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Match details
Fixture: Garbine Muguruza vs Tsvetana Pironkova
Date: 3 September 2020
Tournament: US Open 2020
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $39,024,000
Match timing: 11 am EDT, 8.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Hotstar
Garbine Muguruza vs Tsvetana Pironkova preview
Tsvetana Pironkova, returning from a three-year long maternity leave, seemed to have surprised even herself in her first round win at the 2020 US Open on Tuesday. The Bulgarian made the best use of the quicker-than-usual New York courts to dispatch talented youngster Liudmila Samsonova in a confident 6-2, 6-3 win.
Pironkova displayed very little nerves despite playing after such a long gap, firing her usual backhand winners and attacking slice returns from the get-to. She will need all that confidence heading into the next round, where she faces the 10th seed Garbine Muguruza.
Muguruza, a two-time Major winner, had to weather an early storm against Japan's Nao Hibino but managed to come through in a tight two-set match.
The Spaniard had been struggling to find her best tennis since her 2017 Wimbledon triumph, but made a splendid start to the 2020 season. Having reunited with former coach Conchita Martinez, Muguruza made the final of the Australian Open on the back of several impressive wins.
It was a confidence-boosting run that also helped her re-enter the top 20 in the world rankings. Muguruza looked solid on her groundstrokes in both Melbourne and her first-round match at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday, and will look to dictate from the baseline against Pironkova.
Garbine Muguruza vs Tsvetana Pironkova head-to-head
Despite having played on tour together for years Garbine Muguruza and Tsvetana Pironkova have never crossed paths with each other, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0. Muguruza, the more power-packed of the two, will nonetheless enter this contest as the favorite.
Pironkova did get a little taste of that kind of big hitting in her first round, but managed to hold her own in the rallies. She used her signature squash forehand incredibly well to neutralize the pace on the ball, and approached the net successfully on several occasions.
The Bulgarian was also solid behind her first serve, which will definitely give Muguruza a lot to think about.
Garbine Muguruza vs Tsvetana Pironkova prediction
First matches back are always the hardest, but Tsvetana Pironkova did well to resurrect most elements of her game well. The quick courts also worked to her advantage, and she would be eager to return to a bigger court against Garbine Muguruza.
The Bulgarian will need a quick start because Muguruza will likely grow more comfortable the longer that the two are on the court. If she manages to fluster her opponent with her varied play while staying solid behind serve, Pironkova could well continue her comeback match into the third round.
Prediction: Tsvetana Pironkova to win in three sets.
