With a host of star names set to take to the court, there should be plenty of exciting tennis on day two at the US Open. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Ashleigh Barty vs Vera Zvonareva, Viktorija Golubic vs Bianca Andreescu, Emma Raducanu vs Jennifer Brady, Karolina Pliskova vs Catherine McNally, Maria Sakkari vs Marta Kostyuk, Petra Kvitova vs Polona Hercog and Anett Kontaveit vs Samantha Stosur. But who will secure their place in the round of 64?
US Open Day 2 Predictions
Jamie Loeb vs Iga Swiatek
Jim: It has been a summer to forget so far for Iga Swiatek – though that is in part due to the very high standards she has set so far in her short career. She looks a long shot for the title as a result but, despite an impressive run through the qualifying, don’t expect Jamie Loeb to cause her too many problems.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Yesh: Iga Swiatek can hit the cover off the ball on any surface. She’s incredibly dominant on clay, but her game translates very well to the New York hard courts too. She’s a real threat at this tournament.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
David: Loeb has played great tennis this summer and did well to qualify, including a great win over Mihaela Buzarnescu in the final qualifying round. However, Swiatek’s forehand is by far the biggest weapon on the court. Between Swiatek’s tolerance for long rallies and her ability to play with controlled aggression, I expect her to win this one comfortably.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
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Belinda Bencic vs Arantxa Rus
Jim: Belinda Bencic’s superb run – which included winning gold in Tokyo – came to an end in the last eight in Cincinnati, but the Swiss looks to be in good position to go deep at the US Open all the same. It would certainly be a significant surprise if Arantxa Rus caused her much trouble.
Prediction: Bencic in 2
Yesh: Bencic is fresh off the biggest title of her career. Assuming there’s no massive hangover from her Olympic gold medal which there didn’t look to be in Cincinnati, she should continue her good form into New York.
Prediction: Bencic in 2
David: Bencic is having a great summer, having won a gold medal at the Olympics and showcasing greater consistency from both the forehand and the backhand. Rus plays a tricky left game and recently won an ITF tournament on clay. However, she’s significantly worse on hard courts compared with clay (57% career winning percentage vs 67%) and Bencic should be able to effectively to target Rus’ backhand. Bencic moves on.
Prediction: Bencic in 2
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Martina Trevisan vs Coco Vandeweghe
Jim: Fully fit and firing, this is a match that Coco Vandeweghe would be almost certain to win. Currently, it may not prove quite so straightforward for the American. Still, on a hard court she should have enough to get past Martina Trevisan, who has yet to really convince away from the clay.
Prediction: Vandeweghe in 3
Yesh: Vandeweghe just hasn’t been the same since her return. Illness and injury have basically ruined her game, though she showed some promising signs early in the summer. Vandeweghe always likes the New York courts, and maybe the home fans can help her win.
Prediction: Vandeweghe in 3
David: Trevisan is at her best on clay, but does have a heavy forehand that will be effective cross-court when going to the Vandeweghe backhand. Vandeweghe has played very hit-and-miss tennis, but when she gets hot, she’s able to dominate with her big serve and groundstrokes. While it’s hard to trust Vandeweghe, she’s playing at her home major and has a game much better-suited for hard courts. Vandeweghe advances.
Prediction: Vandeweghe in 3
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Danka Kovinic vs Kristyna Pliskova
Jim: Whilst on paper there does not appear to be a great deal between this pair, there is no doubt who is in the better position coming into this match. Kristyna Pliskova should be playing with confidence after coming through the qualifying, whereas Danka Kovinic has lost her last four matches and has missed several weeks through injury.
Prediction: Pliskova in 2
Yesh: Pliskova might not be as talented as her twin, but she’s been playing relatively well in recent years. So has Kovinic, so this should be a fun match. Not the highest level, but definitely potentially fun.
Prediction: Kovinic in 3
David: Kovinic is just 2-7 on hard courts this season and plays her best tennis on clay. Pliskova did well to qualify for this tournament, only dropping one set in qualifying. Her huge lefty serve and aggressive game make her very tough to play off of clay. She should be able to get a lot of free points on her serve, control the baseline, and make Kovinic feel very uncomfortable. Pliskova wis.
Prediction: Pliskova in 2
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