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 Madison Keys vs Camila Giorgi, and the third features Coco Gauff vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Predicting these matches are Jakub Bobro, Damian Kust, and Jim Smith. Who do you think will win?
US Open Day 3 Women’s Predictions
Harriet Dart vs Dalma Galfi
Jakub:
Dart pulled out a strong upset over San Jose and Granby champion Daria Kasatkina in the opener while Galfi took out clay courter Nuria Parrizas-Diaz in straight sets. The match feels quite even for me but with the confidence boost from the upset, I will lean towards the Brit.
Prediction: Dart in 3
Damian:
Dalma Galfi hadn’t played in way over a month before her first-round match, but she easily dispatched Nuria Parrizas-Diaz. It’s a tough one to call. I’ll go with the Hungarian, who has the higher upside and will have Harriet Dart have to adjust her tactics from the opening match against Daria Kasatkina.
Prediction: Galfi in 3
Jim:
Both players scored excellent wins in the first round, especially Dart who stunned the 10th seed Daria Kasatkina. But this might just be a case of after the lord mayor’s show for the Briton. Galfi has been looking sharp and Dart will likely need to be at her very best to pull off another result.
Prediction: Galfi in 3
Shuai Zhang vs Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
Jakub:
Schmiedlova broke a six-match losing streak with her first-round win over Nadia Podoroska but will now face a much tougher opponent. Zhang looked solid in the lead-up, earning wins over the likes of Anett Kontaveit or Naomi Osaka without taking a bad loss. The 33-year-old took out Jil Teichmann in straight sets in her opener and I expect the same here.
Prediction: Zhang in 2
Damian:
Shuai Zhang has really picked up her game during this North American hard court season, reaching the quarterfinals at Cleveland and Cincinnati. Her baseline game is much more threatening than Anna Karolina Schmiedlova’s.
Prediction: Zhang in 2
Jim:
Zhang proved far too strong for Jil Teichmann in the first round, whilst Schmiedlova also scored a dominant win. It does not look like there is a great deal in this match on paper, but Zhang has performed at a consistently higher level than Schmiedlova. Expect her to just about have the edge.
Prediction: Zhang in 3
Daria Snigur vs Rebecca Marino
Jakub:
Snigur pulled off the best win of her career so far in her Slam main draw debut, taking out potential title threat Simona Halep 6-4 in the third. The Ukrainian played some incredible tennis but can she replicate it against Marino, who had a solid win in her opener over Magdalena Frech. This is close to a toss-up for me but I will lean towards the experienced Canadian.
Prediction: Marino in 3
Damian:
Following up a huge win like the one Daria Snigur had against Simona Halep rarely comes easy. Rebecca Marino has a big game and should be very capable of making the Ukrainian have to recreate that emotional high.
Prediction: Marino in 3
Jim:
20-year-old qualifier Snigur was another player to pull off a considerable upset in the first round. Can she back it up here? It won’t be easy against Mannarino, who impressed herself in beating Magdalena Frech, but Snigur looks to have the wind in her sails and her confidence will surely be sky high.
Prediction: Snigur in 3
Serena Williams vs Anett Kontaveit
Jakub:
Definitely the match of the day. Kontaveit is the second seed and dropped just three games in the first round but has been vulnerable and in poor form for the majority of the season. Williams looked solid in her win over Danka Kovinic and depending on what she brings, she could take out Kontaveit. The Estonian coming through just seems more likely at this point though.
Prediction: Kontaveit in 3
Damian:
Anett Kontaveit has been very upset-prone in Slams. It’s obvious that Serena Williams will leave everything out there on the court, but will that be enough? It’s a very tough challenge but the now-or-never circumstances could help her.
Prediction: Williams in 3
Jim:
Williams is apparently not quite ready to go quietly into the night. But will all due respect to Danka Kovinic, beating her is one thing and beating Kontaveit quite another. The Estonian has not had a good season, but her easy power should prove too much for Williams to handle.
Prediction: Kontaveit in 2
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