AJLA TOMLJANOVIC vs [17] Angelique Kerber - 1ST on LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM
Australia’s top ranked female in the women’s singles draw Ajla Tomljanovic will open her 2020 US Open campaign competing in the first match of the tournament on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Tomljanovic will take on 17th seed Angelique Kerber. The pair have met just once on the tour, over five years ago at the 2015 French Open, where Kerber comfortably dispatched the Aussie 6-3, 6-2.
Despite Kerber’s impressive grand slam record, Tomljanovic will go into the match with an upper hand, having competed in last weeks Cincinnati Masters. Tomljanovic went down in a tight three set encounter to Veronika Kudermetova, but has been able to hit the court with some very important match play, competing in a plethora of exhibition events in the COVID break, heading into the US Open. Kerber will come into the tournament potentially slightly underdone, having not competed on the WTA circuit since the Australian Open.
With so much up in the air and a lack of match play for both players, but more so the 17th seed, this could go either way. Expect an exciting battle to open proceedings at the US Open.
MADDISON INGLIS vs [24] Magda Linette - 3RD on COURT 4
In her US Open debut, Aussie Maddison Inglis will have her hands full, coming up against 24th seed Magda Linette.
Inglis has never competed in the main draw at Flushing Meadows, but comes into the tournament with some valuable match play under her belt, having competed in multiple UTR events in Australia before travelling to New York.
On the other side of the court, 24th seed Linette is set to compete in her sixth straight US Open main draw, coming off an equal career best second round showing in 2019. Linette also comes into the tournament with valuable match play, but her lead up match at the Cincinnati Masters was far from impressive, going down to world no.178 Vera Zvonareva.
Inglis will certainly be up against it but this is a match she is capable of winning, providing she backs in her reliable ground strokes and plays the game on her terms, without being over powered by the hard hitting Linette.
JORDAN THOMPSON vs Stefano Travaglia - 1ST on COURT 6 (1:00AM AEST)
Aussie fan favourite Jordan Thompson will take on Italian Stefano Travaglia in the first round of the US Open, in what will be the pairs first meeting.
Both players have reached the second round at Flushing Meadows in recent years, Thompson in 2019 and 2017, Travaglia in 2017.
The pair both come into the match coming off losses to lower ranked opponents in Cincinnati qualifying last week. Thompson would be hoping to bring his aggressive, offensive brand to New York after going down in straight sets to Salvatore Caruso last week, who plays a similar brand to his Italian counterpart Travaglia.
This will be an arm wrestle, if Thompson brings attacking brand, it should see him get on top of his Italian opponent as the match progresses, being on hard court in a best of five match, Thompson’s preferred setting. This match should be incredibly tight and I wouldn’t be surprised if this one goes to five. It’s up for grabs.
MARC POLMANS vs Marcos Giron - 4TH on COURT 7
Aussie digger Marc Polmans will compete in his maiden US Open main draw, up against American Marcos Giron.
Polmans will be coming into the match with confidence, coming off an intense training block during the COVID break. His opponent, Giron, will come in with more confidence, coming off a very impressive week at the Cincinnati Masters, qualifying for the main draw and making the second round, going down in a narrow defeat to Daniil Medvedev.
This will be a close matchup as the pair play a similar brand of tennis. Giron is the more likely of the pair to go on the offence first, using his power and heavy hitting to control the match. Polmans prefers to grind it out from the baseline, but this could come to the Aussies advantage. Consistency will be the key in this matchup and we know Polmans is usually very consistent from the baseline.
This one is up in the air and the Aussie will fancy himself, as he should. If Polmans is able to control the match from the baseline, whilst chipping and charging into the net, he can win this one.
ASTRA SHARMA vs [19] Dayana Yastremska - 4TH on COURT 8
Astra Sharma and 19th seed Dayana Yastremska will meet for the first time in this weeks US Open.
This will be Sharma’s second main draw appearance at Flushing Meadows, hoping to claim her first victory. For Yastremska, she will be hoping to replicate the form which saw her reach the third round in New York in 2019, and she will come into this match with confidence having defeated Venus Williams en route to a third round appearance at last weeks Cincinnati Masters event.
Yastremska goes into this match as the heavy favourite but Sharma will certainly be able to stick with the 19th seed if she’s able to bring her x-factor and use her variety of shots to her advantage.
LIZETTE CABRERA vs Danka Kovinic - 2nd on court 15
Aussie Lizette Cabrera will take on Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic in the first round of the US Open.
Cabrera comes into her second US Open campaign with some valuable match play, having competed in UTR events in Australia in the COVID break.
Her opponent, Kovinic, will be hoping to match her career best second round appearance at the US Open, in her third main draw appearance at Flushing Meadows.
Kovinic went down to Vera Zvonareva in Cincinnati qualifying last week but has gained some valuable match play ahead of the US Open.
This one could go seriously go either way, but Cabrera will need to come into the match with confidence and back in her game to win this one.