2019 U.S. Open
Flushing Meadows, Queens, NY
Women’s Third Round picks
Friday, August 30, 2019
Serena Williams over Karolina Muchova
I don’t give Muchova much of a chance against Serena. We all know that the American is way past her prime and it would be nice for her to realize it, but she can still beat most women with her serve alone. Once the point starts, Serena is susceptible to missing groudies, especially when she has to run. But she’s still much better than Muchova, and she’ll show it today.
Sofia Kenin over Maddy Keys
This match should tell us just where Maddy Keys is, in terms of the quality of tennis in her right now. I still maintain that Keys probably hits every shot aggregately better than any other women’s player in the game right now. If she could ever get her 10-cent head together, she’d win multiple Grand Slam events. But Kenin is coming on like gangbusters, and, at 20-years-old, she’s gonna be around torturing Keys for many more years to come.
Ash Barty over Maria Sakkari
Maria Sakkari hits a ton, but she’s still a work-in-progress. Barty is not playing anywhere near her best, yet she possesses that champion quality of being able to win without her best game. The Aussie will figure things out and take out the Greek Goddess.
Johanna Konta over Shuai Zhang
Great Britain’s Johanna Konta is a bit of an enigma, like our own Maddy Keys. She reminds me a bit of an old-time men’s player from the 50’s, Marty Mulligan, who would rotate between being a Grand Slam contender to first round loser from year to year. When he had confidence, he was a tough out, but when he had none, he couldn’t buy a win. That’s what Konta is to me. She has confidence this year, so she should take out the tough Zhang Shuai.
Qiang Wang over Fiona Ferro
Qiang Wang is the 18th seed, and a real tough player. She has a steely resolve and a game to go along with it. She should have no trouble taking out Frenchwoman Fiona Ferro.
Anastasija Sevastova over Petra Martic
I love watching Petra Martic play because you can see her mind working, trying to figure out a way to win. Tennis is about competing and problem-solving, and Martic does the best she can with her somewhat limited game. In this match she’s coming up against a player who is just superior. Sevastova will move on.
Elina Svitolina over Dayana Yastremska
Dayana Yastremska is dangerous. She can be very scary when she’s lose and hitting the lines, because it’s hard to cover from line to line if you’re on the baseline in tennis. She plays with abandon, and that’s what makes her fun to watch. Here, she’s playing someone who is equally athletic, which the entertaining Svitolina showed in her very tough win over Venus Williams on Wednesday. My best guess here is that Svitolina plays great defense and forces Yastremska into just too many errors.
In New Jersey: PointsBet.com, Promo code: BETTORS (You can get two risk-free bets up to $1,000 if you qualify.) William Hill NJ (Deposit $50, get $50 cash) SugarHouse NJ* (First deposit match up to $250)
In Pennsylvania: SugarHouse PA* (First deposit match up to $250); Rivers Casino Pittsburgh* (First deposit match up to $250). Only 1x Wager Applies, Playable in PA Only
In most of Europe: William Hill UK; Pinnacle (No UK or Portugal); Asian Odds (No UK or Portugal)
In Asia: Pinnacle/Asian Odds
In parts of South America: Pinnacle/Asian Odds
In parts of Africa: Pinnacle/Asian Odds
*Note: First Deposit Bonus may only be claimed once per person across all Rivers and SugarHouse websites
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER