NEW YORK, NY, USA - The third round gets underway at Flushing Meadows on Friday, which means seeds bumping into each other all over the place - and jostling with a few surprise packets.
Arthur Ashe
[24] Daniela Hantuchova (SVK #26) vs. [12] Elena Dementieva (RUS #12)
H2H: Dementieva leads 11-4
Runner-up in 2004, Dementieva has been one of the most consistent performers on this stage for over a decade now, her 38-11 record making the US Open her most productive Slam. Question is, with her 29th birthday looming, has the Olympic gold medalist left it too late to bag a major? Only a fool would discount this consummate professional, who, despite recently slipping from the Top 10 for the first time in three years, has the goods to beat anyone - and may actually benefit from a lowering of expectations. The bad news for Hantuchova is that she hasn't beaten her long-time rival in a completed match since 2005. But she, too, continues to show flashes of her very best. The difference in the past has been Dementieva's steelier game. Hantuchova has gorgeous shot-making ability, but will need to be sublime for at least two sets.
Louis Armstrong
[5] Samantha Stosur (AUS #6) vs. Sara Errani (ITA #37)
H2H: Stosur leads 2-0
Stosur leads the head-to-head, but only just: last week at New Haven she saved four match points against Errani, prevailing in a third set tie-break. That scare aside, it won't be lost on the Aussie that Errani has scored one of the upsets of the week, beating Alisa Kleybanova in the first round. And, while the 23-year-old is 0-14 against Top 10 opponents, she nearly beat Safina when the Russian was No.1 and was two points from victory against Jelena Jankovic at Indian Wells. Interestingly, while Stosur is famed for her kick serve, Errani's delivery, while less potent, is nothing if not reliable: she boasts the second-highest first service percentage on Tour this year (75.6%) and is above 80% so far this week. She's Italian, so she can deal with the heat and keep balls in play all day. Stosur's nerve could be the decisive factor.
Grandstand
[19] Flavia Pennetta (ITA #21) vs. [16] Shahar Peer (ISR #19)
H2H: Pennetta leads 3-1
Although Pennetta's ranking has dropped, mostly because she didn't defend points from her title at Los Angeles last year, she 28-year-old has plenty of cause for confidence. This season she has played more singles matches (66) and won more (47) than any other player; with Gisela Dulko she has also won five doubles events to earn the top seeding in the team competition here. Peer's stats are also good - 56 matches played, for 38 wins, fourth among her Tour counterparts. The 23-year-old was particularly impressive earlier in the season, in June achieving a new Israeli ranking record of No.14 after a couple of years outside the Top 20. All of this pair's previous matches were played on hardcourts, with Peer winning the most recent, at Indian Wells. That match went to three sets; another humdinger should be on the cards.
More to watch…
In the afternoon, defending champion Kim Clijsters faces No.27 seed Petra Kvitova on Ashe; Venus Williams plays qualifier Mandy Minella of Luxembourg at night. Wildcard Virginie Razzano plays Ana Ivanovic on Louis Armstrong and another French Open winner, sixth seed Francesca Schiavone, tackles No.29 seed Alona Bondarenko on Grandstand. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the No.20 seed, plays Dulko on Court 11. And although she is out of the singles Melanie Oudin is still flying the flag in the doubles, partnering Jamie Hampton against No.10 seeds Maria Kirilenko and Agnieszka Radwanska in a second round match on Court 4.
