3rd seed Jessica Pegula takes on Jaqueline Cristian in the first round of the 2023 Australian Open on Monday.
Jessica Pegula
The American star played some scintillating tennis in 2022 and won her first WTA 1000 title at the Guadalajara Open. Pegula has started 2023 on an impressive note, playing a vital role in the USA winning the inaugural United Cup.
The 28-year-old picked up four wins in the five matches she played at the United Cup. Out of those wins, her 6-2, 6-2 triumph against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek was a special result. Pegula is one of the strong favorites to go the distance. The world No. 3 will hope to start the tournament on a dominant note.
Jaqueline Cristian
The Romanian star had her best result at a Grand Slam at last year’s Australian Open. Cristian managed to reach the second round after defeating Greet Minnen. That is still her only win in the main draw of a Grand Slam.
After her breakthrough performance in 2021, Cristian did not have a great season in 2022. She missed most of the season owing to a serious knee injury. So far in 2023, Cristian has competed in two tournaments. In the ASB Classic, she won the first qualifying match against Diana Shnaider but lost in the second qualifying match against Nao Hibino. In the Hobart International, Cristian lost to top seed Marie Bouzkova in the first round.
Head-to-Head and Prediction
The head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 0-0 as the two players have never faced each other as yet.
Prediction: Jessica Pegula to win in straight sets.
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