Clay.
Prize money: €21,256,800.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, NBC Sports, Peacock TV | Canada - TSN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Ten.
Jessica Pegula vs Tamara Zidansek preview
Eleventh seed Jessica Pegula will square off against 24th seed Tamara Zidansek in the third round of the 2022 French Open on Saturday.
Pegula's recent consistency in top-tier tournaments has propelled her to a career-high world ranking of 11. Following a run to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open earlier this year, she made the semifinals in Miami on hardcourt.
The American was able to continue her exploits even on clay, with a runner-up finish in Madrid.
With a couple of wins this week at the French Open, Pegula has now equaled her career-best showing at the claycourt Major a year after reaching the third round for the first time.
However, it didn't come easy for the 28-year-old. Pegula mightily struggled to close out the match against Anhelina Kalinina in the second round on Thursday. Leading 6-1, 5-1, the American inexplicably lost her focus to concede the second set 5-7. She once again relinquished a 4-1 lead in the decider before finally completing the 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 win.
Pegula clearly needs to put in an improved performance against an opponent, Tamara Zidansek, who made the semifinals at Roland Garros last year.
Since that breakthrough run in Paris, the Slovenian managed to win a WTA 250 title in Lausanne, apart from reaching a couple of other quarterfinals last year.
This year, however, the 24-year-old's only notable achievement so far remains a semifinal appearance in Adelaide at the start of the season.
Zidansek returned to Paris with a disappointing 1-3 win-loss record on clay this season and will be eagerly looking forward to a turnaround in fortunes.
She has so far had a breezy outing on her way to the third round. After thrashing Claire Liu 6-2, 6-2, Zidansek advanced to the Round of 32 without even taking the court as her opponent Mayar Sherif withdrew due to a foot fracture.
Jessica Pegula vs Tamara Zidansek head-to-head
Pegula leads 1-0 in the head-to-head against Zidansek, having beaten the Slovenian 6-2, 6-3 at Auckland in 2020.
Jessica Pegula vs Tamara Zidansek odds
(All odds sourced from BetMGM)
Jessica Pegula vs Tamara Zidansek prediction
Pegula has made rapid strides on all surfaces in recent times, but her habit of taking her foot off the pedal could prove to be costly. Both her matches so far in Paris have seen the same trend - Pegula relaxing while trying to close out the match.
She got away in straight sets against Wang Qiang but found herself in real danger against Kalinina, who loves playing on the red dirt. Another such lapse in concentration could be fatal for Pegula's Roland Garros title-winning chances.
Zidansek is self-admittedly born and bred on clay. Her heavy topspin forehand, coupled with her ability to mix things up with a slice-and-dropshot combination, could give the American a real headache. She has decent movement on clay and doesn't hesitate to come forward whenever the opportunity arises.
These tools are enough to disrupt the flow of the attacking American. It is thus imperative that Pegula starts dominating the rallies right from the start, keeping her unforced errors at bay. She also needs to put in a higher percentage of first serves than the 48% and 61% she landed in her first two matches.
This could once again become a stern test for Pegula, especially if her intensity level takes a dip like her past two matches. Despite that, her overall consistency and confidence are likely to help her come through in the end.
Prediction: Jessica Pegula to win in three sets.
