Veronika Kudermetova vs Jessica Pegula Prediction & Betting Tips - Japan Open

Prediction published on 30/09/2023, 05:51  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 30/09/2023 at 15:00 in Tennis Predictions

Second seeded Jessica Pegula faces the eighth seed Veronika Kudermetova in the final of the Toray Pan Pacific Open. It's been a big week already for Pegula as her semi-final win over Maria Sakkari secured her a place in the end-of-season Tour Finals. The American won that match in straight sets, losing only five games. That was an impressive win over the player who had won the Guadalajara tournament last weekend. Pegula has reached this final without dropping a set and losing just nine games. Her other wins came against Cristina Bucsa and the sixth seeded Daria Kasatkina, only losing one game against the seed. The 29-year-old is so consistent but her win in Montreal in August was only the third singles title of her career. Never has the American won two WTA singles titles in the same year but that looks like changing here.

Veronika Kudermetova was ranked 19th when this tournament began and is up to 17th in the live rankings. A  win over Pegula will take her up to 16th place. The Russian has only played one previous match against Pegula and won that in three sets. However, that match was played in Madrid on clay and this is an outdoor hard court event. Kudermetova hadn't been in good form before the Toray Pan Pacific Open with four losses in five matches. It's gone much better in Tokyo though and in the quarter finals she beat Iga Swiatek. The last four saw her beat unseeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in a three-set match that included two tie-breaks  It's taken her just over nine hours of play to reach this final, whereas Pegula has been on court for only and a half. We go for Pegula to continue her good form and win this final.