Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the US Open match
Tournament fate in the second round in New York has brought together two Americans. They've faced each other multiple times before, with a head-to-head record tied at 2:2. However, it’s worth noting that all these matches were played when Sofia Kenin was a leading figure on the tour. Now, the roles seem to be reversed. Nevertheless, Kenin remains hopeful of reclaiming her former status, playing actively, and occasionally showing glimpses of her best form, suggesting a comeback might be near. Her victory over Emma Raducanu in the first round could boost her confidence. Prior to this, she had a solid match against Paula Badosa in Washington, where she pushed one set to a tiebreak. Overall, during the entire American hard court series, Sofia hasn't lost to anyone by more than six games.
Jessica Pegula is on the rise, having performed excellently in the lead-up hard court tournaments. However, she hasn’t had many dominant victories, not beating anyone with a handicap greater than six games. In the first round in New York, she had a routine 6:4, 6:3 win over Shelby Rogers, who is currently far from her peak form. It's unlikely that Jessica will dominate another compatriot today.
