US Open 2020: Jennifer Brady vs Caroline Garcia preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Caroline Garcia vs (28) Jennifer Brady
Date: 4 September 2020
Tournament: US Open 2020
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $39,024,000
Match timing: 12.30 pm EDT, 10 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Disney+Hotstar VIP
Jennifer Brady vs Caroline Garcia preview
28th seed Jennifer Brady takes on former World No. 4 Caroline Garcia in a blockbuster third-round match at the 2020 US Open on Friday.
Garcia has made a remarkable turnaround from her early struggles this season, and is playing with a lot of belief at Flushing Meadows. Her free-flowing game is once again shining in full glory, as evident from her huge 6-1, 7-6(2) upset of top seed Karolina Pliskova in the second round.
That is a far cry from her pre-US Open form that saw her win-loss record for the year sitting at a dismal 5-7. The Frenchwoman hasn't made the semi-finals in any of the seven events she has played in 2020, which has pushed her down the rankings to a lowly 50th.
In sharp contrast, Jennifer Brady produced the biggest breakthrough of her career right before heading to New York.
The 25-year-old American has been a picture of consistency all year, reaching the quarterfinals at Brisbane and the semifinals at Dubai. Brady's good form culminated in her first-ever WTA title win at Lexington last month.
The World No. 41 has carried that confidence into her home Slam, notching up a couple of commanding victories over Anna Blinkova and Catherine Bellis en route to the third round.
Jennifer Brady vs Caroline Garcia head-to-head
Caroline Garcia and Jennifer Brady are currently locked at 3-3 in their head-to-head record.
It was the former French Open doubles champion Garcia who had the early advantage in the rivalry, registering back-to-back victories at Strasbourg and Indian Wells in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
In 2019 they squared off four times, with the first three meetings at Hua Hin, Dubai and Indian Wells going the American's way. It was finally on the grass of Nottingham that Garcia halted the run to record her third victory over Brady and make it all even.
Jennifer Brady vs Caroline Garcia prediction
This is an evenly-matched contest which has the potential of going the distance. In fact their last two matches against each other did indeed go all the way, so this one could easily follow suit.
Jennifer Brady and Caroline Garcia are both big hitters who thrive on pace and taking the ball on the rise. They are equally well-known for their aggression, but Brady does have the edge in the serve department.
This is a tough match to call, but the resurgent Garcia might just have a slight edge. The Frenchwoman looks fit and hungry again after a long lull, and has been ripping the ball with venom - as indicated by her 30 winners against an attacking player like Pliskova.
Garcia also managed to keep the unforced error count to just a paltry 17 in that match. If she can keep exhibiting the same kind of controlled aggression against Brady, she would fancy her chances of coming away with the win.
Prediction: Caroline Garcia to win in three sets.