US Open Scores – 79 / 123 (64%)
US Open Final Prediction for Saturday
Day 13 – 1/1
Stephens d. Keys in 3 sets – Preview in Thursday’s Set Points Post
US Open Final Poll for Saturday
US Open SF Stage WWW Poll
US Open SF Predictions for Thursday
Day 11 – 1/2
Previews of both matches in Wednesday’s Set Points post
Keys d. Vandeweghe in 3 sets
V.Williams d. Stephens in 3 sets
US Open SF Poll for Thursday
US Open QF Predictions for Wednesday
Day 10 – 1/2
Previews of both matches in Tuesday’s Set Points post
Pliskova d. Vandeweghe in 3 sets
Keys d. Kanepi in 2 sets
US Open QF Polls for Wednesday
US Open QF Predictions for Wednesday
Day 9 – 1/2
Previews of both match in Monday’s Set Points post
Stephens d. Sevastova in 2 sets
Kvitova d. V.Williams in 3 sets
US Open QF Polls for Tuesday
US Open R4 Predictions for Monday
Day 8 – 1/3
Pliskova d. Brady in 2 sets – Perhaps could be a big opportunity for Brady if Pliskova’s forearm is still an issue. However, she didn’t seemed too concerned about it in press and said it was just an issue during that match and not a long-going issue. Pliskova not playing at her best, but impressed how she has rallied this tournament.
Safarova-Vandeweghe – Both were superb in their third round wins. CoCo will have the home crowd, while Lucie played a brilliant match when they last played each other in Indian Wells and leads the H2H, 3-1. It’s going to be a tough match but I am hopeful for Lucie!
Svitolina d. Keys in 3 sets – Preview
Kasatkina d. Kanepi in 3 sets – A new situation for Kasatkina, interesting to see how she copes with it. Kanepi is a fine hitter and i’d say capable of overpowering Kasatkina. While she has a great record in R4 Slam matches, Kanepi has played six matches to get this far and Kasatkina can play smart. I think it could be a bit nervy but looking forward to this one.
US Open R4 Polls for Monday
US Open R4 Predictions for Sunday
Day 7 – 2/4
Muguruza d. Kvitova in 3 sets – Snap Preview
V.Williams d. Suárez Navarro in 3 sets – Venus leads the head-to-head, 4-3 and has won their last two meetings. CSN can definitely make things tricky for Venus and having beaten the American before should give her confidence. I’d go for Venus to get the win with her serve and clutchness in the key moments at Slams this year. I am expecting a battle as CSN has pretty solid during the summer.
Stephens d. Goerges in 2 sets – Snap Preview
Sharapova d. Sevastova in 3 sets – Sharapova hasn’t been all that convincing since her stunning R1 win over Halep. Sevastova has plenty of assets to her game that can unsettle and disrupt Sharapova’s rhythm. My main question mark is whether Sevastova can hold up mentally.
US Open R4 Polls for Sunday
US Open R3 Predictions for Saturday
Day 6 – 5/7
Pliskova d. Zhang in 2 sets – Zhang has looked in excellent form through her last two tournaments. Still, I think Pliskova will be too strong mentally and take this in two tight. Pliskova leads the head-to-head, 3-0.
Niculescu d. Brady in 3 sets – A first time match-up and a HUGE opportunity for both players to reach the second week of a Slam. A bit of toss-up, sticking with my original pick of Niculescu to reach R4 ha.
Vandeweghe d. Radwanska in 3 sets – Vandeweghe dismissed her recent loss to Radwanska in Toronto but i’d guess it was more impactful than she let on. I’m still going for CoCo here in front of a home crowd. Radwanska has been solid but will be up against it if Vandeweghe plays to a high level. Who knows…
Svitolina d. Rogers in 3 sets – Svitolina leads the head-to-head, 2-0. I think Rogers has the type of game that can trouble Svitolina and she showed a lot of positivity in her win over Gavrilova in her desire to come forward.
Keys d. Vesnina in 2 sets – Both haven’t really been troubled through the first two rounds. I feel like this should be a good match-up for Keys with the bigger serve and weight of shot – the American has won their two previous matches in straight sets.
Kasatkina d. Ostapenko in 3 sets – Most interesting match of the day. Ostapenko completely unravelled in their last meeting in the Charleston final, unable to handle Kasatkina’s lack of pace and spin. So much has changed since that last meeting. I feel like Kasatkina is starting to play better tennis after the ankle injury in Rome and while there is no doubt Ostapenko could wipe her off the court if she keeps the ball in court for long enough, I think Kasatkina will get plenty of chances on return.
Osaka d. Kanepi in 2 sets – Fun match-up alert! Kanepi is into the 3rd round of a Slam for the first time since the 2014 US Open, while Osaka is trying to reach the second week of a Slam for the first time in her career. I like Osaka and she will likely be the fresher of the pair after Kanepi came through qualifying.
US Open R3 Polls for Saturday
US Open R3 Predictions for Friday
Day 5 – 4/8
Makarova d. Suárez Navarro in 2 sets – CSN has won their last four matches including a surprisingly comprehensive, 6-3 6-1 win in Eastbourne. However, Makarova’s recent form has been sensational and despite the odd wobble here and there, she’s been mostly powering through them, I’d fancy a confident Makarova to snap another losing streak.
V.Williams d. Sakkari in 2 sets – While i’d ultimately take Venus, Sakkari is a superb competitor and grabbed a set from their only previous encounter at Wimby last year.
Garcia d. Kvitova in 3 sets – Tricky one, it’s hard to know with Kvitova from match-to-match how she is feeling. Garcia has been increasingly reliable and had an escape from a set down in her second round match. I’m going on my instinct with this one. Happy either way but favouring Kvitova in terms of who i’d like to see win.
Muguruza d. Rybarikova in 2 sets – Expecting Rybarikova to put up more a fight compared to their Wimby SF. Muguruza is bombarding her way through the draw in impressive fashion.
Goerges d. Krunic in 3 sets – Nervous for Goerges in this one, her best chance to reach a Slam QF for quite sometime. I could see this one going either way but encouraged by Goerges’s consistency over the past few months.
Barty d. Stephens in 3 sets – A bit of a coin toss, I really like Barty though and while i’d guess Stephens is the favourite, I think the Aussie is not to be discounted.
Vekic d. Sevastova in 2 sets – II’ll take a risk and go for the upset. If Vekic can bring the form she’s shown so far this tournament, I think she could be too strong here.
Sharapova d. Kenin in 2 sets – Sharapova for the win.
US Open R3 Polls for Friday
US Open R2 Predictions for Thursday
Day 4 – 11/15
Pliskova d. Gibbs in 2 sets – Gibbs won their first encounter back in 2011 on the ITF circuit but in their most recent encounter, Pliskova won, 6-0 6-0! Tough ask for Gibbs here.
Zhang d. Ozaki in 2 sets – The fast courts should help Zhang here.
Strycova d. Brady in 2 sets – Brady has game, yet I think Strycova will be a bit more stable generally. Strycova won their only previous match in Stuttgart earlier this year, 6-2 6-2.
Niculescu d. Bogdan in 3 sets – Niculescu leads the head-to-head, 3-0 and beat Bogdan, 6-0 6-1 at exactly the same stage of the tournament last year! I’d fancy another Niculescu win, but for it to be much closer.
Radwanska d. Putintseva in 2 sets – Radwanska has been a tad vulnerable and while there are elements of Putintseva’s game that could trouble her, ultimately I don’t think there’s been enough evidence of the past few months that she will consistent enough to cause the upset.
Vandeweghe d. Jabeur in 3 sets – Fascinating match, could be a cracker on Ashe. I’d go with CoCo and the crowd.
Kuznetsova d. Nara in 2 sets – I missed out from my Set Points recap that Kuznetsova was bothered by a wrist injury and saved three match points vs. Vondrousova. Tough to know how Sveta’s injury will be, otherwise I think this is a decent match-up for her.
Svitolina d. Rodina in 2 sets – Svits for the win.
Gavrilova d. Rogers in 3 sets – Interesting match-up, feel like Gavs should get the win but Rogers has had a pretty decent year and may get a boost from playing at home.
Vesnina d. Flipkens in 2 sets – Both had comfortable R1 wins. I think Vesnina will be able to hit through Flipkens’s variety. Vesnina leads their head-to-head, 4-1 with Flipkens’s only win coming via retirement.
Keys d. Maria in 3 sets – It wouldn’t surprise me to see Maria nick a set here with her tricky game. Keys for the win.
Ostapenko d. Cirstea in 3 sets – Never know with Ostapenko, the win in R1, her first since Wimby, will likely have done her good.
Kasatkina d. McHale in 3 sets – First time meeting, both came from a set down to win their openers against tricky opponents. I like Dasha here in three.
Wickmayer d. Kanepi in 3 sets – A blast from the past! The pair played a wild R16 match at the US Open back in 2010. Wickmayer leads the head-to-head, 4-3.
Osaka d. Allertova in 2 sets – I’ve always liked Allertova, yet I think Osaka could be primed for a deep run in New York.
US Open R2 Predictions for Wednesday
Day 3 – 14/16
Wozniacki d. Makarova in 3 sets – Makarova is playing her best tennis for quite sometime. Still, hard to argue vs. a 7-0 H2H record for Woz, who is playing well.
Suárez Navarro d. Lucic-Baroni in 2 sets – CSN won 6-3 7-5 in Cincy a few weeks ago. While i’d still favour CSN, i’d expect it to be closer with a slightly quicker court and MLB having snapped her losing streak. A third set tiebreak win over Puig must have been a relief after some really tight losses since the clay season.
Sakkari d. Rodionova in 3 sets – First time meeting and a huge opportunity for both players, this could be wild!
V.Williams d. Dodin in 2 sets – Very intrigued by this one. I’d guess that Venus’s more stable level and general ability to find the big serve when needed will be key.
Kvitova d. Cornet in 3 sets – I think this could be pretty close. I’ve been impressed with Cornet in the last few matches i’ve watched her play and she has the type of game that will keep forcing Kvitova to put more balls in court and perhaps, struggle to find her rhythm.
Garcia d. Alexandrova in 2 sets – Garcia will be fully aware of the threat that Alexandrova poses with the Russian player winning their last encounter in Limoges, 6-4 6-0, at the end of 2016. Still, I think Garcia has been increasingly reliable and has a better base level.
Kr. Pliskova d. Rybarikova in 3 sets – First time meeting, toss-up for me. Leaning more towards the upset but I cannot tell you why!
Muguruza d. Duan in 2 sets – Duan has some weapons and this is a big match-up for Muguruza in the sense of trying to break new ground at the US Open. I think Muguruza’s better movement and net forays will be key.
Krunic d. Tomljanovic in 3 sets – I was super impressed with Krunic vs. Konta and she’s had success here before. A little wary of the Serb backing it up but I think she has the game to unsettle Tomljanovic – great to see Ajla with a Slam win though!
Goerges d. Zheng Saisai in 2 sets – I’d have to take Goerges in her recent form. I just hope she can stay focused and not look ahead as this could be her best opportunity at a Slam for a long time.
Barty d. Sasnovich in 2 sets – I was rather stunned to see Barty quickly fall behind vs. Konjuh but an impressive turnaround to drop just one game through the last two sets. Sasnovich is no walkover, but Barty for the win.
Stephens d. Cibulkova in 3 sets – Exciting match-up. I’d have to question whether Cibulkova will be feeling wary from NH and her first round win. Stephens navigated a tricky opener against Vinci.
Sevastova d. Kozlova in 2 sets – Never can be too sure with Sevastova but I think she’s the better and more experienced player here.
Vekic d. Peng Shuai in 3 sets – Could be a good one, gone for Vekic because i’m still not convinced by Peng’s knee.
Kenin d. Vickery in 3 sets – A toss-up, I could see it going either way. I liked the way Kenin toughed out both sets of her R1 match vs. Davis.
Sharapova d. Babos in 2 sets – A tad wary for Sharapova with her forearm and what she said in press about thinking about having to withdraw during Cincy. The draw is there for her though and I don’t see Babos having the confidence and mentality to win this one.
US Open R2 Polls for Wednesday
US Open R1 Predictions for Tuesday
Day 2 – 20/31
Ka. Pliskova d. Linette in 2 sets – Pliskova leads the head-to-head, 4-1. Linette has played some decent tennis in the last two weeks to qualify for the main draws of both Cincy and New Haven. Focus-wise, based on how she went away in the third set against Zhang in her most recent match vs. New Haven, it is unlikely she will be able to stay with Pliskova mentally.
Cepede Royg d. Gibbs in 3 sets – A great effort from Gibbs to qualify. A bit of a toss-up, favouring Cepede Royg’s relentlessness from the baseline.
Ozaki d. Lao in 3 sets – A first-time meeting, Ozaki’s recent form has been poor, yet she has more experience at this level.
Zhang d. Lisicki in 3 sets – This one depends on the arm injury Zhang picked up in New Haven and that forced her to pull out of her quarter-final match against Elise Mertens. The more that I think about this match, the more I think Lisicki as a real shot at the upset.
Strycova d. Doi in 2 sets – The more consistent, Strycova for the win. Doi has been very erratic of late and her potent forehand has been misfiring with confidence pretty low. Strycova leads the head-to-head, 2-0.
Petkovic d. Brady in 3 sets – I could see this match being a real scrap and going all the way. Petkovic had her best result of the year in Washington where she reached the semi-finals.
Townsend d. Bogdan in 2 sets – Mostly depends on Townsend’s level. She is still prone to some wild errors but her positivity is always very encouraging to watch. Bogdan didn’t seem to cope too well with Flipkens’s net rushing in New Haven so gone for TT.
Niculescu d. Mladenovic in 3 sets – One of the trickiest first rounders to call. Gone for Niculescu after watching some of Mladenovic’s recent matches where she has looked confused in her tactics, flat and shaky in the key moments. Niculescu hasn’t had a great year herself but her game can be befuddling if lacking confidence and require dynamism. Niculescu leads the head-to-head, 2-0.
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Martic d. Radwanska in 3 sets – Gone for another upset! If Martic can channel her form from the French Open and Wimbledon, then I think she has the positivity in her game to upset Radwanska. The Polish player has still looked a tad vulnerable during the summer hard court season.
Zhuk d. Putintseva in 3 sets – Putintseva’s last match was a 0-6 0-6 loss to Cornet so expect the unexpected. I’d actually give Zhuk a fair opportunity at her first main draw slam win.
Jabeur d. Minor in 2 sets – Great to see Jabeur get in the main draw automatically by her ranking. An ideal opener on paper against one of the American wildcards. The 19-year-old has played just two matches in her career and lost 1-6 1-6 in the first round of qualifying at New Haven to Rybarikova.
Vandeweghe d. Riske in 2 sets – The pair are tied at 4-4 in their head-to-head with Vandeweghe winning their most recent match at Wimbledon, 6-2 6-4. In my opinion, Vandeweghe can dominate this match-up if she plays well. However, Riske is such a consistent competitor that if Vandeweghe is off her game, which we’ve seen many times just this year alone, then Riske can easily sweep up.
Bellis d. Hibino in 2 sets – A solid opener on paper for Bellis, who should have the power off the ground to dictate. Bellis leads the head-to-head, 2-0 and won earlier this year in Rabat, 6-1 4-6 7-5.
Nara d. Sorribes Tormo in 2 sets – I’d favour Nara on hard courts. The Japanese player won their only previous match, 7-6(4) 6-1 at the start of 2016 in Hobart and has an excellent record in Slam first rounders, winning 14 of 18 matches at this stage.
Kuznetsova d. Vondrousova in 3 sets – Couldn’t find out why Vondrousova pulled out of Cincy but guess it was an injury. Still a very interesting match and a potential banana skin. Instinct is that Kuznetsova will get through it.
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Svitolina d. Siniakova in 3 sets – I think Siniakova’s game is the type that can trouble Svitolina and i’d guess she will get a set considering Svitolina hasn’t played competitively for nearly two weeks. However, I don’t see Siniakova being calm enough in the key moments to dispatch Svitolina, who has become one of the toughest players on tour mentally.
Bouchard d. Rodina in 2 sets – An ideal opener for Bouchard on paper. Rodina has lost her last four matches and hasn’t won a match on hard court since April.
Day d. Rogers in 3 sets – Quite like the wildcard, Day to get the win here. I was super impressed with her defensive skills in Stanford and while inexperienced, she should fancy her chances against Rogers, who hasn’t won since Wimbledon.
Gavrilova d. Kiick in 2 sets – An amazing story for Kiick to qualify. In all honesty, a good draw for the New Haven champ who should be confident and that’s important after two brutal losses at the first round stage of the last two Slams.
Vesnina d. Blinkova in 3 sets – Vesnina will know of the threat that Blinkova possesses having been forced to three sets in Wimby, 6-4 5-7 6-2, when they also played in the first round. Still, i’d go for Vesnina.
Flipkens d. Brengle in 3 sets – A bit of a toss-up, I think Flipkens has assets to her game that should be able to break down Brengle’s defences. It’s whether she has the mentality and calmness to do it. Flipkens leads the head-to-head, 2-0 and hasn’t dropped more than four games in any of the four sets that they have played.
Maria d. Kratzer in 2 sets – Kratzer is another of the American wild cards and did reach an ITF final at the $60k event in Stockton CA earlier this year. Going for the more experienced, Maria who has a different game that can be difficult to adapt to.
Keys d. Mertens in 3 sets – Tough opener for Keys, i’d fancy Mertens to get at least a set. A big moment for Keys playing Tuesday’s night session on Ashe, but she should be used to the experience having played on Ashe several times last year.
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Ostapenko d. Arruabarrena in 2 sets – Largely dependent on where Ostapenko is mentally. This should be a match that she wins but…
Cirstea d. Kerkhove in 2 sets – The pair have played before on clay last year at an ITF tournament where Cirstea won in two tight sets. Cirstea’s form since Wimbledon has been so-so.
Kasatkina d. Wang in 3 sets – I believe Wang won a national event in China over the summer so is clearly still playing well. Perhaps a bit hopeful for Kasatkina but I liked what I saw from her vs. Mertens in New Haven, despite all the errors, as she also went after her shots for the first time in a long while. In their last match-up in the first round of last year’s US Open, Wang won, 6-4 2-6 6-2.
Pavlyuchenkova d. McHale in 2 sets – A repeat match-up from last week’s New Haven. Pavs rallied from a set down to win, 3-6 6-2 6-4.
Tsurenko d. Wickmayer in 2 sets – The pair have split their two previous openers and haven’t played each other for over two years. Wickmayer hasn’t played a WTA level event since Wimbledon. Tsurenko has been up and down, but I do think she is likely to be a little more stable than Wickmayer right now.
Kanepi d. Schiavone in 3 sets – A blast from the past, the pair haven’t played since the semi-finals of Brisbane in 2012. Schiavone has won just one match since Wimby and I quite like Kanepi having won through three rounds of qualifying.
Allertova d. Peterson in 3 sets – A toss-up, both players spent some time on clay since Wimbledon.
Kerber d. Osaka in 3 sets – I’ll take Kerber in this one. I am generally fascinated to see how it goes down. I think it could be a good match-up for Kerber in terms of being able to absorb and redirect pace. Osaka tends to need matches to build momentum, which she hasn’t really got right now after retiring hurt from her third round match in Toronto against Karolina Pliskova with an abdominal injury. This will be a first career match-up between the pair.
US Open R1 Polls for Tuesday
US Open R1 Predictions for Monday
Day 1 – 18/32
Wozniacki d. Buzarnescu in 2 sets – Woz opens her tournament again on Grandstand court. To be honest, don’t know a great deal about Buzarnescu who came through qualifying with wins over Bouzkova Min and Duque-Mariño. Woz in straights.
Makarova d. Barthel in 2 sets – Makarova is a former US Open semi-finalist and has played some superb tennis since winning DC. Barthel has lost seven of her last eight matches on tour. Makarova should be pretty high on confidence and I think that will be key in this match-up as they have similarish games and both hit the ball well.
Suárez Navarro d. Soylu in 2 sets – Soylu has qualified for her second main draw Slam and is going for her first ever win at this stage. CSN has been steady through the summer, posting a 3-3 W-L record through Toronto, Cincy and New Haven. I think CSN’s experience and general consistency will see her through.
Puig d. Lucic-Baroni in 3 sets – Based on recent form, this could be an absolute mess! Lucic-Baroni snapped a six match losing streak in New Haven – through that time, she had a series of rough losses from match point up. I’m concerned about Lucic-Baroni’s shoulder so i’m tending to favour Puig, who I think they may be a little steadier (marginal!) in the key moments.
Bertens d. Sakkari in 3 sets – I’d tag this one as a possible upset alert. Sakkari scraps well and I think Bertens is all about form and confidence – after a three set loss to Mertens at New Haven where she looked mega frustrated, i’m not sure where level will be at. Still think Bertens’s game is a tad more decisive.
Hogenkamp d. Rodionova in 3 sets – A bit of a toss-up for me but instantly favoured Hogenkamp, not sure why! The Dutch player has spent most of the summer on the ITF clay court circuit. Ar. Rodionova has lost her last four matches.
Parmentier d. Dodin in 2 sets – Mostly depends on Dodin. She retired with dizziness in Toronto and still didn’t look right in Cincy, going out with barely a whimper in a 3-6 0-6 loss to Kiki Bertens. Parmentier leads Dodin, 3-2 in their head-to-head and won in back-to-back tournaments earlier this year in Indian Wells (6-2 6-4) and Miami (6-2 6-4).
V.Williams d. Kuzmova in 2 sets – A huge moment for Kuzmova to be out on Ashe. Venus for the win.
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Kvitova d. Jankovic in 2 sets – Surprised to see Jankovic in the draw because she had stated in press after DC that that might be it for the year due to injury. Weather conditions don’t look too bad for Monday so Kvitova in straights!
Cornet d. Watson in 3 sets – This could be a fun one, expecting a close and well contested match. Watson qualified for the main draws in DC and Toronto, but was forced to retire from her first round match at the latter with a shoulder injury. Cornet has played some good matches at her last two tournaments, which have both been ended by Cibulkova.
Alexandrova d. Zaja in 2 sets – Zaja is playing her first ever Slam main draw. Alexandrova’s level can be very erratic so not sure what to expect! When she’s on, she is very dangerous.
Garcia d. Martincova in 2 sets – Interestingly, Martincova beat Garcia earlier this summer on the clay courts of Gstaad, 7-5 7-6(1). Something for Garcia to think about, but i’m not concerned for the Frenchwoman who has continued to look decent and reached the quarter-finals of Toronto.
Giorgi d. Rybarikova in 2 sets – Rybarikova hasn’t really pushed on since Wimbledon, while Giorgi has looked really impressive. The Italian player seemed to lose her head in her third round match against Karolina Pliskova after a disagreement with the umpire, but was serving well and looking to come forward in all of her matches. Giorgi beat Rybarikova in their most recent match in Cincy qualifying, 6-3 6-4.
Kr. Pliskova d. Eguchi in 2 sets – After injuring her hand in Nanchang, Kr. Pliskova made her comeback in New Haven where she came through qualifying before losing out to the eventual champ in the first round in a hard fought three setter. A good draw on paper for Kr. Plisk.
Liu d. Duan in 2 sets – I think the Wimby girls champ as a real shot in this opener. I’d really like to see more of Liu as i’ve heard good things. Duan hasn’t play any tour matches since Nanchang. I think she was playing a Chinese national event?
Muguruza d. Lepchenko in 2 sets – Lepchenko is no pushover, yet I still don’t see this as an upset alert for Muguruza.
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Konta d. Krunic in 2 sets – This could be an interesting match, Krunic has plenty of game but perhaps not the focus and staying power to live with Konta.
Larsson d. Tomljanovic in 3 sets – Not quite sure where Tomljanovic is right now after she withdrew from her first round match in Stanford with the shoulder. Larsson has lost five of her last six matches.
Van Uytvanck d. Zheng in 3 sets – Van Uytvanck lost her last two matches in straight sets in qualifying for Toronto and Cincy, yet generally has made a really good comeback from various surgeries. Zheng has lost her last six matches, most likely linked to a persistent knee injury. She hasn’t played since Nanchang so perhaps it has improved?
Goerges d. Beck in 2 sets – Surprisingly have never played, Goerges for the win based on recent form – Goerges has won seven matches during the summer hard court season, while Beck hasn’t won a match since May.
Barty d. Konjuh in 2 sets – Konjuh’s power could overwhelm Barty, but I don’t think she will be consistent enough and with confidence and form not really there. Barty has been super solid through the summer hard court season and her serve has been a big weapon.
Sasnovich d. Boserup in 2 sets – Liking Sasnovich in this match. Boserup has lost her last four matches.
Vinci d. Stephens in 3 sets – I’ll admit that this is the odd pick of the round for me! It makes no sense on recent form, but I am going to go with my instinct. The pair have never played before and I think that Vinci has the type of game that could disrupt Stephens’s rhythm. Furthermore, Vinci has a great record at the US Open and it’s the perfect surface for her. Stephen’s form through Toronto and Cincy was stunning and i’m interested to see whether she can back it up here.
Cibulkova d. Cepelova in 2 sets – Cibulkova had that spark again in New Haven where she reached her first final of the year. It was a surprise she didn’t win the final based on the way she was hitting the ball, but Gavrilova scrapped so well. Cepelova pulled out of her R1 match in New Haven but it seemed just precautionary.
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Witthoeft d. Sevastova in 3 sets – I’ll go with the upset, Witthoeft has a habit of springing them at Slams. I wonder if Sevastova may feel some expectation defending quarter-final points from last year. Some of her recent performances have been very nervy.
Begu d. Kozlova in 2 sets – Begu leads the head-to-head, 2-0 with straight set wins in Tashkent (6-3 6-1, 2014) and Seoul (6-2 6-4, 2015). Begu qualified for the Toronto main draw, but hasn’t done a great deal since winning a home title in Bucharest.
Haddad Maia d. Vekic in 3 sets – Hipster match of the day and a complete coin toss! Both at career best rankings and having great years. Vekic was sporting all kinds of strapping in Cincy.
Peng d. Hesse in 2 sets – I think Peng is injured with her knee, yet this is one of the most favourable first round draws of the lot. Hesse has won one WTA main draw match in the last two years.
Kenin d. Davis in 3 sets – Interesting match, Davis has lost her last six matches on tour. The wild card, Kenin, has won plenty of matches on the ITF circuit including a title in Stockton and has competed well in qualifying for Cincy and New Haven, taking Sasnovich and Doi to three sets. Davis should win with her experience but confidence is clearly low.
Vikhlyantseva d. Vickery in 3 sets – A bit of a toss-up, both have been winning matches of late. I like Vikhlyantseva to have a bit of a run here.
Babos d. Golubic in 3 sets – Neither have had good years, Babos has been a bit better of late and while form still not there, is competing well.
Sharapova d. Halep in 3 sets – Preview
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US Open R1 Polls for Monday
WWW Poll
Moo's Tennis Blog 