The US Open kicks off on Monday, with a whopping 32 women’s first-round matches scheduled for Day 1. As always, we here at LWOT will share our thoughts on all of the matches. We split the 32 matches between eight articles. In addition to this article, our other articles feature Aryna Sabalenka vs Priscilla Hon, Madison Keys vs Katerina Siniakova, Amanda Anisimova vs Qinwen Zheng, Coco Gauff vs Varvara Gracheva, Emma Navarro vs Anna Blinkova, Victoria Azarenka vs Yuliia Starodubtseva, and Maria Sakkari vs Yafan Wang. Predicting this set of matches are Jordan Reynolds, Damian Kust, and Jim Smith. Who do you think will advance?
US Open Day 1 Women’s Predictions
Diane Parry vs Xiyu Wang
Jordan:
Aside from a run to the semifinal of the Nottingham Open in June, Parry’s form has dipped since she got an injury in April. Wang plays her best tennis on hard courts, and she is facing Parry at a good time. The Chinese player to prevail in three sets.
Prediction: Wang in 3
Damian:
They played in the opening round in New York two years ago with Wang coming out on top in three sets. This seems like a pretty likely outcome–they’re not far off each other quality-wise, but it’s usually the Chinese who performs a bit better in medium-fast hard court conditions.
Prediction: Wang in 3
Jim:
This has the makings of a close match. Surprisingly, however, Diane Parry is yet to win a match at the US Open – will that change at the fourth time of asking? Given the French woman’s quality, don’t be surprised if she finally makes it to the second round in New York.
Prediction: Parry in 3
Iva Jovic vs Magda Linette
Jordan:
Jovic is a 16-year-old who was awarded a wild card after winning the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships in San Diego. Does that mean she is ready to beat an experienced player like Linette? Probably not, but it will be a great experience for her nonetheless.
Prediction: Linette in 2
Damian:
Jovic is one of the best juniors in the world at the age of 16 and getting that wild card is a pretty massive milestone for her career. It’s tough to say how she’ll fare against someone of Linette’s quality, but it doesn’t seem like she’ll be blown away. The likely winner is the Pole though.
Prediction: Linette in 3
Jim:
There has been little sign from Magda Linette that she is capable of repeating her run to the semifinals at the Australian Open last year at any of the Majors she has played since. But the Pole is an experienced operator and should have too much for Iva Jovic.
Prediction: Jovic in 3
Daria Kasatkina vs Jaqueline Cristian
Jordan:
Cristian is enjoying her best season on the WTA Tour, and possesses a powerful game that can hurt opponents. But her rise up the rankings has mostly been down to her results on clay. Overcoming Kasatkina’a craftiness on a hard court is a tough ask, although not impossible.
Prediction: Kasatkina in 3
Damian:
Kasatkina has been largely unspectacular this year, but she’ll get her big runs here or there. She shouldn’t be too afraid of her opener at the US Open as while Cristian has a big game, she’s been very poor on outdoor hard courts this year and would need to hit her peak to win.
Prediction: Kasatkina in 2
Jim:
Daria Kasatkina has established herself as a very effective operator on hard courts. By and large, she hasn’t been able to get the better of the very best in the game and that will probably remain the case over the next fortnight, but it would be a surprise to see her fall at the first hurdle.
Prediction: Kasatkina in 3
Elina Svitolina vs Maria Lourdes Carle
Jordan:
This is a good draw for Svitolina. While Lourdes Carle is a dogged and determined competitor, she plays her best tennis on clay. The Argentine possesses no weapons to hurt Svitolina with.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Damian:
Svitolina hasn’t lost before the third round in New York since 2015 and she should be pretty dangerous this time as well. She might not be looking like a major contender at the moment, but there’s not much Carle can hurt her with and this should be straightforward.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Jim:
Elina Svitolina’s results have fallen away in recent weeks, but she has a very good record overall at the US Open and will surely be confident of beating the Argentinian.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
