US Open 2022: Victoria Azarenka vs Marta Kostyuk preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (28) Victoria Azarenka vs Marta Kostyuk

Date: September 1, 2022.

Tournament: US Open 2022.

Round: Second round (Round of 64).

Venue: New York, United States.

Category: Grand Slam.

Surface: Hard.

Prize money: $60,102,000.

Live telecasts: USA - ESPN & ESPN2 | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sony Liv, Sony Ten & Sony Six.

Victoria Azarenka vs Marta Kostyuk preview

2022 US Open - Day 2

Victoria Azarenka will face Marta Kostyuk in the second round of the US Open on Wednesday.

Azarenka hasn’t had any spectacular results this year. The Belarusian has garnered 17 wins and 10 losses so far, only reaching the quarterfinals of two tournaments this year.

She did start her year by reaching the quarterfinals of the Adelaide International where she was ousted by Iga Swiatek in three sets. Since then, Belaruisan has seen a dip in her form. She made early exits from the Indian Wells Open, Miami Open, Western and Southern Open and the 2022 Roland Garros. She recently reached the quarterfinals of the Citi Open, where she lost to Xiyu Wang in straight sets.

The two-time Australian Open champion progressed to the fourth round of the Australian Open this year, but wasn’t able to advance past Barbora Krejcikova and lost in straight sets.

In her first-round match at the US Open, she outclassed qualifier Ashlyn Krueger in three sets and won 6-1 4-6 6-2.

2022 French Open - Day Three

On the other end, Marta Kostyuk has had a solid season so far with 22 wins and 14 losses. She reached the semifinals in Granby in the week before the US Open and had to withdraw from the match due to a shoulder injury.

Prior to an exhibition event at the US Open to show support for the Russian-Ukraine conflict. Marta Kostyuk displayed protests over the participation of Russian and Belarusian players in the event. Belarus is a close ally of Russia and has allowed Moscow to use its territory to launch its expeditions into Ukraine.

Kostyuk took revenge for her 2022 French Open opening-round loss to Mayar Sherif and advanced to the second round of the US Open with a straight-sets win over the Egyptian 7-6(2), 6-4.

Victoria Azarenka vs Marta Kostyuk head-to-head

The head-to-head between the two is 0-0 as Wednesday's match will be their first meeting.

Victoria Azarenka vs Marta Kostyuk odds

Player Name	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Sets
Victoria Azarenka	-175	-2.5(-250)	3 sets (+140)
Marta Kostyuk	+135	+2.5(-220)	2 sets (-200)

(All odds sourced from betmgm)

Victoria Azarenka vs Marta Kostyuk prediction

BNP Paribas Open - Day 7

The Russia-Ukraine conflict could be an underlying motivation for Kostuk to perform well, especially after the US Open exhibition-match incident. Both players will look forward to bringing their aggression to the court with utmost sportsmanship.

Under any other circumstances, the 33-year old would have been the clear favorite to win this round due to her experience but she has struggled to find consistent form. Azarenka struggled to maintain her momentum in the first round match, losing the second set 6-4. While she ultimately overcame her hurdles and won the match, Kostuk presents a tough challenge for the Belarusian.

Marta Kostyuk is currently the more in-form player with her recent semifinal run at the National Bank open. However, the Ukrainian is prone to unforced errors and frequently hits double-faults at crucial moments. She served six double faults in her opening round and only made 62% of her first serves. If Azarenka is able to capitalize on Kostyuk's serving woes, she should be able to reach the third round.

Pick: Victoria Azarenka to win in 3 sets.