The second round of the 2022 US Open begins with Day 3 on Wednesday. The third day of play will feature several high-profile women’s matches, including Serena Williams as she continues to attempt to prolong her career. Will she win? As always, our writers share their thoughts on the matches. We also split the rest of the day’s matches between three other articles. One features Maria Sakkari vs Xiyu Wang, the second headlines Serena Williams vs Anett Kontaveit, and the third features Coco Gauff vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Predicting these matches are Jack Edward, Damian Kust, and Jim Smith. Who do you think will win?
US Open Day 3 Women’s Predictions
Liudmila Samsonova vs Leylah Fernandez
Jack:
Some might call this a tough match to call but looking as far as both player’s last two tournaments tells two different stories. Leylah Fernandez is a great counterpuncher but struggles when the power of her opponents is overwhelming (losses to Haddad Maia and Alexandrova in Toronto and Cincinnati respectively). Meanwhile Liudmila Samsonova is on a tear of consistent aggression, barely batting an eyelid in title runs in Washington and Cleveland. She has the game to blow Fernandez off the court.
Prediction: Samsonova in 2
Damian:
One of the two best matches of the day on the women’s side. Last year’s runner-up can counter-punch very well, but with Liudmila Samsonova in such form (11-match win streak), she might have a hard time surviving the Russian’s power.
Prediction: Samsonova in 3
Jim:
This has the makings of a very entertaining match. It could also probably go either way. Samsonova is in excellent form after winning the WTA Cincinnati title, whilst Fernandez usually saves her best for the big occasion. The Canadian probably has the higher ceiling, but with Samsonova playing so well it is hard not to like her chances.
Prediction: Samsonova in 3
Evgeniya Rodina vs Ajla Tomljanovic
Jack:
Evgeniya Rodina has been playing professional tennis since 2005. The vet took that experience into her match with Martina Trevisan and, despite not having played in three years, walked away with the win. Trevisan really isn’t built for this surface so don’t expect the same result against dark horse Alja Tomjlanovic. Good to see Rodina back on-court but one win is more than she could have hoped for.
Prediction: Tomjlanovic in 2
Damian:
Evgeniya Rodina shocked the world by beating Martina Trevisan in her first match after a three-year hiatus. Repeating that is going to be very tough against the in-form Ajla Tomljanovic, who’s been on fire in the past couple of months.
Prediction: Tomljanovic in 2
Jim:
This looks like a good opportunity for Tomljanovic to reach the third round. The Australian has had a quietly impressive couple of seasons and whilst Rodina is a fine player, she is probably not quite in Tomljanovic’s class at this stage in her career.
Prediction: Tomljanovic in 2
Shelby Rogers vs Viktoria Kuzmova
Jack:
For the second time in her career, Shelby Rogers is seeded in a Grand Slam main draw. This time, however, she’s on home soil and won’t want to miss the opportunity to take advantage of her privileged position in the draw. We’d all do well not to count out young qualifiers at the US Open after last year but if Rogers doesn’t grab this opportunity now with some fantastic serving, I’m not sure that she gets another opportunity.
Prediction: Rogers in 3
Damian:
Shelby Rogers is usually the dangerous floaters in Grand Slam main draws, but now she actually gets to try herself as a seed. Viktoria Kuzmova hasn’t dropped a set in four matches yet and will provide a stern challenge.
Prediction: Rogers in 3
Jim:
If Rogers plays her best tennis she will win this match. That is not much of a guarantee, with the American still plagued by inconsistency, but she has enough power to hit through Kuzmova and should be able to harness it effectively enough to get past the Slovakian.
Prediction: Rogers in 3
Madison Keys vs Camila Giorgi
Jack:
A huge-hitting affair between Madison Keys and Camila Giorgi could of course go either way. My pick boils down to Keys’ form in Cincinnati looking far more encouraging than Giorgi’s recent form coupled with her decent record in New York but no one really knows how either player will turn up on any given day. I’m leaning towards a fairly straightforward Keys’ win but lacking in confidence.
Prediction: Keys in 2
Damian:
Prepare for some outrageous hard-hitting. Madison Keys is the former runner-up and really enjoys the lighter balls, probably giving her a bit of an advantage. The two are very streaky, so there could be a lot of momentum changes.
Prediction: Keys in 3
Jim:
Expect plenty of winners from this match. But it is Keys who has been playing the better tennis of late. She also has the better record in New York and will have the support of her home crowd behind it. Giorgi is a dangerous opponent, but expect Keys to have just about enough to reach the third round.
Prediction: Keys in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
