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By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday August 22, 2019


The draws are out at the US Open. Now, let the chaos begin. Here are four quick takeaways on the women’s singles draw.

Rough Opener for Sharapova, Serena

We simply must start with a to-die-for matchup in the lower half that features a pair of former US Open champions and legends of the game. That would be No.8-seeded Serena Williams v unseeded Maria Sharapova. Heard of these two before?

Naturally, the odds are with Williams, who has won 18 straight against the Russian and absolutely dominated Sharapova ever since 2005 (there really was a time when Sharapova held a 2-1 edge in the pair's head-to-head). But perhaps the fact that these two legends will meet earlier than the round of 16 in a draw for the first time ever will work in Sharapova’s favor?

There will be no fatigue factor and potentially the Russian can put together her best tennis on a day when Williams is still trying to kick free some rust? In truth, it would be irresponsible to predict anything other than a Williams win in this match, but what does having a tricky opening match do for her stress levels in terms of the whole tournament?


For Williams to win she’ll need things to break her way, both draw-wise and on the court. Getting a date with Sharapova in the first round is not necessarily “a good break.”

That said a triumph over a fierce rival could be something that triggers Serena and sets her ablaze. Time will tell.

Can Keys and Andreescu Back up Success?

With Madison Keys and Bianca Andreescu stealing away with the biggest titles this summer, one must put them in a list of favorites to win it all. Andreescu is tucked in Simona Halep’s quarter and could meet the Romanian (a hero of hers) in the round of 16—that would be a first-time meeting and a heavily anticipated one at that, because Halep is certainly among the favorites in New York as well.


Keys is in Karolina Pliskova’s quarter and has a slightly tricky draw that could see her face Sonya Kenin in the third round and potentially Elina Svitolina or Dayana Yastremska in the round of 16. Remember that Keys won the Stanford title in 2017, and later reached the final of the U.S. Open, so it isn’t like Keys is only good for one good run on hard courts per summer.

It’s reasonable to think that either Keys or Andreescu—even both—could be ready to continue their momentum and make a deep run in New York. Keys obviously has the experience on her side, but Andreescu has been magical all season. Can she possibly catch lightning in a bottle yet again, in her US Open main draw debut?

Has the Draw Changed the Way We See this US Open?

The answer to this question is usually yes, but with today's draw, we're going to say probably not or at least not very much. The player who gets hot is going to ride that momentum and create the magic scenario. With this year's US Open women's singles draw there is no consensus favorite, there are 10, maybe 15—we knew that before the draw and we know it now.


All we can look at is the early matchups and try to decipher how things might play out. If there is a name that jumps out as having a not-so-bad-at-all draw here it would be Ash Barty for me. The Aussie could really benefit if Serena Williams doesn’t make it through to their potential quarter-final, and Angelique Kerber, her potential round of 16 matchup, enters on a three-match losing streak, having not won a match since Wimbledon.

If Williams and Kerber falter, Barty might make a beeline to the quarterfinals or beyond in New York for the first time.

But again, there are so many intriguing week one and first-round encounters, that we’d be well-served to hold off on picking frontrunners for this title until a lot of the dust clears out.

Let’s circle back and touch base around Labor Day.

Early Tests Abound for Top Players

Speaking of circling, one match we’re already circling on our drawsheets is a potential second-round clash between Sloane Stephens and Svetlana Kuznetsova. The Russian crashed through the Cincy draw last week and made it all the way to the final. Along the way Kuznetsova dropped just three games to Stephens and increased her winning streak to three against the American. Meanwhile, Stephens has already created one of the biggest storylines of the week before the US Open by bringing back former coach Kamau Murray into the fold. So yeah, put that one in your calendar if it happens.

And how about Aryna Sabalenka vs Victoria Azarenka in round one? Sabalenka is just starting to find her footing after what most would call a “so-so” summer, while Azarenka has proven to be an enigma wrapped in a mystery all season—two steps forward and one and a half back. It's been frustrating to watch both players this year, because their performances haven't exactly lined up with our expectations.

Could whomever wins that match take the ball and run with it into week two? Yes.


We’ll also be watching the week one matches of Naomi Osaka and Petra Kvitova very closely. Both are on upset alert thanks to the fact that neither is quite healthy as the tournament nears. We’ll see if each can put their best foot forward and become as much of a factor in reality as they are on paper.

On the subject of injuries, we also want to see if Serena Williams can find her health. She looked good at the Rogers Cup but pulling out of the final with a back injury brought all our worst fears about the soon to be 38-year-old back again.

And, finally, if it’s pure excitement and enthusiasm you seek then feast your eyes on the top quarter of the draw where Coco Gauff and Anastasia Potapova will square off. The hype will be huge, but in this case, merited. These are two of the rising forces in women’s tennis, and each proved that in their own way at the summer Slams.


 

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