LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 02: Jessica Pegula of The United States plays a backhand against Petra Martic of Croatia during their Women's Singles Third Round match on day six of The Championships Wimbledon 2022 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 02, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
3rd seed Jessica Pegula takes on Jaqueline Cristian in the first round of the 2023 Australian Open on Monday.
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.
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.
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.
More Tennis news
Follow our dedicated Tennis page for instant Tennis news and updates