Jessica Pegula vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich Predictions and Odds: Australian Open

Jessica Pegula will try to keep her recent run going, and once again arrives as the heavy favorite for this day 3 encounter. Here are our predictions and betting tips for her round 2 match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

These odds from Ladbrokes were correct at the time of writing.

Jessica Pegula vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich Match Predictions

Pegula is riding the momentum into this one. The American is coming off a dominant win in round 1, which saw her close the match in under one hour. She will take on a more difficult challenge in round 2, but should still score an easy victory.

Sasnovich +5.5

Despite Pagula’s advantage, covering the -5.5 line is going to be tricky. While the American won the previous encounter in straight sets, Sasnovich made it close, and the margin ultimately ended up being four games.

A repeat of Pegula’s round 1 performance is unlikely, which makes picking Sasnovich a better alternative for this bet. It’s probably going to cut it close, but Sasnovich still makes a bit more sense here.

Under 20.5 Games

Despite backing Sasnovich for the handicap bet, I still expect Pegula to wrap this one up in straight sets. And in that kind of scenario, betting on the under becomes a more attractive option.

The American is probably going to pull one or two games ahead in each set, which should be enough to sneak under the 20.5 line.

Jessica Pegula vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich Preview

And now that we’ve taken care of this match’s prediction, let’s move on and take a look at what to expect from the two players heading into the second round.

Jessica Pegula

The 28-year old American had a banner year in 2022. A surprising late-bloomer, Pegula reached the quarterfinals in three out of the four major tournaments. Not only that, but she also made it to two WTA 1000 finals. After losing the first one to Ons Jabeur in Madrid, Pegula defeated Maria Sakkari in Guadalajara to win her first 1000 title. The only negative was her WTA Finals performance, a group stage exit with three losses.

Her 2022 form has carried over. She was part of Team USA’s winning effort at the United Cup as well, winning four of her five singles rubbers. Despite being the only player to drop a match, which happened during the group stage, Pegula more than made up for it by defeating Iga Swiatek in the semifinals versus Poland. The American won her first round match convincingly as well, defeating Jaqueline Cristian in 59 minutes (6-0, 6-1).

Aliaksandra Sasnovich

Sasnovich also had her best year so far in 2022. The 28-year old Belarussian achieved a career high #29 in the WTA rankings. She also reached her first two finals in four years, but ultimately finished runner-up on both occasions. Her form slipped at the end of the season, which saw Sasnovich close the year on a five-match losing streak.

Despite the poor run, the Belarussian picked up her form again in Melbourne. Sasnovich beat Brenda Fruhvirtova in straight sets, making it past round 1 for the first time since 2019.

Jessica Pegula vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich Head to Head

Their first and only meeting happened not that long ago. Pegula and Sasnovich went head to head in the second round of last year’s US Open, four months ago. The American won in straight sets (6-4, 6-4).

• Can I watch the AO 2023  in the UK? Yes, the 2023 Australian Open is available for viewers in the UK on Eurosport, (TV and online) and on Discovery + (online).
• Where is the match going to be played? This day 2 match is going to be played on Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park’s center court.
• What is the start time for the match? The match is currently scheduled for the second timeslot, and will start after the 2:00 am GMT match.