Miami Open: Jessica Pegula vs Elena Rybakina Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Miami Open semifinal match featuring Jessica Pegula vs Elena Rybakina on Thursday, March 30, 2023.

Jessica Pegula vs Elena Rybakina Match Preview

It’s an absolute blockbuster at the 2023 Miami Open as the consistent top-ranked American Jessica Pegula squares off against the dominant force in women’s tennis Elena Rybakina. Who will prevail and reach the final?

Jessica Pegula is a woman with nine lives. In the rain-interrupted quarterfinal match against the fast-rising Anastasia Potapova, she saved two match points. Twice, Potapova served for the match, but couldn’t get it done, with Pegula immediately firing back. Fittingly, the match lasted three sets and was decided in a tiebreak which the American dominated to complete a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6. She becomes the first American woman to reach back-to-back semifinals at the Miami Open since Serena Willaims in 2014 and 2015.

Elena Rybakina, for her part, breezed past surprise quarterfinalist Martina Trevisan of Italy, 6-3, 6-0, to keep the dream of completing the Sunshine Double alive. Rybakina was on the ropes in the third round, where she had to save a match point against Paula Badosa to escape with the win. It has given her a second wind at the Miami Open where she has improved to 20-4 for the season.

Jessica Pegula vs Elena Rybakina Prediction and Pick

Jessica Pegula leads Elena Rybakina 2-0 in their head-to-head. They played at the Miami Open last year where Pegula ran out a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 winner. Rybakina, however, put up a good fight in Guadalajara pushing Pegula to a final set tiebreak which the American won. This should be another thrilling match in the offing. It is a case of the immovable object meeting the unstoppable force. Both players have saved at least a match point, and have grown into the tournament with each round. Not a lot will change with Rybakina’s mindset and playing style. But Pegula knows the Kazakh will be a totally different proposition from the player she met last October. The serve remains Rybakina’s most potent shot in her arsenal. She has struck 10 or more aces in each match in Miami. She still has a few moments where goes through a rough patch, but her in-match management is superb. If anything, Potapova’s aggressive brand of tennis exposed a few chinks in Pegula’s game. If you absolutely go for your shots rather than grind out long rallies, she is breachable. And with Rybakina possessing perhaps the most devastating serve and forehand combination right now, the Sunshine sweep should be on the Kazakh’s racket.