The 2021 edition of the US Open continues to offer up brilliant tennis in bunches. Day five of the women’s draw is no exception, in fact it’s probably the best day of tennis so far. Friday’s action features seven Grand Slam champions as well as some of the hottest players on the tour this year. Picking a match of the day would ordinarily be quite difficult given the level of talent on display. However, when two former two-time Grand Slam champions meet in the third round it’s hard to ignore. So without further ado, here is my pick for the US Open day 5 women’s match of the day.
Day 5 Women’s Match Of The Day – Garbine Muguruza vs Victoria Azarenka
I think we can agree tennis matches don’t come much better than this. Garbine Muguruza is a top ten player that has won two Grand Slams and has played at or near that level for most of this year. Somewhat surprisingly, she has never made it past the fourth round at Flushing Meadows. However, the faster courts this year should favour her aggressive ball striking and big serve. Up against her is Victoria Azarenka, two-time Australian Open champion and a three-time finalist in New York. Her most recent final was last year where she was likely one break away from lifting the title.
These two are both aggressive baseline players who like to dominate points and hit winners on a regular basis. Muguruza holds the advantage on serve, but Azarenka is one of the best returners the women’s game has ever seen. Neither entered the tournament in magnificent form but both have looked imperious so far in New York. Both of these players at their best have enough in their locker to beat Serena and Venus Williams in their hay day. So, you can rest assured they have enough to go all the way here as well.
Fascinating Clash Makes This The Easy Choice For Women’s Match Of The Day
So, how do you pick between two all-time greats of the women’s game? Well, luckily I don’t have to because we cover predictions in a separate series of articles. All I need to do is make sure you know that this is the cream of the crop as far as Friday’s matches are concerned. Both women play with fierce intensity and rarely if ever pull their punches. This could easily be the match of the tournament let alone the day so make sure you’re watching. I know I will be.
Main Photo from Getty.
