The US Open continues this week as Emma Raducanu faces Sofia Kenin while Jasmine Paolini goes up against Bianca Andreescu in the tournament's first round. Damien Kayat previews.
2024 WTA Tour – Grand Slam tennis
US Open
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre
Selected 1st round matches – 28 August
Emma Raducanu 2/7 | Sofia Kenin 26/10
This should be a fascinating clash between two former Grand Slam champions desperate to recapture their glory days. This has developed into a really solid comeback season for 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu.
She had wrist and ankle surgeries last year and has come back better than I expected, winning 18 out of 29 WTA matches this season. Her performances have actually evolved as the season has progressed: she has gone 9-4 in her last four tournaments.
She reached the round of 16 in Wimbledon and lost a nail-biting quarterfinal clash with Badosa in Washington. Raducanu took the world by storm when she won this title back in 2021, playing a brand of aggressive first-strike tennis that was simply breathtaking to behold.
She chose not to compete at the Olympic Games, opting to focus her attention on her US Open prep. She only competed in Washington and should be well-rested ahead of the year’s final slam. She just needs to keep those unforced errors in check.
Sofia Kenin has really been in a bit of a downward spiral this year. The 2021 Aussie Open champion and French Open runner-up actually picked up some nice late-season momentum towards the end of last year, reaching the final in San Diego before a semifinal run in Guadalajara.
But she has failed to build on that, losing nine straight matches towards the start of the season. In fact, she hasn’t managed to win three consecutive matches all season. Kenin last competed in Cleveland, beating Katie Volynets before going out meekly at the hands of Clara Burel.
The American has more variety than her British opponent, able to change pace with sliced backhands (and forehands). But her conditioning has been a bit erratic in recent times and she spends far too much time complaining out there.
I personally think she should rethink her coaching arrangement with her father, Alex. But that’s just me.
The Verdict: Raducanu to win in straight sets 69/100
This will be their first career meeting. I think that the Brit should win this handily.
Kenin can’t string two good matches together and Raducanu has looked back to something resembling her best in recent outings. Kenin’s serve has looked extremely vulnerable, and I expect Raducanu to unload on return.
It won’t get any easier for the winner of this encounter: Jessica Pegula will likely be their next opponent.
Jasmine Paolini 47/100 | Bianca Andreescu 33/20
This will remarkably be the 3rd Grand Slam meeting between these players this season (more on that later). This has been a stunning breakout season for 28-year-old Jasmine Paolini.
The late-blooming Italian has gone 31-14 this calendar year, reaching back-to-back Grand Slam final in Paris and London.
She has also proven to be an all-court dynamo, reaching significant finals on all three surfaces this season. She won the WTA 1000 event on Dubai hardcourts, using her new-found aggression to dictate play from the back of the court.
She possesses a demonic forehand that really snaps through the court. But she has looked a little jaded in recent outings, going out early in the Olympics before a straight-sets loss to Potapova in Cincinnati. She has never gone beyond the 2nd round in New York.
Her backhand has plenty of topspin and these surfaces tend to reward the flatter hitters. She is a different player this campaign and it will be interesting to see how she fares in New York.
2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu is a curious floater in this year’s draw. She rose to prominence in a remarkable 2019 campaign that also saw her pick up titles in Indian Wells and Toronto.
But she hasn’t gone beyond the 4th round of a slam since winning here in 2019. She has suffered a slew of injuries and has also battled with some real mental health issues, leading her to take some time away from tennis in 2021.
She missed the first half of the season due to injury, only returning to action at the French Open. She is 9-6 for the year, reaching the final in Rosmalen to go with 3rd round finishes at the French Open and Wimbledon.
She has struggled to regain the mental competitiveness that made her such a top player but maybe this trip to New York will awaken some positive memories.
The Verdict: Andreescu to win in three sets 5/1
Paolini leads the head-to-head 2-0, beating the Canadian at this year’s French Open and Wimbledon Championships. Andreescu has only just returned to action when they met in Paris and she still managed to push the Italian to three sets.
I just have a feeling that Andreescu might pull off an upset here. Paolini will look to dictate the tempo of the match with her forehand while Andreescu will mix things up with her array of drop-shots and moonballs.
I just think that Paolini has looked a bit flat in recent weeks and Andreescu is just the type of player who could frustrate her.
