WTA San Diego Day 3 Predictions Including Jessica Pegula vs Jule Niemeier

Tatjana Maria vs Daria Saville

Head-to-head: Maria 1-0 Saville

It was such a shame that Maria’s match against Leylah Fernandez was cut short by the Canadian retiring with an injury. It was shaping up to be a thrilling contest. Saville beat Zhu Lin for the second time this season to make this stage. Maria has won a lot of opening round contests this season but has struggled to win two matches in a row. I think that could be the case again here. Saville looked very confident in her previous match and she is most adept at managing Maria’s variety on a hard court. The Australian to win at the WTA San Diego Open.
Prediction: Saville in 2

Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Katie Boulter

Head-to-head: First meeting

Boulter demonstrated her huge improvement in the last 12 months against Lesia Tsurenko in the last round. She had lost all three of her previous matches against the Ukrainian but demolished her in two sets on this occasion. WTA Elite Trophy champion Haddad Maia could face a real challenge here. However, the Brazilian is capable of soaking up the powerful hitting of Boulter and extending the rallies if she needs too. This is a different type of challenge for Boulter at the WTA San Diego Open, and I think it will be a step too far.
Prediction: Haddad Maia in 2

Jessica Pegula vs Jule Niemeier

Head-to-head: First meeting

This is Pegula’s first match since electing to split with her long-time coach David Witt. It will be fascinating to observe how she reacts after taking such a big decision. In truth, this should be a good contest for the No. 1 seed to have as an opener. Niemeier did perform well to defeat Varvara Gracheva but the Frenchwoman made things easy for her. The hand-eye coordination of Pegula is more than capable of handling Niemier’s hitting from the baseline and she should be comfortable at the WTA San Diego Open.
Prediction: Pegula in 2