If you are looking for a popcorn first-rounder in New York on the women’s side, you got your wishes. Former champion and five-time major winner Maria Sharapova, a wild card at this year’s U.S. Open, has been drawn to face Romania’s Simona Halep, the second seed.
The pair famously met in a classic Roland Garros final, won by Sharapova in three sets in 2014, and the Russian holds a 6-0 lifetime record against Halep (three of their last four meetings have gone three sets, however).
But Halep comes in as the No.2 seed and with a very good shot to leave the U.S. Open as the WTA’s No.1 player. And Sharapova comes in nursing poor health and with just one completed victory under her belt since May. The Russian, who returned from a 15-month doping ban at Stuttgart this spring, owns a 6-3 record on the season and is currently ranked at 147 in the world.
Halep enters with a record of 41-12 on the season, including her two victories in Fed Cup.
Here’s how her quarter of the draw shapes up:
And here are the projected quarterfinalists, if the seeds hold:
See the full U.S. Open women’s singles draw here, and stay tuned for a full breakdown at TennisNow.com later today.