US Open qualifying finals day, and we've got three picks from the final round of qualifying in New York. All three matches feature players hovering around the ranking bubble, so the margins are small and anyone could flip. Let's get into it.
WTA US Open Qualifying Predictions
Yue Yuan vs Mary Stoiana
Head-to-head: First meeting
Yuan has the ranking disadvantage here, sitting 16 spots below Stoiana, but rankings at this level don't tell the whole story and this is a genuinely tight match on paper. Stoiana has been building steadily this season and getting through qualifying rounds at a Slam takes a certain kind of resilience, which she's shown.
I think Stoiana gets there, but not easily. Yuan won't go away without a fight and this feels like a deciding-set job.
Prediction: Stoiana in 3
Darja Semenistaja vs Storm Hunter
Head-to-head: Semenistaja 1-0 Hunter
Semenistaja is ranked 60 spots above Hunter and has already beaten her before, so the edge here is pretty clear. Hunter is a solid doubles player who can compete in singles, but getting through qualifying at a Slam against someone ranked inside the top 110 is a tough ask and nothing in the numbers suggests she's in the form to flip this one.
Hard to see this being competitive at all. Semenistaja advances, though Hunter will push her in patches and a three-setter isn't out of the question.
Prediction: Semenistaja in 3
Elvina Kalieva vs Vendula Valdmannova
Head-to-head: First meeting
This is the most interesting one. Kalieva is ranked 50 spots above Valdmannova, and at home in New York on a hard court she'd be a fairly comfortable pick. That said, Valdmannova is the call here, and upsets in qualifying finals aren't rare, especially when the higher-ranked player has had a stop-start season. Kalieva has shown flashes but the consistency hasn't always been there, and Valdmannova getting this far suggests she's in decent touch right now, all things considered.
Prediction: Valdmannova in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire