2021 US OPEN – WOMEN’S MATCH NOTES NEW YORK, NY, USA – AUG 30-SEPT 12, 2021 – GRAND SLAM Tournament Information: www.usopen.org | @usopen | facebook.com/usopentennis WTA Information: www.wtatennis.com | @WTA | facebook.com/WTA WTA Communications: Estelle La Porte ([email protected]), Bryan Shapiro ([email protected]), Teyva Sammet ([email protected]) DAY 3 MATCH-UPS TAMARA ZIDANSEK (SLO #40) VS. [2] ARYNA SABALENKA (BLR #2) Series tied 1-1 Sabalenka won when they met most recently at 2019 Eastbourne… Zidansek is through to second round in New York for the first time… Sabalenka bidding for her 40th win of the season [Q] OLGA DANILOVIC (SRB #145) VS. [3] NAOMI OSAKA (JPN #3) First meeting Osaka attempting to become the first woman to defend US Open since 2014… Danilovic is one of 20 tournament debutantes… Osaka is on a 16-match Grand Slam winning streak [5] ELINA SVITOLINA (UKR #5) VS. [Q] REBEKA MASAROVA (ESP #231) First meeting Svitolina advanced to US Open SF on her last appearance … Masarova’s opening match here lasted three hours and 40 minutes… Svitolina has been in Top 10 for over 200 consecutive weeks [8] BARBORA KREJCIKOVA (CZE #9) VS. CHRISTINA MCHALE (USA #119) First meeting Krejcikova is making US Open debut… McHale’s last Top-10 win came at 2016 Indian Wells… Krejcikova in contention to end the US Open fortnight as doubles World No.1 ANDREA PETKOVIC (GER #68) VS. [9] GARBIÑE MUGURUZA (ESP #10) Petkovic leads 3-0 Petkovic triumphed in three sets when they last met, at 2016 Doha… US Open is the only Slam where Muguruza has failed to reach QF… Petkovic aiming to score 15th Top-10 win of her career [LL] KRISTINA KUCOVA (SVK #111) VS. [12] SIMONA HALEP (ROU #13) First meeting Halep is attempting to reach US Open third round for the first time since 2016’s QF run… Kucova won girls’ singles here in 2007… Halep has lifted 11 hard-court titles in her career Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/WTA 1 2021 US OPEN – WOMEN’S MATCH NOTES NEW YORK, NY, USA – AUG 30-SEPT 12, 2021 – GRAND SLAM [16] ANGELIQUE KERBER (GER #17) VS. ANHELINA KALININA (UKR #76) Kalinina leads 1-0 Kalinina upset the German in first round at Roland Garros in May… Including ITF Circuit and qualifying, Kalinina has won 37 matches this season… Kerber playing in 48th consecutive major [18] VICTORIA AZARENKA (BLR #19) VS. JASMINE PAOLINI (ITA #99) First meeting Azarenka’s win over Martincova on Monday was her 41st at the tournament… Paolini’s only Top-20 win came over Kasatkina in 2018… Azarenka is a three-time runner-up at Flushing Meadows SLOANE STEPHENS (USA #66) VS. [21] COCO GAUFF (USA #23) First meeting Gauff’s 43 main draw victories since the start of 2020 is the most by any American… Stephens is one of five former champions in the draw… Gauff has contested a Tour-leading 16 tie-breaks this season [26] DANIELLE COLLINS (USA #29) VS. KAJA JUVAN (SLO #109) First meeting Collins has never reached the third round at her home Slam… Juvan beat former junior champion Watson on Monday… Collins has won 20 matches since returning to the Tour in May Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/WTA 2 2021 US OPEN – WOMEN’S MATCH NOTES NEW YORK, NY, USA – AUG 30-SEPT 12, 2021 – GRAND SLAM TAMARA ZIDANSEK (SLO #40) VS. [2] ARYNA SABALENKA (BLR #2) Head-to-head: Series tied at 1-1 (SABALENKA leads 1-0 at Tour level) 2019 EASTBOURNE GRASS (O) R2 ARYNA SABALENKA 6-2 6-3 2015 ITF/TELAVI 3 CLAY (O) R2 TAMARA ZIDANSEK 6-4 6-4 ZIDANSEK SABALENKA Career Prize Money $1,768,962 Career Prize Money $8,794,013 Plays Right-handed Plays Right-handed Date of Birth (Age) Dec. 26, 1997 (23) Date of Birth (Age) May 5, 1998 (23) Singles Titles 1 Singles Titles 10 Grand Slam W-L (MD) 9-10 Grand Slam W-L (MD) 22-15 US Open W-L (MD) 1-2 US Open W-L (MD) 6-3 YTD / Career W-L (MD) 21-13 / 49-48 YTD / Career W-L (MD) 39-14 / 165-76 3-Set W-L (YTD / Career) 8-4 / 19-19 3-Set W-L (YTD / Career) 8-12 / 50-35 Tie-Break W-L (YTD / Career) 7-1 / 14-6 Tie-Break W-L (YTD / Career) 7-3 / 32-28 Hard Court W-L (YTD / Career) 5-7 / 16-26 Hard Court W-L (YTD / Career) 19-8 / 120-48 Top 10 W-L (YTD / Career) 1-1 / 1-4 Top 10 W-L (YTD / Career) 2-3 / 14-16 Coach Marian Cuk Coach Anton Dubrov ZIDANSEK: US Open • Making third main draw appearance at US Open, where she is through to 2r for the first time • Fell 1r on debut in 2018 (l. Mladenovic) and in 2019 (l. Martic) • Prior to arriving in New York, made 1r exits at Cincinnati (l. Ostapenko) and Chicago (l. Gracheva) • Advanced to today’s 2r match by defeating Bernarda Pera of the United States in straight sets on Monday • Has enjoyed a stellar season clay but against Sabalenka today is looking to win back-to back matches on hardcourts for just the second time this year, having done so at Abu Dhabi at the start of the season (d. Brady and Fernandez before falling to Kostyuk in R16) • Against No.2 Sabalenka today is looking for her first win over a Top 5 opponent, having registered first win over a Top 10 opponent at Roland Garros this year – d. No.7 Andreescu in 1r • Contesting this US Open on a ranking of No.40; in the corresponding week last year was No.76 • Did not play North American summer last year • One of three Slovenian women in the starting field this fortnight, along with Hercog and Juvan Season • Returned to clay after the grass swing, reaching QF at Hamburg (l. Niemeier) before capturing first WTA singles title at Lausanne (d. Burel in F); improved record in finals to 1-2, having been R-Up at 2019 Nürnberg and 2021 Bogotá • Set new career high ranking of No.37 after Lausanne triumph (week of July 19, 2021) • Made 1r exit at Wimbledon (l. eventual R-Up Ka.Pliskova) • At Roland Garros, became the first Slovenian woman to reach a Grand Slam SF (l. Pavlyuchenkova); upset No.7 Andreescu in 1r to register first win over a Top-10 player Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/WTA 1 2021 US OPEN – WOMEN’S MATCH NOTES NEW YORK, NY, USA – AUG 30-SEPT 12, 2021 – GRAND SLAM • Produced 2r showing at Madrid (as qualifier, l. Barty in 3s), then fell 1r at Rome (as qualifier, l. Pera). Also reached 2r at WTA 125K Series event at Saint-Malo • At Bogotá, reached second WTA final of career (l. Osorio Serrano in 3s) • Fell 2r at Guadalajara and Monterrey before contesting qualifying at Miami • Opened season with 3r showing at Abu Dhabi (l. Kostyuk) before 1r exits at Gippsland Trophy (l. Kovinic) and Australian Open (l. Diyas) Career Milestones • Posted third Top 100 season in 2020, finishing at No.87 • Best singles result in 2020 was reaching QF at Acapulco (l. Zarazua) • Won third career Tour-level doubles title at 2020 Ostrava (w/Rus). Also lifted the doubles title at Palermo (w/Rus) • Highlights of 2019 were reaching first WTA singles final, at Nürnberg (l. Putintseva in F), as well as defending WTA 125 Series title at Bol (d. Sorribes Tormo in F) and reaching SF at Hua Hin (l. Tomljanovic) • Contested all the Slam main draws in 2019 for the first time – reached 2r twice, at 2019 Australian Open (l. Osaka) and 2019 Wimbledon (l. Wang Qiang) • Highlights in 2018 included SF run at Moscow [River Cup] and title run at Bol WTA 125K Series event • Broke into Top 100 (at No.95) following Bol title on June 11, 2018 – became the ninth Slovenian player in history to crack the Top 100 • In 2018, posted seven tour-level main draw wins and 40 on ITF Circuit; reached SF in just third WTA main draw, at Moscow [River Cup] (d. No.13 Kasatkina in 2r, l. Potapova) • Made 2r on WTA main draw debut at Rabat in 2018 (as qualifier, d. Linette, l. Hsieh) • WTA qualifying debut came at 2018 Brisbane • Spent three months off tour with left knee injury in 2018 • Slovene Fed Cup Team, 2017-18, 2020 • Won first ITF Circuit title of career aged 16 at $10k Velenje in 2014 – has won 17 singles titles at this level SABALENKA: US Open • Making fourth main draw appearance at US Open (sixth overall) • Reached R16 on debut in 2018 (l. eventual champion Osaka in 3s) and 2r in 2019 (l. Putintseva) and 2020 (l. Azarenka). Contested qualifying in 2016-17 • Also won doubles title here in 2019 (w/Mertens, d. Azarenka/Barty in F) • Only venture beyond R16 at a major in her career, was SF run at Wimbledon earlier this summer • Seeded No.2 this year – has now been seeded on 12 of her 16 main draw appearances at majors (and all four at Flushing Meadows) • Currently ranked at a career-high No.2 (first achieved August 23, 2021) • Advanced to 2r by defeating Stojanovic on Monday, dropping second set tiebreak before winning the decider to love – served 13 aces and 13 double faults across the match Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/WTA 2 2021 US OPEN – WOMEN’S MATCH NOTES NEW YORK, NY, USA – AUG 30-SEPT 12, 2021 – GRAND SLAM • Faces Zidansek in 2r today, bidding for 40th match win of the season; it would the second time in her career she has surpassed the 40-win mark (won a career-high 46 matches in 2018) • Owns 6-4 record in Grand Slam 2r matches, with most recent defeat being loss to Azarenka at this stage of US Open last year • In addition to 2r exit here in 2020, last summer in the US made 2r at Lexington and 3r at Western & Southern Open • Nine of her 10 career titles have come on hard courts, including one on US soil, at 2018 New Haven Season • Advanced to SF at Montréal (l.