By Tony Fairbairn
- Petra Kvitova [11] v Caroline Wozniacki [WC]
- Dominic Thiem v Ben Shelton
- Coco Gauff [6] v Mirra Andreeva
NEW YORK, USA – Former Grand Slam champion Petra Kvitova and Caroline Wozniacki will battle for a place in the third round on day three of the US Open.
Petra Kvitova [11] v Caroline Wozniacki [WC] | H2H & Match Fundamentals
Petra Kvitova [11] v Caroline Wozniacki [WC] | H2H: Kvitova leads 8-6 |
US Open 2023 | New York, USA |
Hard (O) | Prize Money: $123,000 |
TBC | Sky/Now TV Subscription Required |
Petra Kvitova has once again been an impressive presence in the world’s top 20 this season as she has produced outstanding tennis at times. However when it comes to Grand Slam tennis, it’s been a rather frustrating season for the two-time Grand Slam champion with the performances not living up to expectation. After a disappointing Wimbledon and preparation heading into the US Open, Kvitova will now look to end the season on a high with a deep run in New York as she looks to become a dark horse for the title.
Standing in Kvitova’s way is a rejuvenated Caroline Wozniacki who has returned to the sport after becoming a mother. The Dane and former Australian Open champion is looking to inspire and prove that she hasn’t lost a step. So far Wozniacki has sealed impressive wins in Montreal and in her opening round match at the US Open. However the Dane has struggled to make an impression against the elite players as she has lacked the consistent quality needed to compete with the world’s best. Now at the scene of some of her most successful moments in her career, Wozniacki will look to turn back the clock and prove that she can still beat the world’s best players.
Kvitova will look to dominate on serve as she looks to use her forehand to create depth and move Wozniacki around the baseline, creating space to hit efficient winners. Meanwhile Wozniacki will look to be consistent from the baseline and use a variety of slice and power to force errors from Kvitova. This should be an intriguing match but Kvitova should have too much quality for a very inconsistent Wozniacki.
Prediction: Kvitova in three sets.
Dominic Thiem v Ben Shelton H2H & Match Fundamentals
Dominic Thiem v Ben Shelton | H2H: Thiem leads 1-0 |
US Open 2023 | New York, USA |
Hard (O) | Prize Money: $123,000 |
TBC | Sky/Now TV Subscription Required |
It’s been a long time coming but Dominic Thiem finally has his first big win at a Grand Slam since his wrist surgery. The Austrian and former champion played some sublime tennis to knock out Alexander Bublik as he sealed a place in the second round. Although Thiem is far away from the tennis that saw him win a maiden Grand Slam title in New York in 2020, the Austrian will be encouraged by his performance and will know more consistency could see him into the latter stages at Grand Slams more often.
Thiem’s search for consistency will continue against vibrant American Ben Shelton, who had to work hard to defeat Pedro Cachin in his opening round match. Since reaching his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final at the Australian Open, the 20 year-old hasn’t had much to celebrate as the American continues to learn the ropes of regular ATP tour tennis. Now on the biggest stage, Shelton will look to elevate his game and produce a deep run at his home Grand Slam.
Thiem will look to remain consistent on serve and use the angles to force errors from Shelton’s raw and powerful game. Meanwhile Shelton will look to neutralise Thiem’s power through depth and spin as he looks to produce tactical errors from an inconsistent Thiem. This will be a tough test for Thiem with Shelton seemingly motivated to produce a high level in front of his home crowd. However the Austrian’s experience and stamina should prove too much for the erratic American.
Prediction: Thiem in four sets.
Coco Gauff [6] v Mirra Andreeva H2H & Match Fundamentals
Coco Gauff [6] v Mirra Andreeva | H2H: Gauff leads 1-0 |
US Open 2023 | New York, USA |
Hard (O) | Prize Money: $123,000 |
TBC | Sky/Now TV Subscription Required |
After a ‘slow’ and fiery win over Laura Siegemund, Coco Gauff is ready for a rollercoaster fortnight as she is seen by many as one of the contenders to go all the way. The sixth seed entered this year’s tournament by winning her maiden WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati as she continues to break new ground. However with expectation on her shoulders to deliver on her potential, can Gauff keep her cool over the fortnight to claim the biggest title of her career.
A huge test awaits Gauff in the second round when she plays another teen sensation in the form of Mirra Andreeva. Andreeva has continued to take the tour by storm with impressive wins on the biggest stages with the 16 year-old already having a complete game as she sits at 63 in the world. Now Andreeva looks to gain more experience as she continues to evolve her game and continue to get better with each tournament.
Gauff will look to continue to post impressive serving members as she looks to set the pace with her aggressive game style early on in the match. Meanwhile Andreeva will look to continue to be bullish on return as she will look to use a mix of power and depth to produce erratic errors from the American. This will be a tough test for Gauff but the American’s new-found resilience should get her through this match.
Prediction: Gauff in three sets.
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