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Match details
Fixture: Johanna Konta vs Heather Watson
Date: 1 September 2020
Tournament: US Open 2020
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $39,024,000
Match timing: 12:30 pm EDT, 10 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Hotstar
Johanna Konta vs Heather Watson preview
The first round of the 2020 US Open will see a mini version of the 'Battle of the Brits' on Tuesday, as compatriots Johanna Konta and Heather Watson clash against each other on Tuesday.
Johanna Konta has been the highest-ranked British player among both men and women ever since Andy Murray's injury and subsequent decline. The 29-year-old has won three singles titles on the WTA Tour, with her most significant one coming at the Miami Open Premier Mandatory in 2017.
Konta had her best Slam run last year, as she reached the semifinals of the French Open and the last eight at both Wimbledon and the US Open. But the World No. 13 had a bad start to her 2020 season, losing in the opening round at the Australian Open to Ons Jabeur and again losing her first match at the St. Petersburg Open.
The Brit has since recovered somewhat, reaching the semifinals in Monterrey and at the Western & Southern Open last week.
Meanwhile, Heather Watson's biggest claim to fame remains her performance at Wimbledon 2015 where she gave the eventual champion Serena Williams a major scare in the third round. Watson was two points from victory, but Williams held on to win the intensely contested match.
Watson has managed only seven main draw Slam wins in the five years since. And although the 28-year-old has lost her last three matches on the WTA tour, she has had some good results in 2020 - reaching the semifinals in Hobart and winning the title in Acapulco.
Johanna Konta vs Heather Watson head-to-head
The head-to-head between Johanna Konta and Heather Watson currently stands at 3-0 in favor of Konta.
The older Brit has won all of the previous meetings between the pair, with their last match coming at Nottingham 2018 where Konta prevailed 6-4, 7-6.
Johanna Konta vs Heather Watson prediction
Johanna Konta would be hoping that her dismal Australian Open performance was only a minor blip. She would look to continue her good form from 2019 in the Slams when she steps on the court to play her Fed Cup teammate Heather Watson.
Konta has had inconsistent results at the US Open, reaching the Round of 16 or better on three occasions and losing in the opening round on the other three. The 29-year-old would want the 2020 edition to be more of the former than the latter.
Watson, on the other hand, is looking for the very first US Open win of her career; she has never won a main draw match at the New York Slam in eight previous appearances. On Tuesday, she would hope to get that monkey off her back.
Watson has a complete game and possesses high on-court intelligence, which she would have to use to counter Konta's flat groundstrokes and sharp angles. But that's easier said than done.
Prediction: Johanna Konta to win in three sets.
