Day 9 failed to live up to the hype. Muchova needed almost three hours to get past Kostyuk in the only close contest. After that, the trio of Gauff, Haddad-Maia and Alexandrova won a total of 12 games between them. Hopefully today’s games are more competitive but I don’t like our chances.
Swiatek is on track to reclaim her spot at the top of women’s tennis with an 18-1 record dating back to Wimbledon. That tournament was memorable and forgettable at the same time for her upcoming opponent. Anisimova made her first major final at The Championships but things could not have gone any worse as Swiatek picked her apart 6-0 6-0. The mental scars from that match will carry over into this one – especially if she gets off to a slow start and falls behind. Am shocked that Swiatek is not giving away a bigger start in this match. Braking the serve of Haddad-Maia with ease or dominating baseline exchanges against players ranked outsider the top 50 will count for nothing once she gets on the back foot in this contest. Don’t be surprised if Swiatek hands her another bagel.
Bet: Swiatek -4.5 ($1.85)
Value: Set 1 Score After 4 Games – Swiatek 4-0 ($8.50)
Muchova has an uncanny ability of stepping it up when it matters most. All four of her wins in New York have gone the distance (3 Sets) and she has been on court for 10 hours and 14 minutes compared to only 5 hours for Osaka. The two-time former winner is into the quarter finals of a major for the first time since 2021 and the signs are ominous for her opponent. Osaka won more than 84% of all service points in a dominant win over Gauff and did not face a single break point. The H2H reads 2-2 with their most recent clash coming at the Australian Open earlier this year. Osaka won a three-set contest but is in significantly better form now following wins in 10 of her last 11 matches. She is playing outstanding first strike tennis and after a series of long matches, Muchova will not have the legs to stay with her. Expecting Muchova to fade poorly.
Bet: Osaka -3.5 ($1.85)