A few intriguing picks from the US Open today, and honestly this stretch of the draw has some real storylines worth paying attention to. We've got our predictions below, so let's get into it.
WTA US Open Predictions
Iva Jovic vs Cori Gauff
Head-to-head: Gauff leads 1-0
Jovic has had a breakout year and reaching this stage at a Slam as a 18-year-old is genuinely impressive, but Gauff on her home court at Flushing Meadows is a different animal entirely. The crowd is going to be loud, Gauff feeds off that energy and she's shown over the last couple of years that she knows how to close out big matches here when it matters.
Jovic can hit through anybody on a good day, and this won't be a walkover. But Gauff's experience in these moments is a real gap between them right now, and I think that shows up somewhere in the second or third set.
Prediction: Gauff in 3
Jessica Pegula vs Sorana Cirstea
Head-to-head: Pegula leads 3-1
Pegula owns this head-to-head pretty comfortably and the one Cirstea win feels like a long time ago now. Cirstea is a tricky player who can hit big on her day, but Pegula's consistency from the baseline makes life very difficult for players who rely on dictating with the forehand, and the hard courts here suit Pegula's game well.
Pegula in 3 feels right. She's been solid throughout this tournament and Cirstea would need everything to go her way to flip this one, all things considered.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Anna Kalinskaya vs Emma Navarro
Head-to-head: Kalinskaya leads 2-0
Navarro has been one of the feel-good stories of the American tennis summer, but Kalinskaya has her number so far, and 2-0, both times without Navarro really getting a foothold in the match, in a head-to-head between players at this level isn't nothing. Kalinskaya's flat ball-striking can really disrupt Navarro's rhythm, and on fast hard courts that effect gets amplified.
That said, Navarro's improved so much in terms of not panicking in long matches, and the home crowd will be firmly behind her. I feel like Kalinskaya's record in this matchup holds, but it could easily go three sets.
Prediction: Kalinskaya in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © PI via ZUMA Press Wire