The Tokyo 2020 Olympics singles champion Belinda Bencic will clash with Jessica Pegula on Saturday, September 4, in the third round of the 2021 US Open. It will mark their first meeting since July when Bencic eliminated Pegula from the Olympics in straight sets.
Belinda Bencic vs Jessica Pegula
When: Saturday, September 4 – 14:30 EDT
Where: Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York
Weather: Mostly sunny, 25°C
Belinda Bencic and Jessica Pegula meet in the third round of the Women’s Singles tournament at the 2021 US Open. This is going to be their third match in history, with the last two ending in Bencic’s favour.
Is the Olympics gold medalist going to remain unbeaten against her American rival? Oddsmakers think so, some giving as short odds as 1.75 (Unibet, bwin, and so on). However, Jessica Pegula mustn’t be underestimated. This is a player who knows how to play big matches such as the ones in the US Open.
Belinda Bencic Having the Time of Her Life
The Swiss player’s all-time high is the #8 in the WTA Rankings, which she achieved two years ago. And while she is currently 12th, Bencic seems to be in even better shape in 2021 than in 2019.
Her most notable success on the year happened at the end of July when she won the singles gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. That tournament, however, isn’t a part of the WTA Tour, so she didn’t receive any ranking points for her success. That said, Bencic has yet to record a victory in a WTA tournament this year.
However, the Swiss got close to achieving that feat twice. She made it to the finals in Adelaide and Berlin earlier this year but had to admit defeat against Iga Swiatek (2-6, 2-6) and Liudmila Samsonova (6-1, 1-6, 3-6) respectively.
Most recently, Bencic has also made it to the quarter-finals in Cincinnati but lost against her compatriot and the eventual finalist, Jul Teichmann, who won with 6-2, 6-2. Bencic also has some good memories from the US Open, having reached the semi-finals in 2019.
Jessica Pegula Playing in Her Own Backyard
Pegula is an American player born in Buffalo in Upstate New York. The fact that the US Open is played in her won state should give her at least some advantage. Her fans will be there to support her against her Swiss opponent.
It seems that playing on home turf has been an advantage for her so far. Pegula has done well in the first two rounds when she beat Misaki Doi (6-3, 6-2) and Anastasia Potapova (6-2, 6-2) without any issues.
However, Pegula’s good form goes beyond the US Open. In fact, she’s been excellent throughout the entire year, winning 34 of her 49 matches played in the WTA Tour. As a result, she’s recently reached no.25 in the WTA List – her career-highest rank.
One of the biggest disappointments in Pegula’s 2021 campaign happened in Tokyo when she lost (0-2) in the first round of the Olympics. There she lost against no other than Belinda Bencic, who then went on to win gold.
Belinda Bencic vs Jessica Pegula Betting Pick
Jessica Pegula should be very determined to get her revenge against Bencic, some 10 weeks after the Olympic loss. She will also have support from the stands to achieve that.
Pegula is in great form, and while Bencic is undeniably a great player, Pegula has shown more at the 2021 US Open. Bencic has achieved more over the season but hasn’t produced as much as Pegula of late. Trust the crowd’s favorite to deliver!
Prediction: Jessica Pegula to win – 2.17 at Sportmarket
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