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Match Details
Fixture: (3) Jessica Pegula vs (24) Victoria Azarenka.
Date: 24 January 2023.
Tournament: Australian Open 2023.
Round: Quarterfinal.
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Hard.
Prize Money: A$76,500,000.
Live telecast: USA - ESPN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Ten & Sony Liv.
Jessica Pegula vs Victoria Azarenka preview
World No. 3 Jessica Pegula will take on two-time Major champion Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Australian Open on Tuesday.
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Pegula defeated Jacqueline Cristian, Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Marta Kostyuk to reach the fourth round. She was then up against 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova.
Pegula took the lead in the first set by breaking Krejcikova's serve in the seventh game to go 4-3 up. She held a couple of set points on her opponent's serve at 5-4, but the Czech managed to hold serve. The American then failed to close out the set in the following game.
Pegula managed to secure another break of serve to lead 6-5 and managed to successfully serve out the set on her second attempt. The 28-year old raced to a 5-1 lead in the second set and soon wrapped up the proceedings to win 7-5, 6-2. She has now reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne for the third straight year.
Azarenka scored wins over Sofia Kenin, Nadia Podoroska and Madison Keys to make it to the fourth round, where Zhu Lin awaited her. The Belarusian went down an early break in the first set, but got back on serve rather quickly. However, she dropped serve yet again and was unable to recover from it this time as the opening set slipped out of her hands.
Azarenka responded strongly in the second set, claiming it for the loss of just one game. The third set started with six consecutive breaks of serve. The former World No. 1 bagged the decisive break in the ninth game to go 5-4 up, following which she served out the match to win 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Jessica Pegula vs Victoria Azarenka head-to-head
They've split their previous four meetings evenly to tie the head-to-head at 2-2. Pegula won their last match at the 2022 Guadalajara Open in straight sets.
Jessica Pegula vs Victoria Azarenka odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Jessica Pegula vs Victoria Azarenka prediction
Pegula extended her winning streak to eight matches following her fourth-round victory over Krejcikova. The first set was a bit tight, but the American improved as the match went on. She was able to exploit her opponent's serve much better and hit her shots with great depth.
Azarenka's comeback win in the previous round propelled her into the quarterfinals here for the first time since 2016. She got the upper hand in most of the long rallies with some excellent anticipation and placement. However, the Belarusian will need to be more cautious when it comes to her serve and forehand. A player of Pegula's caliber is likely to exploit them to the fullest extent.
The World No. 3 is not one to make too many cheap errors. Her flat groundstrokes, coupled with a newfound attacking mindset, will give her the edge in this encounter. Azarenka is a two-time champion here and won't go down without a fight, but Pegula is in ominous form at the moment and is likely to reach her maiden Grand Slam semifinal.
Pick: Jessica Pegula to win in straight sets.
