Jessica Pegula will start her 2024 Charleston Open against Amanda Anisimova, a fascinating matchup in the second round of the WTA 500 event.
This event has spoiled us with some amazing draws over the years, and this year is no exception. There are some amazing early matches, such as this one between two great American players.
Pegula has played in Charleston over the years, making the semi-final last year, and just generally plays really well on this surface. She's also a pretty decent clay player, especially on the quicker variant, so this feels like home to her.
Anisimova is pretty similar in that regard, and she has actually played a match at the event already. It was a pretty easy win for her, so she'll try to keep that up against her compatriot.
Pegula and Anisimova have played only once so far, and it happened a few years ago at the Cincinnati Open, which was played in New York due to the pandemic. Pegula was able to win that match easily in two sets, 7-5, 6-2, but a lot of things have changed since then.
She's been a better player since then, and Anisimova certainly improved as well. It's kind of hard to predict the matchup because it will mostly be settled on the baseline. Aniismova can hit as well as some of the best, but Pegula can, too. The one who finds better consistency on the day will likely do better.
| Amanda Anisimova | Jessica Pegula | |
| 0 | H2H | 1 |
| 264 | Rank | 5 |
| 22 | Age | 30 |
| 5-2 | 2024 W/L | 9-5 |
| 145-87 | Career W/L | 404-237 |
I'm pretty sure we'll see a close match because Pegula hasn't played that well recently, and Anisimova is also just getting back. Neither is in peak form, so we could see a match with twists and turns.
I'll back Anisimova simply because I think she can produce some amazing shots in crucial moments, but it's very close.
Prediction: Amanda Anisimova to win in three sets.