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Match details
Fixture: (9) Johanna Konta vs Sorana Cirstea
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: 1.30 pm EDT, 11 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Hotstar
Johanna Konta vs Sorana Cirstea preview
Ninth seed Johanna Konta will be in the hunt for a third-round place when she takes on the 77th-ranked Sorana Cirstea at the US Open 2020 on Thursday.
For the British No. 1 it has been an up-and-down year. Out of the six tournaments she has played this year, she has reached the semi-final in two while suffering opening-round defeats in the other four.
Interestingly, the last semi-final that she reached happened to be at Flushing Meadows last week, where she went down to Victoria Azarenka at the Western & Southern Open.
That performance was definitely a confidence-booster for the World No. 13 who rode on it to oust her compatriot Heather Watson 7-6(7), 6-1 in the first round of the US Open.
Former World No. 21 Sorana Cirstea has won just one main-draw match all year at the WTA level or above which came at the Australian Open first round. However, that could not deter her as she put on a show of determination and courage in her gritty 6-4, 7-5 victory over World No. 75 Christina McHale in the first round here.
Johanna Konta vs Sorana Cirstea head-to-head
Johanna Konta and Sorana Cirstea have crossed swords only once before with the result going the British player's way. It was on the fast grasscourts of Eastbourne where Konta blew away Cirstea 6-2, 6-2.
Johanna Konta vs Sorana Cirstea prediction
Johanna Konta thrives on pace and timing and if she can get ahead with her first-strike tennis she can be a quick front-runner. She put up a wonderful display of her skills at the Western & Southern Open last week where she did not drop a set in three matches before the semi-finals.
Even in that blockbuster last-four clash with Victoria Azarenka she served well and took a set, before the former World No. 1 stormed back.
By dint of ranking and recent results, Konta has the edge in this match. However, Cirstea is an offensive retriever of the ball who can also move forward at the right time, as shown by the 16 net points she grabbed in her first-round match.
Konta needs to be sharp right from the start and keep the points short, or else she could have her hands full with Cirstea.
Prediction: Johanna Konta to win in straight sets.
