Maryna Zanevska vs Aryna Sabalenka Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA US Open

Prediction published on 29/08/2023, 01:02  by Joseph King | Modified on 29/08/2023 at 06:32 in Tennis Predictions

The first round of the US Open main draw sees second-seed Aryna Sabalenka taking on unseeded Maryna Zanevska. The winner of this match will go on to face either Anna Blinkova or Jodie Anna Burrage in the round of 64. Sabalenka is having an unbelievable year and is riding high after capturing her first ever Grand Slam title at the Australian Open back in January. The 25-year-old was also crowned champion of the Madrid Open in May, as well as finishing runner-up at Indian Wells and Stuttgart. Her superb performances in 2023 has resulted in the Belarussian claiming her highest ever WTA ranking at second. Sabalenka's last performance was at the Cincinnati Open, also a hard court event, where she would be eliminated in the semi-final. Of the 12 tournaments she has partaken in this calendar year, Sabalenka has made it to at least the quarter-final in 10. 

The player tasked with trying to slow down the red-hot Sabalenka is 112th-ranked Martyna Zanevska. The 30-year-old is in a particularly difficult stretch of form at the moment, a polar opposite to what her opponent has been experiencing. Zanevska has now suffered a first round defeat in her last six consecutive competitions. In fact, her only win during this current stretch was a qualifier victory over a 367th-ranked player to make the main draw of the Montreal Open. To make matters worse, Zanevska has had a rough time playing on hard surfaces this season. The Belgian pro has won only three of her 10 outings on hard courts which includes a current seven game losing streak on the surface. Zanevska fell in straight sets to Tamara Korpatsch in her most recent outing, coming mid August at the Golden Gate Open.