US Open - Women’s Singles Preview Pt 1

US Open Women’s Singles - preview pt 1

Iga Swiatek is the defending US Open Women’s Singles champion, but  CoCo Gauff will play Aryna Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open final, and over the next two mutterings I will explain how.

Why CoCo ?

Well her form is exemplary, having won her past two tournaments, and that is a good start.

A qualifier in the first round should be the perfect warm up for 6th seed Gauff, who is the highest seed in her quarter of the draw, which is in the second part of the top half.

Assuming 16 year old Mirra Andreeva eliminates her first round opponent - also a qualifier - she will look for the exit after losing a second time to CoCo, the other defeat coming this year at Roland Garros.

Third round could be a clash between CoCo and either fellow American Danielle Collins or 32nd seed Elise Mertens.

Collins has recently returned to form, quarter finalist from qualifying in Montreal, only losing to Swiatek.

Mertens, since Roland Garros, has failed to progress beyond the second round in any tournament.

Danielle Collins should meet Gauff for surprisingly the first time, and sadly for her leave empty handed.

Petra Kvitova, 11th seed is in a fairly comfortable section of the draw, and is set to join Gauff in a round of sixteen play off.

Perhaps Magda Linette, seeded 24, may offer some resistance, but not based on her US Open record.

More likely is unseeded Jennifer Brady, who is back from a long term knee injury. Her last US Open appearance was a semi final in 2020.

Gauff to edge out Kvitova, whose best US Open results have been quarter finals way back in 2015 and 2017.

CoCo Gauff will surely meet top seed Iga Swiatek in a quarter final.

Swiatek has on paper no one to seriously threaten her path through four rounds. The seeds in her section: Veronika Kudermetova (16), Jelena Ostapenko (20), and Elisabetta Cocciaretto (29) have average to poor US Open records.

Although Ostapenko has won all three of her matches against Swiatek, I believe today is a different story.

Gauff, who won her first match against Swiatek this month, after a 0-7 run of losses, will draw on that significant result, and win through to a semi final.

The semi final opponent will be the winner of a quarter final between the best of quarters three and four in the top half of the draw.

Quarter three is headed by fourth seed Elena Rybakina, who will probably need to overcome either 18th seed Victoria Azarenka (three times US Open runner up) or Belinda Bencic, 13th seed and US Open semi finalist in 2019.

Rybakina hasn’t been past the third round in a US Open, but she will do it this time and beat Azarenka on the way.

Quarter four sees Maria Sakkari, seeded eight and US Open semi finalist in 2021. She has in her section tenth seed Karolina Muchova, Roland Garros finalist this year, who made it to the round of sixteen in the 2020 US Open.

Two players  in the section not should not be taken lightly.

Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens (2017) and.Sara Sorribes Tormo, who just took the title in Cleveland.

Sakkari is playing well enough to survive and battle Rybakina.

Gauff hasn’t played Sakkari, and has beaten Rybakina in their only clash -  Toronto last year.

So my predictions for the top half of the draw:

Round of sixteen:

Iga Swiatek (1) defeats Jelena Ostapenko (20)

CoCo Gauff (6) defeats Petra Kvitova (11)

Elena Rybakina (4) defeats Victoria Azarenka (18)

Maria Sakkari (8) defeats Karolina Muchova (10)

Quarter finals:

CoCo Gauff (6) defeats Iga Swiatek (1)

Elena Rybakina (4) defeats Maria Sakkari (8)

Semi final:

CoCo Gauff (6) defeats Elena Rybakina (4)