US Open 2021: Aryna Sabalenka vs Nina Stojanovic preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (2) Aryna Sabalenka vs Nina Stojanovic
Date: 30 August 2021
Tournament: US Open 2021
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: New York, United States
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $40,560,000
Match timing: 7 pm local time, 11 pm GMT, 4.30 am IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Aryna Sabalenka vs Nina Stojanovic preview
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka faces World No. 94 Nina Stojanovic in the first round of the US Open 2021 on Monday.
Sabalenka is in the middle of a career-best season. She started the year by winning the title on the hardcourts of Abu Dhabi, before going on to taste glory on the claycourts of Madrid too. The Belarusian's improved versatility was reinforced further when she made her maiden Grand Slam semifinal on the grasscourts of Wimbledon.
Sabalenka started the US Open Series with the same confidence she has shown all year, reaching the semis in Montreal. Her consistent performances have now been rewarded with a rise to the World No. 2 ranking.
With the kind of form she is in at the moment, the 23-year-old will be hoping to make a statement at the US Open.
Nina Stojanovic, meanwhile, reached a career-high ranking of No. 81 in the world last year. But she hasn't been able to make much of an impact this season, as evident from her 16-16 win-loss record.
The only two events where the Serb made some noise were the Viking Open in Nottingham and the Tokyo OIympics. While at the former she made the semis, at the latter it was her mixed doubles pairing with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic that became a talking point.
Djokovic and Stojanovic made it to the bronze medal playoff, but an injury to the World No. 1 forced the team to give a walkover.
Stojanovic hasn't played since, but she will be hoping to draw inspiration from her Olympic run when she takes the court in New York.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Nina Stojanovic head-to-head
Aryna Sabalenka leads the head-to-head against Nina Stojanovic by a whopping margin of 5-0. Their last meeting took place on the hardcourts of St. Petersburg in 2017, where the Belarusian emerged a 6-1, 6-3 winner.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Nina Stojanovic prediction
Both Aryna Sabalenka and Nina Stojanovic are aggressive baseliners, but at the moment they are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of form. While Sabalenka is currently enjoying the best phase of her career, Stojanovic has been struggling all season.
Sabalenka's pace, power and weight of shots would be tough for the Serb to deal with on Monday. Stojanovic isn't known to have a reliable serve either, so if she concedes an early break of serve, it might get very difficult for her to get back into the match.
Sabalenka is coming into this match very high on confidence, and she likely won't face much of a problem getting past Stojanovic.
Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win in straight sets.