With 32 matches on the slate on day two at the US Open, expect plenty of entertaining tennis in New York. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Venus Williams vs Greet Minnen, Jessica Pegula vs Camila Giorgi, Ons Jabeur vs Camila Osorio, Aryna Sabalenka vs Maryna Zanevska, Caroline Garcia vs Wang Yafan, Karolina Pliskova vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Daria Kasatkina vs Alycia Parks. But who will come out on top?
US Open Day 2 Predictions
Elina Svitolina vs Anna-Lena Friedsam
Jim: If Elina Svitolina can play as well as she did at Wimbledon, it could be a productive US Open for her. Unfortunately for the Ukrainian, not much of the tennis she played since Wimbledon has seen her hit those heights, but even so she should be able to beat Anna-Lena Friedsam easily enough.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Damian: Svitolina made the quarterfinals at the last two Slams, so the expectations are pretty huge here. Her form in the warm-up events didn’t matter ahead of Wimbledon and we could see a repeat of that, although here it was more than acceptable. Friedsam is just fairly unlikely to cause her much trouble, if any.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Jordan: Both women have had some fitness problems since Wimbledon. Svitolina’s superb level when she has been fit has been well publicised. Friedsam has been playing at some WTA 125 and lower tournaments lately. Svitolina will win if near her previous level this season.
Prediction: Svitolina in 3
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Tatjana Maria vs Petra Martic
Jim: On a faster court, Tatjana Maria might be in with a chance her. The German is a former-Wimbledon semifinalist after all. But the bouncier North American hard courts don’t suit her style nearly as well. Expect Petra Martic to have the edge here.
Prediction: Martic in 2
Damian: Maria will still be the player hitting more slices here, but it’s also one of the best tools in Martic’s repertoire. The Croat’s game is a lot more quirky though and isn’t based around one or two tricks. It should give her the edge over Maria and it did in their last few encounters (but it was a long while ago).
Prediction: Martic in 2
Jordan: Maria is of course famed for her run to the semifinals at Wimbledon last year. But she actually has not been past the second round of any Grand Slam outside Wimbledon. Martic has been to the fourth round in New York. She is well suited to dealing with Maria’s variety on a hard court to win.
Prediction: Martic in 3
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Sofia Kenin vs Ana Bogdan
Jim: At her best Sofia Kenin would likely have enough to win this match. But the American hasn’t played since her surprise run to the third round at Wimbledon, whereas Ana Bogdan has been in quite good form of late.
Prediction: Bogdan in 3
Damian: We haven’t seen Kenin on the court since Wimbledon, which adds a lot of uncertainty to the quality of her performance. Before that break, it seemed like the American was about to get something going. Bogdan isn’t among the toughest opponents in the draw, but she’s definitely competent enough if Kenin is rusty. Let’s guess she won’t be.
Prediction: Kenin in 3
Jordan: Kenin made headlines at Wimbledon for showing large glimpses of the level she had in her prime. But the American has only played one tournament since then. Bogdan is no pushover either. The Romanian is capable of big hitting when at her best. Kenin to just fight through in a tough match.
Prediction: Kenin in 3
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Marketa Vondrousova vs Han Na-lae
Jim: It will be interesting to see how Vondrousova fares at the US Open. But whether she is able to mount a real challenge for the title or not, she should have the beating on the debutant Han Na-lae.
Prediction: Vondrouosva in 2
Damian: For now, it looks like Vondrousova has managed to avoid that common dip players tend to experience after winning their first Slam. This event will be the ultimate test of that. It was a great run for Han in the qualifying, but it seems like there will be a large difference in quality here that’s almost impossible to surmount.
Prediction: Vondrousova in 2
Jordan: It is understandable that Vondrousova has not been at her very best since that historic Wimbledon win. She should get a good chance to play herself into some form against Han. The South Korean is making just her second Grand Slam appearance, and is also waiting for her first Grand Slam won.
Prediction: Vondrousova in 2
Main photo credit: Cara Owsley/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
