Cincinnati Open 2025: Jessica Pegula vs Kimberly Birrell preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (4) Jessica Pegula vs Kimberly Birrell

Date: August 10, 2025

Tournament: Cincinnati Open

Round: Second Round (Round of 64)

Venue: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason, Ohio, US

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Hard

Prize Money: $5,152,599

Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, TC Plus | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN

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Jessica Pegula vs Kimberly Birrell preview

Jessica Pegula pictured at the 2025 Cincinnati Open | Image Source: Getty

Fourth seed Jessica Pegula will face off against unseeded Kimberly Birrell in the second round (Round of 64) of the 2025 Cincinnati Open in Ohio on Sunday, August 10.

Pegula has enjoyed a strong season by her standards, winning the ATX Open, Charleston Open, and Bad Homburg Open, and reaching the finals at the Adelaide International and Miami Open. She is also the only player this year to claim titles on three different surfaces (hard, grass, and clay).

However, her form dipped after the Bad Homburg title. She suffered a disappointing Wimbledon campaign, followed by a Round of 16 exit at the Citi DC Open and a Round of 32 loss at the Canadian Open, where she failed to defend her title, before arriving in Cincinnati.

Kimberly Birrell pictured at the 2025 Canadian Open | Image Source: Getty

Meanwhile, Birrell is still searching for her breakthrough moment on the WTA Tour. 2025 hasn’t been particularly impressive for her, with her best results being quarterfinal runs in Brisbane, Singapore, and Birmingham. Consistency has been a major challenge for her.

The Aussie began her North American swing at the Citi DC Open, where she failed to reach the main draw. She then lost to eventual champion Victoria Mboko at the Canadian Open before arriving in Cincinnati, where she opened her campaign with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 win over Anna Blinkova.

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Jessica Pegula vs Kimberly Birrell head-to-head

This will be the pair’s first-ever meeting, so their head-to-head record is currently 0-0.

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Jessica Pegula vs Kimberly Birrell odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Jessica Pegula	-625	-5.5 (-118)	Under 19.5 (-120)
Kimberly Birrell	+400	+5.5 (-120)	Over 19.5 (-120)

(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)

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Jessica Pegula vs Kimberly Birrell prediction

Jessica Pegula opens her Cincinnati Open campaign against Australia’s Kimberly Birrell, and the American will be heavily favored to advance. Pegula’s game is built for hard courts: clean, flat groundstrokes, a rock-solid backhand, and the ability to redirect pace with ease. Add in her consistency from the baseline, and she’s one of the toughest players to hit through on tour.

Birrell is a solid competitor with good court sense and the ability to construct points patiently, but she’ll need to raise her level considerably to hang with Pegula in extended rallies. Her best hope is to mix in variety, keep Pegula off balance, and capitalize on any dips in intensity.

If Pegula stays sharp and serves well, she should control the tempo from the start and book a comfortable spot in the next round. The home crowd and her current form make her the clear favorite in this matchup.

Pick: Pegula to win in straight sets