US Open 2024 SF: Taylor Townsend/Katerina Siniakova vs Kristina Mladenovic/Zhang Shuai preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Taylor Townsend/Katerina Siniakova vs Kristina Mladenovic/Zhang Shuai
Date: September 4, 2024
Tournament: US Open 2024
Round: Semifinal
Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $75,000,000
Live Telecast: USA - ESPN | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN, RDS
Taylor Townsend/Katerina Siniakova vs Kristina Mladenovic/Zhang Shuai preview
Third seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova will face the pairing of Kristina Mladenovic and Zhang Shuai in the semifinals of the US Open 2024.
Townsend and Siniakova overcame a one-set deficit to beat Lucia Bronzetti and Liudmila Samsonova in the first round. They were slated to play against Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round but received a walkover from the duo.
Townsend and Siniakova were pushed to three sets by Asia Muhammad and Heather Watson in the third round but prevailed 6-1, 5-7, 7-5 in the end. They were up against eighth seeds Luisa Stefani and Demi Schuurs in the quarterfinals and comfortably beat them 6-2, 6-3 by breaking their serve twice in each set.
Mladenovic and Zhang upset second seeds Elise Mertens Hsieh Su-wei 6-2, 6-3 in the opening round. They fought past Peyton Stearns and Magda Linette in three sets to reach the third round and then defeated the Russian duo of Mirra Andreeva and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets.
Mladenovic and Zhang took on the fifth-seeded pair of Ellen Perez and Nicole Melichar-Martinez in the quarterfinals. The first set went down to the wire, which ultimately swung in the former team's favor in the tie-break. The French-Chinese duo initially squandered their break advantage in the second set but didn't do the same the next time, and thus won the match 7-6 (2), 6-4.
Taylor Townsend/Katerina Siniakova vs Kristina Mladenovic/Zhang Shuai head-to-head
This will be the first encounter between the two teams, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Taylor Townsend/Katerina Siniakova vs Kristina Mladenovic/Zhang Shuai odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Taylor Townsend/Katerina Siniakova vs Kristina Mladenovic/Zhang Shuai prediction
Mladenovic and Zhang's singles careers have floundered in recent times, and the latter is on a 23-match losing streak as well, the longest in the Open Era. However, they haven't missed a beat in doubles, and have already knocked out two seeded teams.
Siniakova and Townsend won Wimbledon together, and the former also won the French Open alongside Coco Gauff. The two played their best match of the tournament against Stefani and Schuurs and didn't drop their serve even once.
Mladenovic is a two-time runner-up in doubles here, while Zhang won the title back in 2021. Townsend was a finalist in 2022, and Siniakova beat her current partner to win the title that year. The American-Czech duo could face their toughest test yet in the semifinals but their combined strengths should help them outplay their opponents and reach the summit clash.
Pick: Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova to win in three sets.