Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA US Open match.
Ekaterina Alexandrova has reached the third round of the US Open and goes in as the favourite against Laura Siegemund. At this tournament, the German has faced only opponents from Russia, and her results against them have been mixed.
Ekaterina Alexandrova
In New York, Ekaterina Alexandrova beat Anastasija Sevastova and Xinyu Wang in straight sets. She has settled quickly at the tournament after a disappointing final in Monterrey. However, she tends to labour against top-100 opposition: in seven of her previous eight such matches on hard courts she did not cover the -5.5 game handicap. In the head-to-head (H2H), Alexandrova leads (2-1), but she lost their most recent meeting at the 2024 Australian Open.
Laura Siegemund
Laura Siegemund has found form on hard courts: over the past month she has lost only to Madison Keys and Anastasia Potapova, and in New York she has knocked out Diana Shnaider and Anastasia Zakharova. Laura has landed 65% of first serves and won 72% of points behind the first serve. She competes well against top-20 opponents and has taken at least a set in four of her last five matches.
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Laura Siegemund Prediction
Although Ekaterina Alexandrova is higher in the rankings and is the favourite, this may not be straightforward for her. Laura Siegemund is capable of covering the handicap and taking a set, even against the world No. 12.