US Open 2020: Petra Martic vs Tereza Martincova preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Petra Martic vs Tereza Martincova

Date: 31 August 2020

Tournament: US Open 2020

Round: Round 1 (Round of 128)

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $39,024,000

Match timing: Not before 3 pm EDT, 12:30 am IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Hotstar

Petra Martic vs Tereza Martincova preview

Petra Martic will take on Tereza Martincova, who is unseeded and ranked outside the top 100, in the first round of the 2020 US Open.

Martic is seeded eighth at Flushing Meadows, and played back-to-back weeks in Palermo and Prague before skipping the recently concluded Western & Southern Open. The World No. 14 comes into the Open on the back of two WTA semifinals in 2020 (Dubai and Palermo), and with a good six matches under her belt since the tour resumed.

Martic, who fell to the eventual finalist Serena Williams in the Round of 16 last year, is in a very open section of the draw this time. The Croat is expected by many to reach the quarterfinals if all goes well.

Petra Martic reached two WTA semi-finals this year

Tereza Martincova, on the other hand, is still waiting for her first Grand Slam match win; she has made just three main draw appearances in the past. The Czech is best known for being disqualified at the St. Petersburg Open in 2017 after threatening "to punch" the chair umpire.

In 2020, Martincova's performances have been on a steady upward curve. She reached the second round at the Qatar Open, pushing Maria Sakkari to a deciding set, before eventually getting bagelled to lose the match.

Petra Martic vs Tereza Martincova head-to-head

Tereza Martincova was once defaulted for threatening the umpire

Petra Martic won the only prior meeting against her Czech opponent, which came in 2015 at the Nürnberger Gastein Ladies tournament. The head-to-head in the rivalry thus stands at 1-0 in favor of the Croat.

The conditions are different now though, as Martincova is much more experienced compared to 2015 - which was only her third season as a professional. The 25-year-old also usually favors quick courts like those at this year's US Open, rather than clay which was the surface of their previous meeting.

Petra Martic vs Tereza Martincova prediction

Petra Martic carried niggling injuries throughout her week in Prague, which could potentially be a factor in her US Open run. Game-wise, however, she can hold her own against anyone on tour.

Standing 181 cm tall, the 29-year-old would seek help from her strong serve in New York and try to set up easy putaways with it. Martic would also look to deploy her aggressive all-court game and variety off both wings to register a quick win in her opener.

That said, the Czech World No. 135 can be a tough customer when she is on her game. At last year's US Open Tereza Martincova gave this year's top seed Karolina Pliskova a run for her money, making her fellow Czech dig deep for the win in two tiebreaks.

With the courts being to Martincova's liking, Martic would have to be wary of avoiding a slip-up in the Round of 128.

Prediction: Petra Martic to win in straight sets.