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Preparing for a Grand Slam Triumph - Page 11

© Michael Cecilio

Silvija TALAJA (CRO) vs Anke HUBER (GER)
Head-to-Head Series: FIRST MEETING
This has the potential to be an interesting encounter. Silvija Talaja has really made huge strides on the WTA tour this year and has jumped up in the rankings from the lower echelons of the Top 100 all the way to the 30's. She should be able to give Huber a tough first round match. Anke Huber has had a mediocre season so far and this year, she has fallen prey to players she would once beat in a flash. Since incurring that foot injury last year, she has not gained her full stride yet and we are hoping that she can still play with the gusto of a top 10 player. Still, Huber's aggressive groundstrokes and her affinity with the hardcourts should give her an edge in this match. It is Huber's match to win or lose, provided that she can keep consistent from the baseline and keep her error count to a minimum.
Predicted Result: HUBER in THREE SETS
Actual Result: HUBER in THREE SETS

Irina SPIRLEA (ROM) vs 6-Amanda COETZER (RSA)
Head-to-Head Series: COETZER leads 4-3
Irina has never really done herself justice. She has an incredibly beautiful style of play, but rarely converts this talent into victories because of a lack of mental toughness, a lack of confidence and a lack of motivation. She enters the US Open this year with not much confidence in her game, having lost 10 first round matches in 18 tournaments this season. Given that Irina has not got a lot of confidence, the ever-consistent Amanda should be able to strike up a win here.
Predicted Result: COETZER in THREE SETS
Actual Result: SPIRLEA in TWO SETS

Chanda RUBIN (USA) vs 16-Conchita MARTINEZ (ESP)
Head-to-Head Series: MARTINEZ leads 8-1
This one is probably the toughest one to call of the lot. It is hard to predict a victor for this encounter, based on recent form or based on past head-to-head encounters. Both players seem to be having a rather up-and-down season, not really being able to sustain momentum from good tournament performances, and have thrown in the odd opening round loss a couple of times this season. Their head-to-head gives Conchita a pretty convincing edge, however Chanda won their last hardcourt meeting quite convincingly. Most of the other times they had played one another were during Conchita's hey-days as one of the top ranked players, and it is fair to say that she has fallen considerably since reaching that peak. If the encounter were on a claycourt, I would have to give Conchita a slight edge. But they will be playing on a faster hardcourt surface, and I think that Rubin's power from the baseline, provided she doesn't make a rash of errors like she used to, will be enough to unseat the Spaniard veteran. But only just.

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