US OPEN – DAY 1 WOMEN

[1] KAROLINA PLISKOVA (CZE #3) vs. ANHELINA KALININA (UKR #145)

First meeting Pliskova seeded No.1 for the second time in her career at a major… Kalinina bidding for first Top 20 win of career… Pliskova’s runner-up finish here in 2016 remains best major result

[4] NAOMI OSAKA (JPN #9) vs. MISAKI DOI (JPN #81)

Osaka leads 1-0 Osaka beat her compatriot en route to Tokyo final in 2016… Doi has never overcome a Top 10 player in her career… Osaka is one of six former US Open champions in the draw

IRINA CAMELIA BEGU (ROU #73) vs. [6] PETRA KVITOVA (CZE #12)

Kvitova leads 4-0 Kvitova beat Begu during title runs at 2018 St. Petersburg and 2015 Madrid… Begu has not upset a Top 20 player since 2018 clay court season… US Open is only major where Kvitova has failed to reach SF

TEREZA MARTINCOVA (CZE #136) vs. [8] PETRA MARTIC (CRO #15)

First meeting (at main draw, tour level) Martic won when the two met in qualifying at 2015 Bad Gastein… Martincova is lowest-ranked of eight Czechs in the draw… Martic lost to Williams in R16 here last year

TATJANA MARIA (GER #95) vs. [13] ALISON RISKE (USA #20)

Riske leads 5-0 Riske won pair’s most recent encounter at 2018 ‘s-Hertogenbosch… Maria has fallen at first hurdle on past five Slam appearances… Riske is enjoying her highest seeding at a major

DANIELLE COLLINS (USA #55) vs. [14] ANETT KONTAVEIT (EST #21)

First meeting Collins is one of 31 Americans in the main draw this fortnight… Kontaveit’s best result here remains R16 run on debut in 2015… Collins has only won one main draw match at her home major

[17] ANGELIQUE KERBER (GER #23) vs. AJLA TOMLJANOVIC (AUS #59)

Kerber leads 1-0 Kerber prevailed when they clashed at 2015 Roland Garros… Tomljanovic has never beaten a Top 50 player in New York… Kerber lifted title here in 2016 but also made first-round exit 12 months ago

ANNA BLINKOVA (RUS #62) vs. [28] JENNIFER BRADY (USA #40)

Blinkova leads 1-0 Blinkova beat Brady on her way to WTA 125K Series title at New Haven in 2019… Brady recently lifted maiden career title at Lexington… Blinkova has never been beyond the first round at Flushing Meadows

[30] KRISTINA MLADENOVIC (FRA #44) vs. HAILEY BAPTISTE (USA #236)

Mladenovic leads 1-0 Mladenovic emerged triumphant when she faced Baptiste at 2019 Washington… Baptiste was awarded late wildcard into the draw… Mladenovic made Grand Slam breakthrough here in 2015 with QF run

CORI GAUFF (USA #51) vs. ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA (LAT #45)

First meeting Gauff reached third round on US Open debut 12 months ago… Sevastova has made the QF or better on three of past four appearances here… Gauff is yet to lose in the first round at a major

Peter Rowe

Recent Posts

Halep seething over Swiatek wrist-slap doping penalty

Doping sanction victim Simona Halep has gone online to protest her own treatment by anti-doping…

3 weeks ago

Nadal goes down in final match

Rafael Nadal lined up for what was to be the final match of his career…

1 month ago

Sinner flattens de Minaur in runaway home start

Jannik Sinner took charge in front of his home crowd on Sunday, crushing ATP Finals…

1 month ago

Madcap Medvedev suffers temperamental Turin Finals loss

Daniil Medvedev went into meltdown mode on Sunday during a highly charged 6-4, 6-3 loss, with opponent…

1 month ago

Team Sinner considering skipping Monte Carlo

Jannik Sinner could well be missing from the opening European clay event of next season…

1 month ago

Davis Cup Final to mark Nadal goodbye to tennis

Rafael Nadal will bring down the curtain on his career next month as he plays his…

2 months ago