US Open 2022: Ajla Tomljanovic vs Liudmila Samsonova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: Ajla Tomljanovic vs Liudmila Samsonova
Date: September 4, 2022.
Tournament: US Open 2022
Round: Fourth round (Round of 16).
Venue: New York, United States.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $60,102,000.
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & ESPN2 | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sony Liv, Sony Ten & Sony Six.
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Liudmila Samsonova preview
Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic will lock horns with Liudmila Samsonova in the fourth-round of the US Open on Sunday.
Tomljanovic has had a decent, if underwhelming season so far, with a couple of quarterfinal appearances in her kitty. The World No. 46 kickstarted her season with three consecutive tournaments in Australia, including the Australian Open. She lost in the last 16 in Adelaide and Sydney before losing in the first round at her home Major.
A match we will never forget.
Ajla Tomljanovic defeats Serena Williams in three sets. https://t.co/l4Bf3ruWqR
Ajla Tomljanovic subsequently made early exits in several tournaments following the Australian Open, not getting past the second round of a tournament until her run to the quarterfinals at the Istanbul Open. The 29-year-old fought hard in a thrilling three-set encounter but lost to Yulia Putintseva, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
She replicated her form back at the Morocco Open a week before the French Open and retired in the first set of her last eight clash against Anna Bondar. After a mediocre grasscourt season heading into Wimbledon, she matched her results from last year with a quarterfinal finish. She lost to eventual Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
In the second half of her season, the Australian again reached the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open as a qualifier and lost to Petra Kvitova, 6-2, 6-3. At the US Open, she scored impressive wins over Karolina Muchova and Serena Williams en route to the last 16, where Ajla Tomljanovic will take on Liudmila Samsonova.
Liudmila Samsonova, on the other hand, has had an eventful season so far. The Russian gradually gained momentum as the season gained pace. She made it to the semifinals of the Stuttgart Open, only to lose to World No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
However, she then suffered a major dip in form as she struggled to get past the first round in many events. She was unable to string together back-to-back wins since her run to the semifinals at Stuttgart and broke the streak of poor results at the Citi Open. Unseeded, the Russian defeated three top-10 seeded players - Elise Martins in the first-round, Emma Raducanu in the quarterfinals, and Kaia Kanepi in the summit clash - to clinch the trophy.
13-match winning streak and 18-set winning streak still alive!
Liudmila Samsonova survives a tough challenge from Aleksandra Krunic, triumphing 6-3, 6-3 to reach the fourth round of the US Open for the first time in her career!
[📸: Manuela Davies/USTA] https://t.co/Xg1YzKfWcF
She went on to win the Cleveland Open two weeks later to secure back-to-back hardcourt titles. She has been in tremendous form in the ongoing Major as well. She bested Sara Bejlek, 6-3, 6-1, in the first-round. In the second-round, the Russian cruised past 14th seed Leylah Fernandez, 6-3, 7-6(3) before getting the better of Aleksandra Krunic, 6-3, 6-3 in the third round.
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Liudmila Samsonova head-to-head
Ajla Tomljanovic and Liudmila Samsonova have faced each other twice in their careers. Their head-to-head is tied at 1-1, with Samsonova winning their most recent clash at this year's Citi Open.
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Liudmila Samsonova odds
*odds to be updated later*
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Liudmila Samsonova prediction
The clash has the potential to be a great one. Tomljanovic caused a major upset in her last match by beating Serena Williams. Samsonova has been thriving lately, especially on hardcourts.
Tomljanovic has been pretty decent with her overall game. However, her serving technique has been pretty inconsistent throughout the season. Despite her second serve being a major weapon in her arsenal, the Australian has rarely put it to good use. Her first-serve win percentage has decreased from 73% in the first round to 63% in her last. Another major flaw in her game is doling out double faults. She has registered 23 double faults at the US Open so far.
Samsonova, on the other hand, has maintained her first serve win percentage consistently. The Russian has dominated nearly all of her rivals this campaign. She is known to have a very powerful forehand which she uses to finish off long rallies.
Samsonova has been on a good run for the last couple of weeks. Winning two consecutive hardcourt titles has shifted the momentum towards her and the Russian will be favored to edge her out in this clash to continue her dream run.
Pick: Samsonova to win in three sets.