3rd seed Jessica Pegula locks horns with Barbora Krejcikova in the semifinals of the 2023 Dubai Tennis Championships on Friday.
The American star received a bye into the second round. She faced Viktoriya Tomova who managed to give Pegula a tougher time than many expected. The 28-year-old eventually won 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 as she managed to convert 8 out of 11 break points.
In the round of 16, Pegula took on Romanian athlete Ana Bogdan. This turned out to be a one-sided affair as Pegula won the match 6-4, 6-3. She was set to face Karolina Muchova in the quarterfinals. However, Muchova pulled out prior to the match as Pegula advanced to her sixth WTA 100 semifinal.
The 27-year-old began her campaign in Dubai with a comfortable win against Irina-Camelia Begu in the round of 64. Krejcikova won the match 6-4, 6-2. In the round of 32, Krejcikova went on to defeat 7th seed Daria Kasatkina in a riveting clash. The match ended 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in favor of Krejcikova who saved 4 match points. In the round of 16, Krejcikova got the better of 12th seed Petra Kvitova in a one-sided clash that ended 6-3, 6-2.
In the quarterfinals, Krejcikova managed to end the 13-match winning streak of Aryna Sabalenka. The Czech veteran came back from 0-6, 1-3 down to eventually win the match 0-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1. Krejcikova handed the world No. 2 her first loss of the season.
Jessica Pegula and Barbora Krejcikova have faced each other on one occasion so far. The American athlete defeated Krejcikova in straight sets 7-5, 6-2 in the 2023 Australian Open. Therefore, the head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 1-0 in favor of Pegula.
Prediction: Jessica Pegula to win in straight sets.
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