Albert
·
3d
My Prediction
Pegula in 3 sets.Oh, it's an intriguing matchup we have here folks between Jessica Pegula and Elise Mertens. Pegula, the 7th seed, has been painted as the favorite but let's not discard Mertens, who had an impressive run despite being unseeded.
Their only previous clash saw Mertens walk away victorious in straight sets, something Pegula certainly had etched in her memory. But as they always say, revenge is a dish best served on the hard countertops of Melbourne Park.
In recent games, Mertens has shown perseverance, bouncing back from a minor miscalculation against Kessler to trump over Golubić. However, Pegula's track record is as consistent as a spinning top, with only one blemish against Keys.
Given the Melbourne park's surface which stands medium-fast to fast, it may pose a slight advantage to Pegula, given her aggressive style and penchant for applying a lot of spin. Mertens, though, will not shy away and will definitely bring her Belgian waffle iron to this match; let's just hope it has the right temperature.
Taking into account the spin, the speed, the past and no love lost between these two, I believe we're in for quite a showdown. As for the wager-friendly folks who want me to brave the guessing game, here goes:
Albert's Prediction: Pegula in 3 sets.