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, Elina Svitolina vs Maria Lourdes Carle, Emma Navarro vs Anna Blinkova, 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
Yue Yuan vs Erika Andreeva
Jordan:
Andreeva got an exceptional win against Danielle Collins in Monterrey ahead of the US Open, before losing to Lulu Sun in the next round. Yuan plays her best tennis on hard courts, though. It is a tough one to predict, but I will go with the Chinese player’s firepower.
Prediction: Yuan in 3
Damian:
Yuan isn’t reaching these heights from the beginning of the season at the moment, but her year will still be nice even if she loses all matches from here. Playing the older Andreeva should be a nice opportunity for her, though; this will be on her racket.
Prediction: Yuan in 2
Jim:
Erika Andreeva clearly has a bright future, if one less bright than her sister, but this might just be a challenge too far for the young Russian. Don’t be surprised if Yuan Yue replicates her run to the third round.
Prediction: Yuan in 3
Donna Vekic vs Kimberly Birrell
Jordan:
Birrell played well to qualify for the main draw, but I doubt she will be able to compete against Vekic. The Olympic silver medalist was understandably rusty at the Cincinnati Open after her efforts in Paris, but she should be refreshed now and ready for her opening round at Flushing Meadows.
Prediction: Vekic in 2
Damian:
Vekic has been firing in the big events over the summer and losing to Krueger in her Cincinnati opener shouldn’t change all that much. Birrell won’t put her under the same type of pressure and will likely just need to hope that the Croat isn’t finding the court.
Prediction: Vekic in 2
Jim:
Donna Vekic remains frustratingly inconsistent, but when the Croatian is on song, she is a force to be reckoned with. She will also surely be full of confidence after her efforts at Wimbledon and the Olympics. Maintaining her momentum and motivation might accordingly be a challenge, but she should have the beating of Kimberly Birrell.
Prediction: Vekic in 2
McCartney Kessler vs Marta Kostyuk
Jordan:
Can Kessler ride on the momentum from her stunning run to the title in Cleveland? Surprise title winners sometimes struggle at their next tournament. Kostyuk’s level this year at its best is also better than what she faced in Cleveland, even though claiming the title in Ohio was a wonderful achievement.
Prediction: Kostyuk in 2
Damian:
Kessler just took her first WTA Tour title in Cleveland and will be entering this really high on confidence. Kostyuk will probably end up drawing a lot of errors out of her and could be stronger physically if it goes the distance, but this is not an easy opener for the seed.
Prediction: Kostyuk in 3
Jim:
This is a big opportunity for McCartney Kessler to build on her momentum following her title run in Cleveland. But it will be a real challenge for the American to go again without having had much time at all to digest her accomplishment or recharge her batteries. She wouldn’t be the first to lose early at a Major after winning a title the week before.
Prediction: Kostyuk in 3
Victoria Azarenka vs Yuliia Starodubtseva
Jordan:
Hopefully, Azarenka is fit and ready in her first match since retiring with an injury at the National Bank Open. Although the Belarusian has not seriously challenged for a Grand Slam since her run to the US Open final four years ago, she is usually solid in the early rounds. Her consistency is likely to be too good for Starodubtseva.
Prediction: Azarenka in 2
Damian:
Starodubtseva qualified for all the Slams this year, which is a massive achievement. That’s usually where her impact on the event ends though, she’s not too imposing against players of main tour quality. Don’t expect anything to change here against a still-good Azarenka.
Prediction: Azarenka in 2
Jim:
Victoria Azarenka will surely be desperately disappointed that she never got her hands on a US Open title – with her days as a realistic contender now surely behind her. But she should at least reach the second round. There might be some spice in this match-up given their respective nationalities, but Azarenka is simply a better player.
Prediction: Azarenka in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
