US Open 2021: Shelby Rogers vs Emma Raducanu preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Shelby Rogers vs Emma Raducanu
Date: 6 September 2021
Tournament: US Open 2021
Round: Fourth round (Round of 16)
Venue: New York, United States
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $40,560,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN/ESPN 2 | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Shelby Rogers vs Emma Raducanu preview
USA's Shelby Rogers takes on British qualifier Emma Raducanu in the fourth round of the 2021 US Open on Monday. Rogers is looking to reach the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows for the second year in a row, while for Raducanu this is the first appearance in the fourth round of the tournament.
Rogers made a fine start to 2021, registering a couple of quarterfinals and then making her maiden fourth round at the Australian Open. Her season, however, went downhill after that; the World No. 43 made the last eight just once in her next 15 tournaments.
A return to the US Open has worked wonders for Rogers, who produced a stunning show of grit and resilience to knock out World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in the third round. The American trailed 2-5 in the final set but that didn't deter her.
Buoyed by the partisan crowd, Rogers held her nerve to beat the top seed 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(5) for the biggest win of her career. Having lost to the Australian five times before, Rogers would have gained a lot of confidence from this performance.
She will now look to keep her incredible run going when she faces rising star Emma Raducanu.
Despite being ranked just 150th in the world, Raducanu has been playing some scintillating tennis of late. After having made the fourth round at Wimbledon on debut, the British teenager is now into the Round of 16 for the second consecutive Major.
Raducanu has already played six matches in New York, having started in the qualifying rounds, but is yet to drop a set so far. The 18-year-old's latest win came over the in-form World No. 41 Sara Sorribes Tormo on Saturday.
The Spaniard is considered a challenging opponent for most, given her heavy topspin groundstrokes and consistency from the baseline. But Raducanu made a mockery of the gulf in rankings as she thrashed Sorribes Tormo 6-0, 6-1.
The fourth round was the stage where the teen retired at Wimbledon due to difficulties in breathing, and she was subsequently subjected to heavy criticism from outsiders. But Raducanu has proven her doubters wrong with another deep run at a Major, and this time she will be keen to go even further and truly establish herself in the top echelons of the sport.
Shelby Rogers vs Emma Raducanu head-to-head
Shelby Rogers and Emma Raducanu have never squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head currently stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Shelby Rogers vs Emma Raducanu prediction
This will be a clash of youth and experience, to say the least. Emma Raducanu is just 18, but she has a free-flowing game and can strike winners from all parts of the court. Her aggressive approach took the racket out of Sara Sorribes Tormo's hands on Saturday, with her down-the-line backhand in particular doing a lot of damage.
The British youngster also likes to move forward whenever the opportunity presents itself, and had a 83% success rate at the net against Sorribes Tormo. Raducanu has a fearless attitude which will come in handy when dealing with the partisan crowd during her face-off with Shelby Rogers.
The American on her part is coming off arguably the best performance of her career, where she produced a masterclass in controlled aggression. To quell the challenge of Raducanu, Rogers would need to continue playing in the same manner, especially with regard to her unforced error count.
But Raducanu has nothing to lose, which might be a particularly difficult proposition to deal with. Moreover, Rogers has also shown a tendency in the past to have a let-down after a big win.
The American lost meekly after upsetting Serena Williams at Lexington last year, and suffered a similar fate after getting the better of Petra Kvitova at the 2020 US Open. It is possible that she might once again struggle to maintain her equilibrium after her win over Barty, which could tilt the scales in Raducanu's favor.
Prediction: Emma Raducanu to win in three sets.