{"id":139,"date":"2016-09-02T12:32:44","date_gmt":"2016-09-02T16:32:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordontennis.com\/?p=139"},"modified":"2017-05-03T23:05:41","modified_gmt":"2017-05-04T03:05:41","slug":"panelists-predictions-us-open-womens-day-6-matches-including-baboshalep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2016\/09\/02\/panelists-predictions-us-open-womens-day-6-matches-including-baboshalep\/","title":{"rendered":"Panelists Predictions US Open Women&#8217;s Day 6 Matches&#8211;Including Babos\/Halep"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;re reaching the end of the first week of the US Open. As the third round winds down, we are back to predict five of the best women&#8217;s matches on Saturday. Our panelists today are myself (Yesh Ginsburg), editor Sam Barker, and contributor Niall Murray.<\/p>\n<h2>Panelists Predictions US Open Women&#8217;s Day 6 Matches<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Carla Su\u00e1rez-Navarro vs. Elena Vesnina<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Niall:<\/em><br \/>\nBoth these players looked impressive in their respective second round matches. Carla Su\u00e1rez Navarro (CSN) disposed of Jelena Jankovic in straight sets and Vesnina did the same to Annika Beck. CSN was victorious when these two met in Doha earlier in the year, but I feel this will be a much closer encounter. This has the potential to be a great match, but I think CSN will have too much for Vesnina in the end.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Su\u00e1rez-Navarro in 3<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Sam:<\/em><br \/>\nWith two of the tour\u2019s most inform players, this will be a high-quality affair. Suarez Navarro has lost just five games so far during the US Open whilst Elena Vesnina\u2019s singles resurgence has been one of the stories of the year. Suarez Navarro won earlier this year in Doha in surprisingly their only previous meeting but I think this may go in the Russian\u2019s favour.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Vesnina in 3<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Yesh:<\/em><br \/>\nThis looks like a great match. I honestly don&#8217;t know how to predict this. These two players are both on form and look good on these hard court. This match is going three, but it&#8217;s anyone&#8217;s guess who will come out on top.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Suarez-Navarro in 3<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:396px;\">\n<div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/597993584\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:150.000000% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/597993584?et=4ROB4ssuRY9EgjDnf-CkEQ&#038;viewMoreLink=on&#038;sig=TAhlVZB_jz6sEitnTZYjxfas0yfCPuGPsLMN0v-VWQg=&#038;caption=true\" width=\"396\" height=\"594\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin:0;\">\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Agnieszka Radwa\u0144ska vs Caroline Garcia<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Niall:<\/em><br \/>\nGarcia showed great fighting spirit to come from behind and win against Siniakova. That said, I don\u2019t think she\u2019ll have enough to defeat an in form Radwa\u0144ska. The World #4 showed her grit and determination against Naomi Broady, saving four set points in the first before winning in straight sets. She\u2019s got too strong a game for Garcia and I\u2019d be very surprised if she didn\u2019t book a place in Round 14.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Radwa\u0144ska in 2<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Sam:<\/em><br \/>\nAgnieszka Radwanska has won her last twelve consecutive sets so is understandably the bookies favourite for this one. Whilst Garcia has had a mixed year, she always has the potential to cause the top players problems. Two lengthy matches in her previous rounds may catch up with the French star though and Radwanska should have enough gas in the tank to emerge victorious.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Radwanska in 3<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Yesh:<\/em><br \/>\nRadwanska may not always believe that she&#8217;ll actually be able to win a Slam, but she is very close to being one of the best players in the world. Garcia might get to the Top 10 someday, but Radwanska should just have too much right now.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Radwanska in 2<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:396px;\">\n<div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/597993584\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:150.000000% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/597993584?et=4ROB4ssuRY9EgjDnf-CkEQ&#038;viewMoreLink=on&#038;sig=TAhlVZB_jz6sEitnTZYjxfas0yfCPuGPsLMN0v-VWQg=&#038;caption=true\" width=\"396\" height=\"594\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin:0;\">\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Ana Konjuh vs Varvara Lepchenko<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Niall:<\/em><br \/>\nBoth of these players have battled their way through to the third round. Konjuh may only be 18 years old, but she knocked out 20th seed Kiki Bertens in the first round. Similarly Lepchenko shocked the #15 seed Timea Bacsinszky to set up this clash.  I think this will be a tight one, but Lepchenko\u2019s experience will see her edge past her young Croatian opponent.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Lepchenko in 3<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Sam:<\/em><br \/>\nA key component of this match will be how Ana Konjuh deals with Lepchenko\u2019s left-handed nature. Konjuh is clearly a more talented player but that talent is still raw and could come unstuck against a player of Lepchenko\u2019s experience. Regardless, she should still progress to her first fourth round in a major.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Konjuh in 3<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Yesh:<\/em><br \/>\nThese two are coming off big upsets, but Lepchenko&#8217;s is bigger, she is playing on home soil, and fast hard courts probably match her game a little better.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Lepchenko in 2<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:396px;\">\n<div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/598594730\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:150.000000% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/598594730?et=OYD4lDAaTChmeQu_3cJyOQ&#038;viewMoreLink=on&#038;sig=IpC0-CQoOIYIJFXOaUCs2xd3wCDo06ne-WMfqcoIxqs=&#038;caption=true\" width=\"396\" height=\"594\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin:0;\">\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Serena Williams vs Johanna Larsson<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Niall:<\/em><br \/>\nWilliams might not have been at her best so far, but she\u2019s still yet to drop a set at the US Open. The shoulder seems fine for the time being and you\u2019d be a brave person to bet against Williams going deep into this tournament. Larsson, on the other hand, has barely been challenged in her first two matches. That will certainly change when Williams is standing across the net from her. Barring a huge shock, it should be business as usual for the World #1.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Williams in 2<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Sam:<\/em><br \/>\nJohanna Larsson has been making plenty of headlines after dethroning Caroline Wozniacki and becoming the highest ranked Scandinavian player. Even with her newfound status, the task of a rampant Serena Williams is simply too much and the World #1 should come through comfortably.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Williams in 2<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Yesh:<\/em><br \/>\nThis is the trouble with predicting Serena matches. Even when she&#8217;s struggling a little, it&#8217;s still absolutely impossible to pick against her. Larsson looks really good, though, so I&#8217;m going to go out on a huge limb and guess that she takes one set.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Williams in 3<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/598596152\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:66.666667% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/598596152?et=nVZBsJ-KSQNLaOCU5wxmfw&#038;viewMoreLink=on&#038;sig=fmU3nq7BiXRq72sRNlTAdwNDb7mHdU7xmKb_NEQH9JA=&#038;caption=true\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin:0;\">\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Timea Babos vs. Simona Halep<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Niall:<\/em><br \/>\nSimona Halep is a player in form; she has won 22 of her last 25 matches, and 15 out of 16 since Wimbledon. The Romanian has also looked solid in the early rounds in New York. Babos has had a relatively good year by her standards, but unlike her opponent this is her first time in third round at Flushing Meadows. Minus a massive upset I don\u2019t see Babos causing Halep too much trouble here.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Halep in 2<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Sam:<\/em><br \/>\nTimea Babos has had a fine year but Simona Halep has looked imperious at Flushing Meadows, coming through two dangerous encounters with ease. Babos\u2019 big serving could unsettle Halep but in reality this should be another routine victory for the Romanian.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Halep in 2<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Yesh:<\/em><br \/>\nFor the first time in what feels like forever, it seems like there are multiple legitimate contenders for a Slam title. Serena might still be the favorite, but Kerber is not at all far behind. And Halep is right behind her.<br \/>\n<em>Prediction: Halep in 2<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Main Photo:<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:420px;\">\n<div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/598313850\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:141.428571% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/598313850?et=y20npFSARbV8enZN91FhVw&#038;viewMoreLink=on&#038;sig=zxOHCN64bsUI17JMEvJEUvhb4GgAkFH7kRnIRR0enfw=&#038;caption=true\" width=\"420\" height=\"594\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin:0;\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;re reaching the end of the first week of the US Open. As the third round winds down, we are back to predict five of the best women&#8217;s matches on Saturday. Our panelists today are myself (Yesh Ginsburg), editor Sam Barker, and contributor Niall Murray. Panelists Predictions US Open Women&#8217;s Day 6 Matches Carla Su\u00e1rez-Navarro [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1601,"featured_media":141,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,69,4],"tags":[199,80,406,111,25,74,68],"class_list":["post-139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-open","category-predictions","category-wta","tag-agnieszka-radwanska","tag-carla-suarez-navarro","tag-caroline-garcia","tag-elena-vesnina","tag-serena-williams","tag-simona-halep","tag-us-open-2016"],"modified_by":"Ben Kerr","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1601"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}