US Open 2020: Yulia Putintseva vs Petra Martic preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Yulia Putintseva vs Petra Martic
Date: 6 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: 12 pm EDT, 9.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Yulia Putintseva vs Petra Martic preview
Croatia's Petra Martic will face Kazakh star Yulia Putintseva on Sunday, in the fourth round of the 2020 US Open.
Martic comfortably dispatched Varvara Gracheva in straight sets in the third round, to reach the second week of the US Open for the second straight year. The highest seed left in her quarter, Martic will now look to reach the last eight at a Grand Slam for the second time in her career.
But in her way stands the 23rd seed Yulia Putintseva, who has been flying this week.
Putintseva has reached the second week of the US Open for the first time in her career, beating Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the third round. After dropping the first set, the 25-year-old Kazakh took complete control of the match; she lost only three games over the next two sets.
Putintseva, who has only ever reached the last eight at the French Open (which she did twice), would love to add a US Open quarterfinal to her CV. But the World No. 35 will have her work cut out in the fourth round against the Croat.
Both Putintseva and Martic have dropped only one set each so far in the tournament, and have been among the best players so far in the women's section.
Yulia Putintseva vs Petra Martic head-to-head
The head-to-head between Yulia Putintseva and Petra Martic currently stands at 0-0, as the two players have never faced each other before.
Yulia Putintseva vs Petra Martic prediction
Petra Martic's game has improved considerably over the last two years. The World No. 15 had her career best season in 2019, reaching the second week at all the Slams except the Australian Open.
The 29-year-old has a lot of variety in her groundstrokes, which she mixes up well with precise drop shots and slice to change the pace of the rallies. She also possesses a decent serve, which helps her employ an aggressive all-court game.
Martic is good at the net too due to her experience in doubles, and can also counterpunch well.
However, the Croat's problem has always been that she's a bit of a jack of all trades and master of none. She lacks any particular big weapon which can help her overpower opponents on the big stages.
Yulia Putintseva, meanwhile, is a terrific player on her day, capable of matching up to anyone in the game. The 25-year-old is strong from the baseline and can change the pace of a rally at will with her incredibly well-disguised drop shots.
But as with most streaky players like herself, Putintseva is often her own worst enemy. She can lose it mentally when things aren't going her way.
This first time encounter seems pretty evenly poised, and promises to be an exciting match-up.
Prediction: Yulia Putintseva to win in three sets.