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US Open 2022 women's singles draw preview: Serena's farewell takes centre-stage amid absence of outright favourites
With the women's draw wide open amid no outright favourites, we take a look at and analyse each quarter in a bid to predict a potential winner at Flushing Meadows.
There are no clear, outright or overwhelming favourites at this year's US Open. Not even Iga Swiatek, who had effortlessly taken over the reign in WTA from Ash Barty with a record 37-match winning streak that included her second title at Roland Garros. But post her early fall in Wimbledon, Swiatek has never looked the same, neither has new face emerged in the build-up to the final Grand Slam of the year. With the women's draw wide open, we take a look at and analyse each quarter in a bid to predict a potential winner at Flushing Meadows.
FIRST QUARTER:
2022 has been a year of two halves for Swiatek. The first part saw her dominate the WTA circuit winning trophies after trophies before culminating into her second career major. But since her round-of-32 exit in Wimbledon which ended her record streak of 37 wins, Swiatek has found it difficult to make a return to the hardcourts of the North America, losing in round two both at Cincinnati and Toronto. Although Swiatek admitted that much to blame are the lighter balls used in US Open and its build-up events, which she had found difficult to control. If Swiatek can crack the answer to it, she might have a chance to making a deep run at US Open but the world no.1 has been handed a tricky draw.
Swiatek has Jasmine Paolini as her first opponent before a likely encounter with 2018 champion Sloane Stephens in the next round. The quarter also has Amanda Anisimova, Qinwen Zheng, Jelena Ostapenko, Garbiñe Muguruza, Petra Kvitova.
Jessica Pegula is another worthy candidate in this section of the draw. She reached the semis in Toronto and quarterfinal in Cincinnati, although she is yet to make it past the third round at US Open in five main-draw appearances.
Quarterfinal: Pegula/Kvitova
SECOND QUARTER:
This is the toughest quarter of the draw. Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka are the highest-seeded players but it also has three four Slam winners which includes defending champion Emma Raducanu.
Badosa has had a quite 2022 while Sabalenka, the 2021 semi-finalist, did make the penultimate round in Cincinnati last week. Both find themselves in opposite ends of the quater. Badosa's threat stands as one between the two 2021 quarterfinalists Karolina Pliskova, who had reached the semis in Toronoto, and Belinda Bencic. And if Sabalenka falters, one between reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and Danielle Collins could aim to make the most of it.
Quarterfinal: Sabalenka/Pliskova
THIRD QUARTER:
Maria Sakkari is the highest-seeded player in this quarter which also has former champion Biancva Andreescu while Coco Gauff has been always been an exciting option, but this draw could provide a great opportunity for Simona Halep make another impressive run at a Slam after having made the semis in Wimbledon this summer. She won the title in Toronto and had suffered an injury scare in Cincinnati. He section of eight could see a potential exciting clash between compatriots Madison Keys and Gauff in the third round before the winner takes on Halep in the fourth round.
The quarter however includes one dark horse - Caroline Garcia. The only time she ever reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal was in 2017 French Open and has never made it to the second week in Flushing Meadows in her career, but Garcia has been in an impressive form having recently claimed the Cincinnati title, becoming the first qualifier to win the trophy. She has a potential third-round meeting with Andreescu and fourth-round match against Sakkari.
Quarterfinal: Halep
FOURTH QUARTER:
Not just this quarter, the entire US Open will be on Serena Williams for as long as she is part of the draw. The 23-time Slam winner will be playing her final tournament of her illustrious career. And although not a title favourite, having lost five of her last six matches, but Serena will be the cynosure of the event. She will begin her campaign against 80th-ranked Danka Kovinic before facing Anett Kontaveit in the next round.
This section of the draw offers no outright possibilities despite having some impressive options in Ons Jabeur, Daria Kasatkina, Leylah Fernandez, Barbora Krejcikova, and Ajla Tomljanovic.
Quarterfinal: Jabeur/ Tomljanovic
Semifinal: Pegula/Kvitova vs Sabalenka/Pliskova; Halep beats Jabeur/ Tomljanovic
Winner: Halep
