Jessica Pegula vs Elina Svitolina Prediction & Picks - Women's Olympic Tournament

Prediction published on 7/29/24, 3:54 AM  by Tyler Doty | Modified on 7/29/24 at 3:56 AM in Tennis Picks

It's the clash of these 1/16th finals of the Olympic Games in the women's draw, with American Jessica Pegula meeting Ukraine's Elina Svitolina.

For her first match on clay after almost 4 months following an injury which caused her to miss Roland Garros in late spring, Jessica Pegula was convincing on her return to Porte d'Auteuil. A victory over Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic (6-3, 6-4) to kick off her tournament enabled the world No.6 to rediscover her senses on a surface she hadn't played on since April. Still capable of improvement on clay, Jessica Pegula now has the serenity and confidence to face Elina Svitolina and book her place in the last 1/8.

The Ukrainian will be a tough nut to crack. A quarter-finalist at Wimbledon 3 weeks ago, the 31st-ranked player in the world unfurled her tennis to perfection in her opening match against Japan's Moyuka Uchijima (6-2, 6-1). As at home at Roland Garros, the flag bearer of the Ukrainian delegation will be looking to take advantage of her opponent's lack of familiarity on clay. Quarter-finalist in 2023 and eighth-finalist in 2024 at Porte d'Auteuil, Elina Svitolina has been performing well on the Paris clay for the last 2 years, and her recent good results in the French capital will make her the favorite for this confrontation.