Get the full slate and in-play cues on Patreon — early angles + closing-line tracking.
Haddad Maia vs Kartal — US Open 1R Preview
WTA US Open
Hard Court
Round 1
🧠 Form & Context
Beatriz Haddad Maia (No. 22, age 29)
- 🇧🇷 Former world No. 10, 2023 RG semifinalist — but currently in a hard-court freefall.
- 📉 Hard-court slump: 2–12 in 2025 (16 losses in last 18 hard matches since Oct 2024).
- 📊 2025: 10–23 overall; most wins came on clay/grass.
- 🏟️ US Open: QF last year (best Slam hard-court run). Defending big points = added pressure.
- ⚠️ Confidence crisis with back-to-back early losses to lower-ranked opponents (Lamens, Joint, Bouzková).
Sonay Kartal (No. 51, age 23)
- 🇬🇧 Rising Brit who just cracked the top 50 after 18 months of steady progress.
- 📈 Breakthroughs: Monastir 2024 title (as qualifier), Shrewsbury W100, Indian Wells 2025 R16.
- 🔥 Slam form: Wimbledon R16 this summer (d. Ostapenko en route).
- 📊 2025: 19–17 (8–8 on hard). Notable wins over Kudermetova, Andreeva, and Haddad Maia (Indian Wells).
- ⚠️ Still streaky — can fade physically in long three-setters — but confidence currently > Haddad Maia’s.
🔓 Full Match Breakdown (Free):
Read on Patreon
📊 Tale of the Tape (Qualitative)
- Form trend: Edge Kartal (confidence) vs Bia (confidence dip).
- Surface fit: Kartal’s first-strike tempo working better on hard right now.
- Serve patterns: Bia needs lefty wide serve consistency; Kartal punishes short 2nd serves.
- Mileage/fitness: Slight concern for Kartal in long third sets; Bia’s durability a counter if she reaches that stage.
- Intangibles: Points-defense pressure sits with Bia; freer swing advantage to Kartal.
No comments:
Post a Comment