Last year’s runner-up Jessica Pegula takes on Kimberly Birrell to open her 2025 Cincinnati Open campaign in the second round this afternoon.
Pegula has been one of the most consistent players in recent years — a top-10 mainstay and current world No. 4, with three singles titles already in 2025. Yet, aside from her WTA 1000 successes, Grand Slam glory continues to elude her.
Her back-to-back finals losses in Cincinnati and Flushing Meadows last year serve as extra motivation to finish the job this time around.
Her opponent, Birrell, ranked No. 82, has hovered near the top 80 for much of the season. She fought her way through qualifying and opened her Cincinnati campaign with a dominant straight-sets win over Anna Blinkova.
The 27-year-old Australian brings experience and firepower but will need to sustain her level and limit errors to trouble her elite opponent.
Birrell–Pegula Head-to-Head
This is the first career meeting between Birrell and Pegula.
Prediction
Pegula in straight sets. While Birrell is a spirited competitor, she lacks the consistent firepower and depth to trouble a top-four player over the course of two sets.
How to Watch Kimberly Birrell vs. Jessica Pegula
The Birrell–Pegula match is expected to start at around 3:10 PM Eastern today on Grandstand at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, after Tien-Rublev.
The match may air live on the Tennis Channel or its streaming-only T2 Channel, available for free on Amazon Prime Video here.
The Tennis Channel has a live stream simulcast of its TV coverage here, along with a dedicated feed for the Birrell-Pegula match here.
If none of these viewing options work for you, the Tennis Channel has a standalone streaming subscription available for $9.99/month or $109.99/year.
Birrell vs. Pegula
Date: Sunday, August 10, 2025
Expected Start Time: 3:10 PM Eastern (after Tien-Rublev)
Venue: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason, Ohio
Court: Grandstand
TV: Tennis Channel
Streaming: Tennis Channel app and website
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