Jessica Pegula will lock horns against Ashlyn Krueger in All-American showdown in Rome Masters tonight.
World No. 3 Jessica Pegula will start her campaign for the 2025 Italian Open with a second-round clash against Ashlyn Krueger. It will be an All-American matchup at Rome Masters. Ashlyn Krueger came from behind to beat Anna Bondar 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to secure a first-round victory. It will be her fifth clash against Pegula and first in the Italian Open.
Following a runner-up finish at Miami Open, Pegula won her first career title on clay by winning the Charleston Open. She failed to extend her run in Stuttgart Open and lost to Alexandrova in quarterfinals. In Madrid Open, the US No. 2 suffered a defeat in round-of-32 against the Uchijma. Her previous two clay court defeats came in straight sets.
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Ashlyn Krueger wasted four break points to drop the opening set in her first-round victory. She came back and dropped only three games in next two sets to clinch the triller against Bondar. With a 2-2 record on clay this year, Kruger will face the toughest rival in pursuit of maiden third round in Rome Masters. She has posted a 17-11 record in 2025 and crossed the second round only two times in WTA events this season. Her best run came in the Miami Open when she made into the quarterfinals.
Jessica Pegula leads the head to head battle against Ashlyn Krueger 4-0. She won all four encounters against the national rivals in straight sets. In their most recent meeting at Adelaide International 2025, Krueger retired in the second set due to injury.
| Event | Round | Winner | Score |
| 2025 Adelaide | Quarterfinals | Jessica Pegula | 6-2, 2-0 retired |
| 2024 Toronto | Round of 16 | Jessica Pegula | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 2024 Wimbledon | Round of 64 | Jessica Pegula | 6-2, 6-0 |
| 2023 Seoul | Round of 16 | Jessica Pegula | 6-3, 6-1 |
| Ashlyn Krueger | Category | Jessica Pegula |
| 0 | Grand Slams | 0 |
| 1 | WTA Singles Titles | 8 |
| 1 | WTA Doubles Titles | 7 |
| 0 | WTA-1000 Titles | 3 |
| – | Best Olympics Performance | R2 (Paris 2024) |
| No. 34 | Current World Ranking | No. 3 |
While Jessica Pegula enters the tournament fresh, Ashlyn Krueger may be recovering from the fatigue endured during her opening-round win. The American star has posted a 7-2 record on clay this year and also won her first career title on this surface last month. However, Pegula’s defeats in last two out of three clay court games against lower-ranked players can push Krueger to deliver an upset. Still, Pegula starts as the firm favourite due to her current form and surface.
Prediction: Jessica Pegula in straight sets.
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Jessica Pegula Win: 1/8
Ashlyn Krueger Win: 9/2
Image Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
