Priscilla Hon vs Aryna Sabalenka Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to start strong!

An overview, analysis and prediction for the upcoming match between Priscilla Hon and Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open Round of 128, on 26th August 2024.

Given the decided underdog status, Priscilla Hon has come into this match currently placed below the top 100 bracket, Hon had to go through qualifying if she was to make the main draw of the US Open. Lately, she has been playing tennis at the level of patchiness at best, drawing mixed results across a number of ITF and WTA events. The most salient fact in this regard is that Hon qualified for the US Open, reflecting how resilient and gritty she is to get through such hard encounters.

Hon will probably try to disturb Sabalenka's rhythm with her tactical game. Hon is a very solid baseliner with good defensive skills but really doesn't possess the power to engage in extended rallies with Sabalenka. She'll try to engage Sabalenka in longer points with slices, drop shots, and angles to drag her out of position. She'll need to serve well to avoid getting overpowered during her own service games.

World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka comes into this match in hot form, having won the Cincinnati Open, which gave her much-needed confidence after being out with injuries earlier in the year. She had a shoulder problem that caused her to miss Wimbledon. It's her strong baseline game and powerful serving that make her truly one of the top contenders not only in this match but for the title as well. She stands at 44-12 in win-loss this season but has been solid only at the highest level throughout Grand Slam events.

Sabalenka's game plan will be to play her natural game—aggressively. She'll look to dominate from the back of the court with her powerful serve and groundstrokes. Knowing Hon has had issues against power hitters, Sabalenka will look to get on top early in most points and step back Hon to create mistakes. She'll also be looking markedly to coast through her service games with a high percentage of first serves.

Sabalenka has just won the Cincinnati Open, so she is in particularly good form, while Hon has won lower-tier events and has blown hot and cold. The hard courts at the US Open are ideal for Sabalenka's power game, as she herself revealed that she is quite professional on this surface.

This will be the first time these two players have faced each other, so there is no head-to-head record to look at. The absence of past encounters provides Sabalenka with a slight strategic advantage over Hon because it is difficult for her to adapt to the power and aggression Sabalenka can produce on a big stage.

• Under 18 Games at 1.6 Odds
• Under 17.5 Games at 1.69 Odds
• First Set Over 8.5 Games at 2.00 Odds