Heading into the second week at the US Open, just 16 women are left standing in New York and all will now surely be dreaming of the title. As ever, we here at LWOT are offering our predictions across the board and providing their picks for this slate of matches are Jim Smith, Damian Kust and Andrew Watson.
US Open Women’s Day Seven Predictions
Jennifer Brady vs Angelique Kerber
Jim: It has been a great few weeks for Jennifer Brady, barring an early loss in ‘Cincinnati’, and the American looks like she could go all the way at the US Open. But she hasn’t faced an opponent of Angelique Kerber’s quality yet. The German has the defensive skills to really test Brady and her forehand remains a weapon of note. Don’t be surprised if the three-time Major champion reminds the world of her quality here.
Prediction: Kerber in 3
Damian: The jury is still out on Kerber, with her three wins not featuring one top-tier opponent and her serving appears to be slightly off-pace. Brady, meanwhile, worked hard on her game during the break and it’s paying off. She won her first tour-level title in Lexington three weeks ago, Brady is still in great form. This will be a real test of whether the Brady is a genuine contender or just one of the 30 or so players with an outside chance of winning a Slam. But expect her to pass that test.
Prediction: Brady in 3
Andrew: It would be fair to say that these players took different routes to prepare for this tournament. Brady has continued her great form displayed at Lexington, with her serve and forehand deadly and her depth of shot immaculate. Kerber has flown under the radar due to her inactivity since the Australian Open, but she has impressed. This may go the distance, but Brady should have the edge. She has served and returned better than the German on hard courts over the last 12 months.
Prediction: Brady in 3
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Yulia Putintseva vs Petra Martic
Jim: Petra Martic has impressed so far at the US Open and is now in the fourth round for the second year in a row. Last year, she ran into an inspired Serena Williams and was overwhelmed by the America’s power. But this should be a much more comfortable match up for her. Putintseva won’t go down without a fight, but expect Martic to outmanoeuvre the Kazakh.
Prediction: Martic in 2
Damian: Both players have been performing really well since the restart. Putintseva’s grit and will to fight kept her alive against Aliaksandra Sasnovich, in a match where she had to survive the initial onslaught to come out on top at the end. Martic is yet to really be tested in New York, but she’s been using her wide array of skills to great effect and she probably won’t be under pressure off the ground. But Putintseva never backs down or surrenders. Expect a hard-fought battle.
Prediction: Martic in 3
Andrew: The returner against the server. That tennis classic match up will be rekindled here as the Kazakh attempts to get the better of Martic’s serve. However, Martic isn’t bad on return either and the general consistency of her game may be enough to squeeze through this encounter.
Prediction: Martic in 3
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Naomi Osaka vs Anett Kontaveit
Jim: The amount of strapping on Naomi Osaka’s leg does not bode well for her chances heading into the second week. Particularly because she faces an extremely dangerous opponent first up in Anett Kontaveit. Osaka did win when they met at the Western and Southern Open, but that was a match the Estonian may well feel she should have won. And with Osaka perhaps half a step slow, Kontaveit will have the perfect opportunity to put that right.
Prediction: Kontaveit in 3
Damian: It’s hard to tell how much of a concern Osaka’s hamstring injury is. Her thigh remains taped but the Japanese has been moving well and she’s had to against dangerous opponents. Kontaveit should present the hardest task yet, with the Estonian capable of pushing Osaka behind the baseline on a good day. Kontaveit’s game plan will be to stay on the front foot and if Osaka’s movement is in any way compromised, this might be the end of the road for the 2018 champion.
Prediction: Kontaveit in 3
Andrew: Osaka would probably have breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the court yesterday. Kostyuk had her in trouble early in the deciding set, but Osaka used all of her guile, belief and experience to pull through. Kontaveit, meanwhile, has been almost untroubled outside since losing her first set of the tournament to Danielle Collins. Osaka will have to dig deep again here and perhaps it may be once too far with that heavy strapping around her hamstring.
Prediction: Kontaveit in 3
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Shelby Rogers vs Petra Kvitova
Jim: Petra Kvitova played very well in the first week, but how often has the Czech looked to be in great touch only to suddenly lose her way? And any drop in her level will surely be punished by Shelby Rogers, who is in excellent form herself after reaching the last four in Lexington. But Kvitova has also won two Majors for a reason and the conditions in New York should favour her brand of first-strike tennis. Expect the Czech to march on.
Prediction: Kvitova in 3
Damian: Kvitova surely now has a decent outside shot at the title, but she now needs to get through Shelby Rogers. The American is a former Grand Slam quarterfinalist (Roland Garros 2016) and is a better player than her ranking suggests after injury struggles. Like Kvitova, she’s reached the fourth round here without dropping a set. Both have been playing great thus far and this should be a high-quality encounter, but Kvitova’s experience stands to be the difference.
Prediction: Kvitova in 3
Andrew: A serve dominated encounter in store here. Rogers is possibly in the form of her career and will be full of positivity ahead of this match. Kvitova has the advantage in experience though and the slightly better hold/return data on hard courts. There may well be tiebreaks here and a close match is almost certainly on the cards. But expect the experience of Kvitova to prove decisive.
Prediction: Kvitova in 3
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