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Match details
Fixture: (POL) Iga Swiatek vs (USA) Jessica Pegula
Date: January 6, 2023
Tournament: United Cup 2023
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Ken Rosewall Arena, Sydney, Australia
Category: United Cup
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $15,000,000
Match timing: (Jan 6) 1 pm local time, 2 am GMT, 7:30 am IST & (Jan 5) 9 pm EST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Australia - 9Now & Stan Sport | UK & India - United Cup YouTube channel
Iga Swiatek vs Jessica Pegula preview
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is all set to square off against third-ranked Jessica Pegula in the first semifinal of the 2023 United Cup when Poland and the USA meet on Friday at Sydney's Ken Rosewall Arena.
Swiatek seems to be carrying forward her impeccable form from last year as she began her 2023 season with a thumping 6-1, 6-3 win against World No. 51 Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan. She also won her doubles fixture alongside Hubert Hurkacz when the duo defeated Grigoriy Lomakin and Zhibek Kulambayeva 6-3, 6-4 to give Poland a 4-1 victory over Kazakhstan.
The 21-year-old won her second singles match of the season against 12th-ranked Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, beating her 6-3, 7-6(3). The Pole continued with her straight-sets winning streak on Wednesday as she outclassed World No. 27 Martina Trevisan of Italy 6-2, 6-4 in the City Finals in Brisbane.
Swiatek and Hurkacz once again paired up for a winner-takes-all clash and defeated Lorenzo Musetti and Camilla Rosatello 6-1, 6-2 to see Poland through to the semifinals.
Jessica Pegula, meanwhile, faced a setback in the first match of her 2023 season as she lost in straight sets to World No. 16 Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic on Day 2 of the United Cup. She later partnered with Taylor Fritz to beat Jiri Lehecka and Marie Bouzkova 2-6, 6-3, 10-7 in a doubles match-up. The USA downed the Czech Republic 4-1 in the league stage.
The 28-year-old American registered her first win of the season when she beat 176th-ranked Laura Siegemund of Germany 6-3, 6-2. She then teamed up with Frances Tiafoe to take down Siegemund and Daniel Altmaier 6-7(5), 6-4, 10-7.
Pegula was yet again in complete control during the Sydney City Finals between the USA and Great Britain on Wednesday. She beat World No. 98 Harriet Dart 6-2, 6-0 before winning another doubles clash where she partnered with Fritz to beat Dart and Daniel Evans 6-4, 6-4.
Iga Swiatek vs Jessica Pegula head-to-head
The two players will meet for a sixth time on the tour on Friday, with Swiatek leading 4-1 in the head-to-head. The Pole won all four of her matches against Pegula in 2022.
Iga Swiatek vs Jessica Pegula odds
(Odds will be added once they're available)
Iga Swiatek vs Jessica Pegula prediction
Swiatek has won all three of her singles matches in the United Cup in straight sets. Although Pegula lost her first match, she bounced back in style to register two convincing wins. It should be a close contest when the two players meet on Friday.
However, Swiatek should be the favorite to take the match since she is right now on a different level altogether and also because of her past record against the American.
Pick: Iga Swiatek to win in three sets.
