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Match details
Fixture: (9) Garbine Muguruza vs (18) Victoria Azarenka
Date: 3 September 2021
Tournament: US Open 2021
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: New York, United States
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $40,560,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Garbine Muguruza vs Victoria Azarenka preview
Ninth seed Garbine Muguruza will take on familiar foe Victoria Azarenka in the third round of the 2021 US Open on Friday. Muguruza eased past Andrea Petkovic 6-4, 6-2 in the second round, while Azarenka survived a scare from Jasmine Paolini for a 6-3, 7-6(1) victory.
Muguruza had a brilliant start to the 2021 season, reaching the finals of the Yarra Valley Classic and Doha before winning her eighth career title in Dubai. However, the Spaniard saw a dip in form in the subsequent tournaments, even suffering a first-round exit at Roland Garros.
At the Tokyo Olympics Muguruza made the quarterfinals, where she lost to Elena Rybakina. During the US Open Series the 27-year-old managed just one win, but she has looked in stellar form this week at Flushing Meadows.
She will be looking to advance to the fourth round of the US Open on Friday for just the second time in her career.
Her next-round opponent, Victoria Azarenka, knows a thing or two about going deep at the New York Major. The three-time finalist, who fell in the summit clash last year against Naomi Osaka, would be keen to finally win her maiden US Open title.
Azarenka has had mixed results so far this year. She is yet to win a title, but did make the semifinals in Doha and Berlin.
In the lead-up to the US Open, the Belarusian managed to get a quarterfinal run (in Montreal) under her belt. She would now be hoping to bag her third win over Muguruza and secure a place in the last 16.
Garbine Muguruza vs Victoria Azarenka head-to-head
Garbine Muguruza and Victoria Azarenka have met four times before, and their head-to-head is currently tied at 2-2. Muguruza won their most recent meeting in three sets, which took place last year at Rome.
Garbine Muguruza vs Victoria Azarenka prediction
Garbine Muguruza and Victoria Azarenka have similar playing styles. They are two of the smoothest ball-strikers in the game, and we can expect some intense baseline exchanges during the match on Friday.
Muguruza struggled on serve in the second round, winning just 57% of points on the first serve and facing 10 break points. Azarenka, on her part, won over 70% of points on her first serve against Paolini and faced just four break points.
If the Belarusian can exploit Muguruza's erratic serve and keep her own unforced errors under control, she should be able to emerge victorious in this battle of multiple Grand Slam champions.
Prediction: Victoria Azarenka to win in three sets.
