Jessica Pegula vs Emma Navarro Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Pegula to win battle of Americans in Beijing quarters

Both players had endured fairly disappointing seasons, relatively speaking, before arriving in Beijing. Pegula had failed to beat a top 50 player since June, while Navarro only won back-to-back matches in four of 17 tournaments between March and September. However, they are each turning things around in the Chinese capital - Pegula saved match points to beat Emma Raducanu and backed it up with a solid victory over Marta Kostyuk, while Navarro secured one of the biggest wins of her career, conquering six-time major champion Iga Swiatek, delivering a bagel final set for good measure.

It should be a close contest, but I've got to lean with Pegula - she's won both previous meetings between the pair and is just the steadier player. There'll be no secrets between these Billie Jean Cup teammates and Pegula's stellar quarter-final record (13-3 since the start of 2024) could prove the difference.

Pegula leads 2-0, winning 7-6 6-3 in the R16 of Miami 2024 before a 6-4 1-6 6-3 victory in the quarter-finals of Bad Homburg earlier this year.

Pegula has registered a 45-17 record for the season coming into this contest - and it's certainly been a roller-coaster year.

Indeed, the American has managed to claim three titles in Austin, Bad Homburg and Charleston, while she was also runner-up in Miami and Adelaide and a semi-finalist at the US Open.

However, Pegula has also struggled, failing to defeat a top 50 player in her last five tournaments before arriving in Beijing.

Pegula has begun to turn her fortunes around at the China Open and is now targeting a first ever semi-final in this part of the world. The 31-year-old needed to save three match points to survive Raducanu in the third round before edging out Kostyuk 6-1 6-7 6-3 in the R16.

Navarro has put together a 30-22 record on the season and will be hoping for a big Asian swing in order to edge back towards the top 10.

It's been a challenging season for Navarro - she's dropped to No. 17 in the world from a career-high of No. 8, mostly due to her failing to win back-to-back matches in 13 of 17 events between March and September.

That middle stage of the season was a setback for Navarro, who started the year brightly with a quarter-final run at the Australian Open and WTA 500 title in Merida.

Navarro will now be looking to reach a first semi-final since that title run in Merida in February.

The 24-year-old wasn't looking like much of a threat in Beijing with a win over Elena Gabriela Ruse and retirement from Lois Boisson, but she produced one of her best career performances to defeat Iga Swiatek, finishing strongly for a fourth career win over a top five opponent.