Predicted Winners in BOLD

[5] Simona Halep (ROU) vs. [9] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) – I like Halep in this match due to her mobility and tenacity.  Still, Kuzy is a veteran with a big forehand who just posted another nice win in 2016 in beating Petra Kvitova.  

[2] Angelique Kerber (GER) vs. Daria Kasatkina (RUS) – Kerber had to battle through against Vesnina, but I think she is a solid favorite in this match due to her scrambling and lefty shot-making.

[10] Madison Keys (USA) vs. [16] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)  – I haven’t picked any of the Russian players to win.  That might be an oversight on my part, but I think Madison Keys has a lot of momentum after beating Venus.

[15] Johanna Konta (GBR) vs. [Q] Kristina Kucova (SVK) – Konta leads the US Open Series standings after winning a title last week in California.