US Open 2020: Serena Williams vs Margarita Gasparyan preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Serena Williams vs Margarita Gasparyan

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: 7 pm EDT, 4.30 am IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Hotstar

Serena Williams vs Margarita Gasparyan preview

Serena Williams would be feeling good about her game after scoring a tight two-set win over the dangerous Kristie Ahn in the opening round of the US Open.

The former champion looked surprised by the power of Ahn's groundstrokes early on, but managed to fight her way to a crucial one-set lead. She looked more comfortable as the match went on, closing it out 7-5, 6-3.

Williams is now set to take on 26-year-old Russian Margarita Gasparyan in her round of 64 matchup on Thursday.

Margarita Gasparyan scored her first win of the season in the opening round.

Gasparyan wasn't having the best of seasons heading into the US Open, losing every single one of her main draw matches. However, she managed to battle past Olympics gold medalist Monica Puig in her first match here at Flushing Meadows.

That win might come as a good reminder of Gasparyan's capabilities on hardcourt. The Russian has a couple of titles under her belt on the surface and a second week appearance at the Australian Open.

She has powerful groundstrokes including a single-handed backhand, which is an absolute rarity in the women's game today. On days that she is connecting her shots well, Gasparyan can be a real threat.

Serena Williams vs Margarita Gasparyan head-to-head

Serena Williams tried to mix up her shots in her first round match

Serena Williams leads the head-to-head against Margarita Gasparyan 2-0. She has never lost a set to the Russian, with both of her wins coming at the Slams - Wimbledon 2015 and Australian Open 2016.

However, the American has struggled to find consistency ever since her return in August. She tried to mix things up in her first match here, coming to the net far more often than usual.

Williams did win a fair amount of quick points and saved a lot of energy by not having to indulge in long-drawn-out rallies. The 38-year-old will probably continue to use the same strategy, leaving it up to her opponents to find a way to counter that.

Serena Williams vs Margarita Gasparyan prediction

This match should be one of the easier ones for Serena Williams to have to come through. She obviously cannot completely undermine her opponent, but if she maintains a steady level, she should be able to get the win.

Prediction: Serena Williams to win in straight sets.