Veronika Kudermetova vs Jessica Pegula: Japan Open 2023 Preview, Schedule, Date, Form Guide, Head to Head, Live Streaming

Veronika Kudermetova has outdone her previous Tokyo performance, reaching the final after an exhausting 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 victory over compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a match lasting three hours and 25 minutes. In the first set, Kudermetova saved five set points, which felt like cosmic justice following her previous year’s third-set tiebreak loss at the Toray Pan Pacific Open. Ranked 19th globally, Kudermetova arrived in Tokyo without consecutive wins since the grass season but turned her fortunes around remarkably. Notably, she defeated world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, in the quarterfinals, her first win against Swiatek in five attempts. Although she has played in six career finals, losing five, her sole title came in 2021 on Charleston’s green clay, where she defeated Danka Kovinic.

Jessica Pegula cruised into her third final of the season, overpowering last week’s Guadalajara champion, Maria Sakkari, in a 6-2, 6-3 victory. Despite a history of losing five out of their previous eight encounters, the second seed saved eight of nine breakpoints to secure the win. This marks Pegula’s inaugural appearance in a non-Olympic WTA event in Japan, where she has not dropped a single set. Her dominant performance solidifies her position for the WTA Finals qualification. Recognized for her hard court prowess, the 29-year-old aims to clinch her first title outside North America and become the first American champion in this event since 2004 when Lindsay Davenport won. With a 3-4 career record in finals, Pegula recently claimed titles in Guadalajara and Montreal, and earlier this season, she reached her first WTA 500 level final but was defeated by Iga Swiatek, 6-3, 6-0.

Match facts

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Form Guide

Veronika Kudermetova

Jessica Pegula

Head to head

Veronika Kudermetova leads their head-to-head 1-0, having won their previous clash in this year’s Madrid quarterfinals, a hard-fought match where both players broke each other’s serve at least six times. Kudermetova prevailed 6-4, 0-6, 6-4. As they meet again, Kudermetova may face greater fatigue while attempting to emulate her compatriot Liudmilla Samsonova’s victory from the previous year.

Veronika Kudermetova vs Jessica Pegula date

The final match of Japan Open 2023 between Veronika Kudermetova and Jessica Pegula will take place on October 1.

Broadcasters

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