2021 U.S. Open: What to Watch on Thursday

Arthur Ashe STADIUM | 10 p.m.

Karolina Pliskova vs. Amanda Anisimova

Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, the fourth seed, reached the final at Wimbledon in July, losing to Ashleigh Barty in three highly entertaining sets. Amanda Anisimova of the United States struggled with injuries in 2020. She missed the 2019 U.S. Open after the death of her father, Konstantin Anisimov, who was also her coach, and reached the round of 32 at last year’s tournament. Anisimova, 20, is still on her way back to her best tennis, but impressed in her loss to Pliskova, 29, at a preparatory event in August. Although Pliskova is the clear favorite, Anisimova’s abilities should make this match appointment viewing.

Court 11 | 11 a.m.

Anett Kontaveit vs. Jil Teichmann

Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, the 28th seed, reached the round of 16 at last year’s U.S. Open before losing to Naomi Osaka, the eventual champion. Kontaveit, 25, had struggled throughout this year, but secured her second career WTA title last week at Tennis in the Land in Cleveland.

Jil Teichmann of Switzerland is also on an upswing, having reached the finals of the Cincinnati Masters in August after knocking out three seeded players. Teichmann, a 24-year-old ranked 44th, has become a regular thorn in the sides of seeded players due to her adaptability. This skill leads to highly variable matches as Teichmann pokes and prods at her opponent’s game with a variety of powerful and deft shots.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/02/sports/us-open-matches-thursday.html