Jessica Pegula vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Value on another long Pegula match

Andrew Hendrie

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Last updated: Thu 02 Apr 2026 04:56

Andrew Hendrie 02 Apr 2026

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Jessica Pegula vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto predictions for Thursday's WTA Charleston R16
Pegula has won 20 of her 24 matches in 2026 & 12 of her last 14 in Charleston
Cocciaretto in good form this season - can push this over 20.5 games & to three sets
The match is scheduled to start around 3.30am AEDT on Friday April 3

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Jessica Pegula (Photo by Getty Images)

Jessica Pegula vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto Tips, Prediction & Live Stream

Top seed Jessica Pegula continues her Charleston Open title defence when she faces the in-form Elisabetta Cocciaretto for a place in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

Jessica Pegula vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto Tips, Prediction & Live Stream
Pegula vs Cocciaretto Stats & Trends
Pegula vs Cocciaretto Head To Head
Jessica Pegula Form Analysis
Elisabetta Cocciaretto Form Analysis
Pegula vs Cocciaretto Live Stream

Pegula improved to 12-2 in her last 14 matches in Charleston with a marathon 4-6 6-4 7-5 victory over Yulia Putintseva in her opening match. It was the longest tour-level win of Pegula's career, with the match lasting three hours and 10 minutes. The American has been sublime when matches go the distance dating back to last year's US Open, compiling a 16-4 record - including 7-1 in 2026.

It's been a stellar last few months for Pegula - she's back up to No. 5 in the world and has only lost one match in 2026 to a player not named Elena Rybakina.

Cocciaretto is also quietly putting together a great year - she's won two of her last three matches against top 10 opponents and comes into this clash having won at least one set in all but two matches in 2026. The Italian is playing good enough to push this match Over 20.5 total games, but Pegula's strong three-set record can't be ignored - good value on the defending champion prevailing in another long encounter.

Pegula vs Cocciaretto Stats & Trends

Pegula has won 20 of her 24 matches in 2026 (three losses to Rybakina)
Pegula has won her last 15 matches vs players outside the top 40
Pegula has won 16 of her last 20 three-set matches
Pegula has seen Over 20.5 games in 10 of her last 13 Charleston matches
Pegula has won 12 of her last 14 Charleston matches
Cocciaretto has seen Over 20.5 games in five of her last seven matches
Cocciaretto has won 1+ set in 13 of her 15 matches in 2026
Cocciaretto has won two of her last three matches vs top 10 players

Pegula vs Cocciaretto Head To Head

Level at 1-1, with both matches coming at Wimbledon.

Year	Tournament	Surface	Winner	Score
2025	Wimbledon	Grass	Elisabetta Cocciaretto	6–2, 6–3
2023	Wimbledon	Grass	Jessica Pegula	6–4, 6–0

Jessica Pegula Form Analysis

2026 Record: 20-4
WTA Charleston Record: 22-10
Current Ranking: No. 5
Career-High Ranking: No. 3 (2022)

Pegula has been in brilliant form since making the semi-finals of last year's US Open and comes into this clash having won 20 of her 24 matches in 2026.

The 32-year-old made the semi-finals of the Australian Open before surging to the WTA 1000 title in Dubai.

It then took Elena Rybakina to beat her in the quarter-finals of both Indian Wells and Miami.

Returning to Charleston as the defending champion, Pegula was forced to dig deep in her opening match, outlasting Yulia Putintseva 4-6 6-4 7-5 in three hours and 10 minutes.

"Even though it's not ideal maybe for tomorrow, but I do feel like getting a three-hour match, I mean, you really break in the lungs," Pegula said afterwards.

"Like the aerobic and anaerobic fitness gets broken in quite a bit. And I feel like that actually, if I can get through tomorrow, I think can set me up more further down the line."

Elisabetta Cocciaretto Form Analysis

2026 Record: 11-4
WTA Charleston Record: 2-2
Current Ranking: No. 43
Career-High Ranking: No. 29 (2023)

Cocciaretto is having a great season and if she maintains this level, you've got to rate her a good chance of surpassing her career-high ranking of No. 29 during the clay swing.

It all started with a magical run to a second WTA title in Hobart, coming from qualifying to take the silverware with a win over Iva Jovic in the final.

The Italian followed it up with another big run to the quarter-finals of Doha from qualifying, taking out Coco Gauff before falling to Jelena Ostapenko.

Cocciaretto couldn't repeat her win over Gauff in Miami at her last tournament, going down in three sets, but she's bounced back strongly in Charleston, toppling Yue Yan 6-0 7-5 in her opener.