US Open 2024: Paula Badosa vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (26) Paula Badosa vs (Q) Elena-Gabriela Ruse
Date: August 30, 2024
Tournament: US Open 2024
Round: Third Round (Round of 32)
Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York, U.S.
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $75,000,000
Live Telecast: USA - ESPN | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN, RDS | India - Sony Network
Paula Badosa vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse preview
26th seed Paula Badosa will lock horns with Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the third round of the US Open on Friday, August 30. The winner of the match will take on either 20th seed Victoria Azarenka or Wang Yafan in the Round of 16.
Badosa kicked off her US Open campaign with a dominant 6-0, 6-3 victory over Viktorija Golubic in the first round.
The Spaniard started perfectly in her second-round match against Taylor Townsend, breaking serve in the third game with a series of blistering groundstrokes. She broke Townsend's serve once again in the next game. Although she couldn't serve out the set herself, she managed to break Townsend's serve for a third time to claim the set.
The second set was much tighter, with both players holding serve in the first six games. Badosa was the first to falter, giving Townsend the advantage in the seventh game. Badosa, however, broke the American's serve twice in the next five games to secure a 6-3, 7-5 victory.
Ruse, meanwhile, opened her campaign in the qualifiers as the 20th seed. She successfully defeated Antonia Ruzic, Ma YeXin, and Alex Eala to secure a spot in the main draw.
In the first round, Ruse faced Julia Grabher and won comfortably with a score of 6-2, 6-4. In the second round, she played against eighth seed and defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova and delivered one of the day's biggest upsets by claiming a decisive 6-4, 7-5 victory.
Paula Badosa vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse head-to-head
Elena-Gabriela Ruse leads Paula Badosa 1-0 in their head-to-head, having beaten the Spaniard 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 at the 2022 Dubai Tennis Championships.
Paula Badosa vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Paula Badosa vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse prediction
Paula Badosa has been in resurgent form on the WTA tour this season and looks like she is steadily returning to her best. She has had an impressive American hardcourt swing and looks to have carried that momentum into her US Open campaign.
She's been particularly dominant from the baseline on both wings, winning 49% of her receiving points and converting 5 out of 12 break-point opportunities. Her net play has also been highly effective, with her winning 70% of the points when coming forward.
Ruse, meanwhile, entered the US Open after a three-week break without playing a match but looked sharp in the qualifiers, showing no signs of rust. The Romanian's performance in the main draw has been good too, with her serve being her standout feature.
In her most recent match, she won an impressive 78% of points on her first serve and hit 8 aces. Ruse was also decent on the return, winning 49% of her receiving points and converting 4 out 8 break point opportunities.
Neither player has made it past this stage in the past and holds similar W/L records at the venue, with Badosa at 4-4 and Ruse at 3-3.
Badosa, however, heads into this encounter the favorite given her superior hard court record this year and form off late. Her blistering form in New York so far, should also give her plenty of confidence to get over the line.
Pick: Badosa in straight sets.