Each day during the U.S. Open, Richard Pagliaro will preview three must-see matches—and offer his predictions.
**Louis Armstrong Stadium: Francesca Schiavone (22) vs. Sloane Stephens
<em>Head-to-head: Schiavone leads 1-0</em>**
During her run to the 2010 U.S. Open quarterfinals, Francesca Schiavone compared her style of play to pizza—she dishes out a game flavored by a variety of ingredients. The 2010 French Open champion can mix a spicy menu of spins, speeds and heights in force-feeding opponents a diet of all-court uncertainty. The 32-year-old has reached the fourth round in six of her prior 12 Flushing Meadows appearances and is a shrewd mid-match adjustor, adept at figuring out what you don’t like and giving you just that.
The 19-year-old Stephens must be active with her feet, as Schiavone will try to back up the teenager with heavy topspin and work the short angle with her slice backhand. Stephens is quick around the court, plays with plenty of spin, has a live, loose arm, and serves bigger than her 5'7" size suggests. The American also seems to enjoy the major moments: She reached the round of 16 at Roland Garros and pushed Wimbledon semifinalist Sabine Lisicki to three sets at SW19. Stephens cannot afford any lapses, but if she plays proactively, she can pull off the upset.
The Pick: Stephens in three sets.
**Court 4: Jelena Jankovic (30) vs. Kateryna Bondarenko
<em>Head-to-head: Jankovic leads 3-0</em>**
This match pits 2008 U.S. Open runner-up Jankovic’s consistency and counter-punching against 2009 Open quarterfinalist Bondarenko’s aggressive baseline attack. Since finishing runner-up to Serena Williams in the 2008 U.S. Open final, Jankovic has managed just five wins in Flushing Meadows. Following her trip to the Birmingham final in June, Jankovic slid into a 1-7 skid, but should be confident coming off her trip to the Dallas final last week.
Both players can be streaky, and former No. 1 Jankovic is an emotionally expressive competitor who can create her own brand of on-court drama. Managing emotions and the pressure of the moment will be critical in determining the outcome.
Since reaching the U.S. Open quarterfinals, Bondarenko has failed to surpass the second round in 10 of her last 11 majors, so this is an opportunity match. Nothing is a given with Jankovic anymore, because she can get passive and tight at times, but her two-handed backhand remains a beautiful weapon and she can frustrate opponents with her defensive savvy and court coverage.
The Pick: Jankovic in two sets.
**Court 11: Maria Kirilenko (14) vs. Chanelle Scheepers
<em>Head-to-head: 2-2</em>**
This could be dangerous for Kirilenko for a couple of reasons: Scheepers has won two of their three hard-court meetings, and Kirilenko has played a lot of tennis recently—she's won 13 of her last 17 matches and reached the New Haven final over the weekend where she lost to Petra Kvitova in two tight sets.
Both are veterans playing some of the best tennis of their careers right now. Ranked a career-high No. 12, Kirilenko is coming off a Wimbledon quarterfinal showing, while the 40th-ranked Scheepers reached the Dallas quarterfinals last week. Scheepers is a solid baseliner, who is fit and will likely try to make this a physical, baseline match. Kirilenko, also extremely fit, is an accomplished doubles player who reached the French Open doubles final and won the Olympic bronze medal in doubles.
The Moscow native is more comfortable in transition and closing at net, she has more options, and if she maintains her nerve, she should withstand what could be a tough fight from the South African.
The Pick: Kirilenko in three sets.