US Open 2023: Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Taylor Townsend preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (19) Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Taylor Townsend
Date: August 30, 2023
Tournament: US Open 2023
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: New York, United States
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $65,000,000
Live telecast: USA - ESPN | Canada - TSN | UK - Sky Sports | India - Sony Sports
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Taylor Townsend preview
Nineteenth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia will take on home favorite Taylor Townsend in the second round of the 2023 US Open on Wednesday.
Haddad Maia was up against 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the first round. The Brazilian broke her opponent's serve twice in the first set to capture it with ease.
Haddad Maia led by a break in the second set, but was unable to hold on to the lead she secured. Stephens claimed four of the last five games of the set to take it and level the proceedings.
Haddad Maia had the upper hand in the third set as well, but Stephens came down from a break deficit twice to level the score. The Brazilian then snagged another break of serve and remained in front this time around to win the match 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
Meanwhile, Townsend, ranked outside the top 100 in singles, faced World No. 40 Varvara Gracheva in her opener. A solitary break of serve proved to be enough for the American to clinch the first set.
Townsend raced to a 5-0 lead in the second set, but failed to serve out the match on her first try. Gracheva bagged the next couple of games in an act of final resistance. The American closed out the proceedings on her second attempt to score a 6-4, 6-2 victory.
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Taylor Townsend head-to-head
This will be the first main draw meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Taylor Townsend odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Taylor Townsend prediction
Haddad Maia overcame Stephens in a near three-hour tussle to advance further. She struck an equal number of winners and unforced errors at 40, while her five double faults outweighed the lone ace she managed to hit.
Townsend, on the other hand, had an relatively easier time dealing with Gracheva. While she did falter a bit while trying to wrap up the contest, she recovered rather quickly. It was a pretty clean match from her side as she dished out 23 winners against 20 unforced errors.
Both players are left-handed, so the slight advantage they have over the rest of the tour is neutralized.
Haddad Maia is more reliant on her powerful groundstrokes and baseline heavy game. Townsend, meanwhile, adds a touch of finesse and loves coming forward to the net to finish off points. The American won 19/21 points while doing the same in the previous round.
Townsend has the potential to keep Haddad Maia on her toes throughout the match. However, as the former has flourished more in doubles compared to singles this year, the Brazlian will still be favored to win this match.
Pick: Beatriz Haddad Maia to win in three sets.