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By Chris Oddo | Friday August 25, 2017



We know that eight WTA players possess the potential to rise to No.1 at the conclusion of the U.S. Open fortnight, and with the release of the draw on Friday in Manhattan, we know a lot about what the early—and potentially late—round matchups will look like.

Without any further ado, let’s break down today’s draw winners and losers.

See the complete US Open Women’s Singles Draw Here:

Loser: Simona Halep

Halep drew the short straw and will next face the tall drink of water also known as Maria Sharapova in the first round. Now, there are two ways to look at this. One might see it as a bad draw for Halep, but Sharapova can’t be all that thrilled about facing the No.2 seed in the first round of her first major in a year and a half.

There are complications for both. But we cannot overlook the fact that Sharapova has won all six times that she has faced Halep. Though the Russian will not be match tough, having played just one completed match since the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in May, she’s a professional who knows how to deal with big stages.

Is Halep the type of player that can adequately process the stress this first-round matchup will inevitably be causing her? There are a lot of unknowns in facing a player that has not been in action of late. It’s a worst-case scenario for Halep, but the good news for her is that if she can find her way through, the rest of the tournament might seem like a cakewalk (emotionally) for her.

Winner: Maria Sharapova This is what Sharapova lives for. The chance to make noise and to prove that she’s still one of the best in the sport. She is likely relishing the opportunity of playing the spoiler.


Winner: Elina Svitolina

Many believe that the Ukrainian is ready to make the next step in her rise to the top of the women’s game. Her journey got that much easier in New York because Angelique Kerber is the second-highest seed in her quarter. Nothing against Kerber, but the German really hasn’t given any signs that she’s going to pop out of her year-long malaise in New York.

There will still be plenty of road bumps along the way for Svitolina. Madison Keys, her potential round of 16 opponent, has looked very good this summer, and Jelena Ostapenko and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova have the potential to get hot and make runs, but by in large Kerber’s quarter is the place to be on the women’s side in 2017, and that should help Svitolina.


Winner: Garbiñe Muguruza

The Spaniard is talented enough to not really need the help of a good draw. Let’s preface this section by saying that. That said, she looks to be in good shape with Petra Kvitova as her potential round of 16 opponent. It’s not that Petra isn’t amazing, it’s just that the Czech isn’t really comfortable in New York and she hasn’t begun to settle into form quite yet after making her return from a traumatic hand injury at Roland Garros.

Should Muguruza go through to the quarters she could face either Caroline Wozniacki or Venus Williams. Neither will be an easy foe, but Muguruza would be favored. It’s also a nice break for Muguruza that she was able to avoid Karolina Pliskova’s section of the draw. The Spaniard defeated Pliskova at Cincinnati for the first time but Pliskova had dominated Muguruza until that match, winning six in a row prior to that meeting.


Winner: Venus Williams

Venus Williams has already been to two Grand Slam finals in 2017. Can she make it three? Well, she has a pretty decent route to the quarterfinals, and once a player gets to the last eight, anything can happen, so why not?

Williams will open with a qualifier and could end up facing Caroline Wozniacki in the round of 16. Many have been expecting big things from Wozniacki this summer. She has reached six finals and leads the WTA in wins. But she’s 0-7 lifetime against Venus—how will she overcome that?

Loser: Caroline Wozniacki

The Great Dane may find her way through this draw, but there’s no denying that it is loaded with potential minefields. A potential second-rounder with Ekaterina Makarova is no joke; nor is a potential third-rounder with the hard-hitting Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. If Wozniacki gets through to the second week it could be a back-to-back against Venus Williams and Garbiñe Muguruza just to reach the semis!

Winner: Jelena Ostapenko

Tucked into the bottom corner of the top half, the Latvian will have a good opportunity to turn her hardcourt season around. She faces Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena in round one and could face either Sorana Cirstea or a qualifier in round two. Ostapenko could face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in what would be a slugfest of a third-rounder and beyond that the quarter is up for grabs. This is the section with Elina Svitolina and Angelique Kerber as its two highest seeds. Ostapenko can hit both of those players off the court, and if she finds her form she just might do that.


 

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