[1] Serena Williams (USA) vs [14] Elina Svitolina (UKR)

This match is more interesting than seedings suggest.  Svitolina has a very sound serve and a forehand technique that lets her generate a great deal of spin.  That forehand helps Svitolina place the ball where she would like in rallies when she is not on the defensive.

The Ukrainian is also a good mover.  This match could be a trap match for Serena.  If Serena has her serve working and is not spraying too many errors, Serena should force her younger opponent into defensive positions.  This will prevent the Svitolina forehand from dictating play.  However, if Serena is a bit rusty or if she is looking ahead Svitolina can pressure Serena.  Svitolina can play defensive tennis with her court coverage and she can use her serve-forehand combination to dictate play.

Prediction: Serena Williams d. Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-4 – I think it will be close, but Serena would prefer to head to New York with a title on hard courts in hand.