Jason Collins
Dailysports's expert
Marta Kostyuk
Jessica Pegula
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Among the fourth-round matches of the Miami tennis tournament, the encounter between Marta Kostyuk and Jessica Pegula is worth noting. Here is my suggested bet for this event.
Marta Kostyuk
The 22-year-old Ukrainian tennis player has been performing decently this season, although she hasn't achieved significant success yet. Since the start of the season, Kostyuk has dropped 11 positions in the rankings, and she is currently the 29th-ranked player in the world.
In Miami, she began with a hard-fought victory over Australian Kimberly Birrell – 7:5, 4:6, 6:3. The second match was easier, as she comfortably defeated Russian Anna Blinkova – 6:2, 6:1. Kostyuk has experience defeating top-10 opponents even this year, as she beat Coco Gauff in Doha. The Ukrainian could have a good tournament if a bit of luck is on her side.
Jessica Pegula
The American tennis player can boast of winning a tournament in Austin this season, and she also reached the final in Adelaide. However, in higher-level tournaments, she hasn't managed to reach the later stages, not even the quarterfinals.
In this tournament, Pegula has already defeated compatriot Bernarda Pera – 6:4, 6:4. In her second match, she went through a tough battle against Russian Anna Kalinskaya – 6:7, 6:2, 7:6. Playing in front of the home crowd is always pleasant, but in tennis, this factor doesn't hold much significance. In the world rankings, she holds a high fourth place.
Match Facts
- Kostyuk has played 17 matches this season, winning 10 of them.
- Pegula has won 17 out of 22 matches this season.
- The odds for this match are as follows: P1 – 2.93, P2 – 1.45.
H2H
The players have faced each other three times, with the score currently 2:1 in favor of the American, although Kostyuk won the last encounter.
Prediction
On paper, the American is considered a slight favorite, although I expect a tough battle. Pegula had less time to rest, and she is favored due to her higher world ranking. I find a bet on the total over 20.5 games quite acceptable here.
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