US Open 2020: Tsvetana Pironkova vs Alize Cornet preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Tsvetana Pironkova vs Alize Cornet
Date: 7 September 2020
Tournament: US Open 2020
Round: Fourth round (Round of 16)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $39,024,000
Match timing: 1.30 pm EDT, 11 pm IST
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Tsvetana Pironkova vs Alize Cornet preview
Tsvetana Pironkova has continued her comeback march into the second week of the US Open, after scoring an emphatic win over 18th seed Donna Vekic in the third round.
The Bulgarian, playing in her first tournament since the 2017 Wimbledon Championships, has impressed everyone with her multi-faceted game this week. She has been particularly strong on serve, consistently winning over 75% of her points behind the first delivery.
Pironkova will need her major weapon in fine working order for her next matchup, as she takes on a familiar foe in the form of France's Alize Cornet.
The Frenchwoman enters this contest on the back of wins over a few big names, including World No. 4 Sofia Kenin and former US Open finalist Madison Keys. Cornet would have been especially pleased with those results considering that she hasn't had the best time playing on the hardcourts of New York over the years.
The 30-year-old is known for her defensive prowess and incredible scrambling abilities, and isn't really the type of player who can blow her opponents off the court. But Cornet has executed her game to the best of her abilities here at Flushing Meadows, making it to the second week for the first time in her career.
She will be looking at the match-up against Pironkova on Monday as an opportunity to extend her run.
Also check out: The complete US Open Schedule 2020
Tsvetana Pironkova vs Alize Cornet head-to-head
Tsvetana Pironkova leads the head-to-head against Alize Cornet by a slender 2-1 margin, but the two women have not crossed paths in recent years.
The last time that the two women played each other was back at Indian Wells 2011, with Cornet coming out on top after a tough battle. The Bulgarian had scored a couple of easy straight-sets wins prior to that.
Tsvetana Pironkova vs Alize Cornet prediction
This is a fairly well balanced matchup on paper. Both women know each others' games really well; Alize Cornet even discussed the prospect of playing the Bulgarian, reaffirming her familiarity with her opponent's style.
The Frenchwoman will come into this match looking to find a way to counter the powerful Pironkova serve. But given her form, the Bulgarian is unlikely to give any inch in that department.
The returning Pironkova has taken practically no time to rediscover her timing on the ball, making the best use of the quick courts at Flushing Meadows. She would come in expecting a few more rallies than in her previous matches, but simply needs to stay confident in her own game to pull off a win here.
Prediction: Tsvetana Pironkova to win in two tight sets.