Serena Williams Drawn To Face Maria Sharapova At US Open 2019 - UBITENNIS

Serena Williams Drawn To Face Maria Sharapova At US Open 2019

Serena Williams versus Maria Sharapova is the headline clash in an intriguing 2019 US Open Women's Singles Draw.

By Michael Stafford-Jones
6 Min Read
Serena Williams (photo by chryslène caillaud, copyright @Sport Vision)

Serena Williams will play Maria Sharapova in the first round of US Open 2019. It will be their first-ever meeting at Flushing Meadows.

When these women clash, it is always a talking point, always a reason to get excited. The American and the Russian are such high-profile athletes that it does not even seem to matter that the American has beaten Maria Sharapova an incredible 18 times in a row.

The sense of anticipation for the encounter is even higher in some ways because it is so long – three years and seven months – since they last faced each other. That was in the quarter-final of the 2016 Australian Open. They were due to play last year at the French Open, but Williams pulled out with a pectoral injury. Hopefully fitness issues will not ruin things this time around.

Barty and Kerber join Serena and Sharapova in packed quarter

The winner of the Serena-Sharapova match will emerge into a favourable section of the draw. Crafty 29th seed Hsieh Su-Wei is the only real obstacle between them and the last 16.

However, if either the American or the Russian makes it to the fourth round, their route will then become much more difficult. 12th seed Anastasija Sevastova, a quarter-finalist on each of her last three appearances at Flushing Meadows, is their most likely opponent at that stage.

In the other half of the quarter, 2016 champion Angelique Kerber faces a tricky opener against Kristina Mladenovic, while World No.2 Ashleigh Barty takes on Zarina Diyas. The German and The Australian should be wary of 30th seed Maria Sakkari. The Greek beat Elina Svitolina, Petra Kvitova and Aryna Sabalenka during excellent runs in San Jose and Cincinnati.

After an easy start, things will get tough for Osaka

Naomi Osaka (@PorscheTennis on Twitter)

The World No.1 and reigning US Open champion Naomi Osaka has endured a difficult few months, so she will be happy to see that the draw has been relatively kind to her.

The Japanese player will face Anna Blinkova in round one and then either Astra Sharma or Magda Linette in round two. If she gets through those, she could face difficult matches against teen sensation Cori Gauff in round three and 13th seed Belinda Bencic in round four.

If Osaka makes it to the last eight, there are number of potential opponents who could cause her problems. Aryna Sabalenka is one, if she can negotiate a tricky opener against Victoria Azarenka and a challenging third-round meeting with Donna Vekic.

Vekic is another possible quarter-finalist, as is Julia Goerges, who could cause an upset in the third round by beating the 7th seed with a poor record at Flushing Meadows: Kiki Bertens.

Halep well-placed to put first-round exits behind her

Wimbledon champion Simona Halep has fallen at the first hurdle at the last two US Opens. In 2017, she lost to Sharapova. And then she was thrashed by Kaia Kanepi in an error-strewn display in 2018.

Both of those were tough first-round draws, so the Romanian will be glad to be taking on a qualifier this time around. The fourth seed should reach the last 16 with relative ease, but that is where the real challenges are likely to begin with a possible clash against rising star Bianca Andreescu.

In the other half of the quarter, a potential third-round encounter between 11th seed Sloane Stephens and 24th seed Garbine Muguruza catches the eye. To reach that stage, the American and the Spaniard may have to beat tricky second-round opponents in the shape of Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jelena Ostapenko respectively.

6th seed Petra Kvitova is also in that section. The Czech will be keen to put a spell of patchy form behind her by coming through a relatively calm section of the draw that also include 25th seed Elise Mertens.

Pliskova, Svitolina and Keys feature in a quarter full of potential winners

 

Madison Keys (@CincyTennis on Twitter)

While other sections steal the headlines for obvious reasons, the quarter that includes Karolina Pliskova, Madison Keys and Elina Svitolina may be the toughest of all.

2016 runner-up Pliskova could face Caroline Garcia in round three and Johanna Konta and Marketa Vondrousova in round four.

Five-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist Svitolina might have to beat Venus Williams in round two, 32nd seed Dayana Yastremska in round three and Sofia Kenin or Keys in round four to reach the last eight again.

Keys will be feeling confident again after she won the title in Cincinnati. She will probably face Kenin in the third round, Svitolina in the fourth round and then Pliskova in the quarter-final if she makes it that far.

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