Jessica Pegula was playing really solid tennis lately, but she faced a tough matchup in Marie Bouzkova and at the 2023 Cincinnati Masters lost.
Losing to Bouzkova on a hard court is nothing new for Pegula, as she was beaten the last time they played on one on the WTA Tour. Pegula won the match earlier this year at the Madrid Open, but on hard courts, she struggles greatly with her.
Bouzkova has some variety in her game and plays various types of shots which don't help Pegula with her rhythm. She likes those matches where both players hit as hard as they can, which allows her to find a rhythm and then stay in it.
Matchups like this one or against Jabeur generally don't allow her that, and it's a problem. On top of all of that, this was a very lacklustre showing in general from the American, nowhere near her level from last week.
Bouzkova settled in nicely, and once she did, it was pretty tough to beat her. Pegula kept pushing, but even after raising her level, she didn't find that much success. Avoiding an early hole in the second set would be crucial, but unfortunately, she did just that.
She lost her serve immediately to start the second set, and it only got worse from there. She then lost her serve once more amid frequent stoppages to dry the lines as we had spotty rain. At 0-3 in the second set, the match was suspended altogether.
Play resumed less than an hour later, but the same problems persisted. The performance hasn't improved from Pegula as the final score of 6-4 6-0 shows very well. By far the worst match Pegula played since the Roland Garros one against Elise Mertens.
Not the result she hoped for, but perhaps it will be a blessing in disguise, giving her time to reset after Montreal and prepare well for the US Open.
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