US Open 2020: Yulia Putintseva vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Yulia Putintseva vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich
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: 11 am EDT, 8.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Yulia Putintseva vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich preview
Kazakhstan's 23rd seed Yulia Putintseva will face Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus on Friday, in the third round of the 2020 US Open.
Putintseva has put in some decent results this year, reaching the Round of 32 at the Australian Open and the Western & Southern Open as well as the Round of 16 in Qatar. Consistency is an issue though; the World No. 35 has failed to win more than two main draw matches at any tournament she has played in 2020.
That is a record Putintseva will be hoping to correct when she steps on to the court on Friday.
The Kazakh star has had it fairly easy this week, winning both her matches in straight sets for the loss of a combined 10 games. In the second round Yulia Putintseva beat Sasnovich's compatriot Vera Lapko, and would now hope to beat another Belarusian for a entry into the second week.
Aliaksandra Sasnovich caused one of the upsets of the tournament as she dominated 12th seed Marketa Vondrousova in a 6-1, 6-2 second-round win. The Belarusian broke her higher-ranked opponent four times while saving all six break points on her own serve to comfortably dispatch the Czech.
Sasnovich has reached the second week of a Slam only once before, at Wimbledon 2018. She would be hoping to repeat that result when she takes to the court against Putintseva.
Yulia Putintseva vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich head-to-head
The head-to-head between Yulia Putintseva and Aliaksandra Sasnovich currently stands at 2-0 in favor of the Kazakh star.
Both meetings between the pair came early on in their career. More than four years have elapsed since their last meeting at Sydney in 2016, which Putintseva comfortably won 6-1, 6-1.
Yulia Putintseva vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich prediction
For much of her career, Yulia Putintseva has been an eye-catching but streaky player. She is capable of producing lights-out tennis when she's in the mood, but is often her own worst enemy.
The 25-year-old is an aggressive baseliner who often uses the drop shot to finish a point. She can dictate rallies at will, but also spray unforced errors all over the court when things aren't going her way.
In spite of that Putintseva has defeated some big names in her career, including Naomi Osaka and Sloane Stephens (twice each).
Aliaksandra Sasnovich likes to keep the ball deep, and hits quite hard from the baseline. She is capable of producing winners off both wings, but the forehand is her stronger shot.
The Belarusian must be buzzing with confidence after the win over Vondrousova, and would be keen to carry on the momentum and enter the second week. We can expect a very close battle in this match.
Prediction: Aliaksandra Sasnovich to win in three sets.