Cincinnati Open 2024: Taylor Townsend vs Caroline Dolehide preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (Q) Taylor Townsend vs (WC) Caroline Dolehide
Date: August 14, 2024
Tournament: Cincinnati Open 2024
Round: First Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason, Ohio, US
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $3,211,715
Live Telecast: US - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN+
Taylor Townsend vs Caroline Dolehide preview
Americans Taylor Townsend and Caroline Dolehide will clash in the first round of the Cincinnati Open 2024.
Townsend's enjoying a career-best season. She claimed her maiden Major doubles title at Wimbledon alongside Katerina Siniakova. At last week's Canadian Open, she reached her first tour-level quarterfinal in singles.
Townsend initially fell in the qualifying rounds but got a second lease of life as a lucky loser. She led Dayana Yastremska 6-3, 3-1 when the latter retired due to an injury. She then beat Marina Stakusic 6-0, 6-2, and defeated fourth seed Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-1 to make the last eight.
The American faced compatriot Emma Navarro for a spot in the semifinals, and lost to her 6-3, 7-6 (5).
She had to go through the qualifying rounds in Cincinnati as well, and did so with ease. She beat Chloe Paquet 6-3, 6-4, and followed it up with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Katie Volynets to book her place in the main draw.
Meanwhile, Dolehide's best results this year include reaching the third round at Indian Wells and the Madrid Open. Following the tour's return to hardcourts last month, she made the semifinals of the Citi Open in Washington.
Dolehide couldn't build upon that result and crashed out in the first round of the Canadian Open last week. However, she won the doubles title with Desirae Krawczyk. She has received a main-draw wildcard to participate in the Cincinnati Open.
Taylor Townsend vs Caroline Dolehide head-to-head
This will be the first main-draw meeting on the WTA tour between them, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Taylor Townsend vs Caroline Dolehide odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Taylor Townsend vs Caroline Dolehide prediction
Townsend finally reached a singles quarterfinal, and with that monkey off her back, she has breezed through the qualifying rounds in Cincinnati. She didn't even face a single break point in either of her two matches in qualifying.
Dolehide has found considerable success in doubles this year, though she hasn't been able to replicate the same in singles. She reached her first and so far only final at the WTA 1000 level at last year's Guadalajara Open.
While Townsend and Dolehide haven't officially faced off prior to this on the WTA tour, they have crossed paths thrice before on the ITF circuit. The former has beaten the latter on all three occasions.
Given how Townsend competed in the qualifying rounds, and Dolehide's inconsistent results in singles, the former will be expected to make a winning start in Cincinnati.
Pick: Taylor Townsend to win in straight sets.