Jessica Pegula finally played a good match again, so can she keep it up against Leylah Fernandez at the 2024 Miami Open?
These courts play really well for Fernandez as they're quite quick and somewhat low-bouncing. Her devastating forehand can do a lot of work, which she demonstrated in her 6-4, 6-2 win over Emiliana Arango.
Pegula faced a lot of problems in her match against Zhu Lin initially, but after finding her best rhythm, she totally outplayed her opponent 6-4 4-1, at which point Zhu retired.
This is going to be a very interesting match between two players who are pretty good fits on this court and capable of some amazing tennis. It's tough to say who is playing better because neither is at their peak, but it promises to be a very competitive match for several reasons.
Their only match, which was not on WTA Tour-level, so far was a pretty close affair that Pegula ended up winning in three sets. The way they approach tennis is going to cause some problems for both players on the serve.
Fernandez will unload on the serve of Pegula, and the American will try to do the same, unless she made tactical changes under her new coach. That's going to make for some really interesting rallies and twists and turns because I think both will struggle to keep their serve regularly.
| Jessica Pegula | Leylah Fernandez | |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | H2H | 0 |
| 5 | Rank | 35 |
| 30 | Age | 21 |
| 7-4 | 2024 W/L | 7-6 |
| 402-236 | Career W/L | 173-110 |
It's pretty tough to say who will have the upper hand in this match, but somehow I think Fernandez is going to have enough for Pegula. She has a devastating baseline game that can move the American around, which is a nightmare.
I could see the American hit through Fernandez, but I haven't been impressed with her level recently. That makes me think that this will be very tough for her.
Prediction: Leylah Fernandez to win in three sets.