The Pick: Jennifer Brady vs. Jessica Pegula, Aussie Open quarterfinals

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change

Before Jennifer Brady took the court against Donna Vekic on Monday, her quarterfinal opponent Jessica Pegula had a good feeling her friend and frequent doubles partner would emerge victorious.

“See you in the next round, Jen B,” Pegula wrote on the post-match celebratory camera after beating Elina Svitolina in three sets. Pegula was absolutely right, and after Brady won 6-1, 7-5, she had a reply:

“Bring it on Jess," she wrote.

It’s never easy playing your friend. It’s even harder when a major semifinal berth and $325,000 are on the line. With Brady and Pegula, it’s safe to expect nothing but great sportsmanship and extremely hard-hitting.

Pegula’s aggression and shotmaking were too much for Brady in the first round of the Western & Southern Open last summer.

If Pegula strikes her return as well as she did last time, things could get very challenging for Brady.

If you gift Brady a slow, mid-court forehand, the point will end shortly. But Pegula matches up fairly well with Brady, in large part due to her refusal to hit any ball without a large injection of pace.

Pegula was on defense here, but still added in enough power to surprise Brady and then switched to delicate touch to seal the deal.

The Australian Open quarterfinals is not the same as the Western & Southern Open first round. Look for Brady to keep Pegula on defense as much as possible. Pegula does many things well, but constant defending is not one of them.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Brady is listed as a solid -250 favorite. That feels like a bit too much for Pegula’s current form, as the American has beaten Victoria Azarenka, Kristina Mladenovic and Svitolina. But Brady has been here before, and should rely on her recent US Open semifinal experience to propel her to victory. Still, expect Pegula to keep things very close.

The Pick: Jennifer Brady

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