LEARNING
Out of the nine mothers who started the event in the singles main draw, three advanced to the quarterfinals, and that trio are all in action on Wednesday: Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, and Tsvetana Pironkova.
Williams faces Pironkova in the day session on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Former World No.1 Williams has beaten Pironkova in each of their four meetings, with their most recent clash coming in Cincinnati in 2015. Williams won both of their two hardcourt meetings in straight sets.
Head to Head
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No.3-seeded Williams is making her 20th appearance at the US Open. She is a six-time champion at the event, tying her with Chris Evert for the most US Open titles in the Open Era (since 1968). Williams also has the most match-wins at the US Open in the Open Era, with 105 (Evert is second with 101).
Williams has won 13 major titles on hardcourt, which is the most of any player on that surface in the Open Era. Across all WTA events, she has won 47 hardcourt titles, more than any other active player.
Pironkova is making her 12th main draw appearance at US Open (13th overall), and her first since 2016. She is contesting her first tournament since Wimbledon in 2017, having spent over three years away from tour on maternity leave. Her son, Alexander, was born in April of 2018.
Prior to this year, the Bulgarian's best run at the US Open was a fourth-round result in 2012. This is her fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance: her best showing at a major is a semifinal run at 2010 Wimbledon (becoming the first player representing Bulgaria, male or female, to reach a major semifinal), and she also reached quarterfinals at 2011 Wimbledon and 2016 Roland Garros.
For the first time in Grand Slam history, three moms are into the quarterfinal.
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2020
1. Serena Williams
2. Victoria Azarenka
3. Tsvetana Pironkova
In the Arthur Ashe night session, former World No.1 Azarenka will square off against Elise Mertens for the first time. Azarenka is a two-time US Open finalist, reaching the championship match in 2012 and 2013 before falling to Serena Williams both times. This is Azarenka's landmark 50th major appearance -- one of nine active players to reach that milestone.
After losing her only two matches of the season prior to last month's Western & Southern Open, Azarenka is currently on a nine-match winning streak, all of which has taken place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. She won the Western & Southern Open title just prior to the start of the US Open, at the same site as the Grand Slam event.
20 of Azarenka's 21 career WTA singles titles have come on hardcourt, including her two Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013.
This is Azarenka's first Grand Slam quarterfinal since giving birth to her son, Leo, in December of 2016. Her most recent prior major quarterfinal was at the 2016 Australian Open. She is seeking her first Grand Slam semifinal showing since her run to the US Open final in 2013.
16th-seeded Mertens is making her fifth straight US Open main draw appearance. This is her second straight trip to the quarterfinals in Flushing Meadows -- she fell to eventual champion Bianca Andreescu in three sets at this stage last year.
Mertens is aiming to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the second time in her career. She also made the final four at the 2018 Australian Open, where she lost to eventual champion Caroline Wozniacki.
The Belgian leads the tour in match wins this season, with 23. Since the resumption of play post-hiatus, Mertens has reached the final in Prague on clay and the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open on hardcourt.
TRENDING
Congratulations to @jennifurbrady95 on reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal! #USOpen https://t.co/999DZU5nyz
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 8, 2020
Thank you @usopen @usta for a great few weeks in the bubble. Very grateful that we have been given an opportunity to play during these tough times. Can’t wait to be back. French next 👀 pic.twitter.com/hXdMooqMHw
— Jessie Pegula (@JLPegula) September 8, 2020
The dream doubles run continues for 🇺🇸s @TaylorTownsend & @asiamuhammad!
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2020
The duo reaches their first Grand Slam SF. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/KSvcp10Zse
Till the very next time @usopen .Thanks to everyone who have made it happen 🎾🙌🏻 #USOpen pic.twitter.com/HjtPl7MY3t
— Oksana Kalashnikova (@OksKalashnikova) September 8, 2020
ORDER OF PLAY
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READING
Neil Schlecht at usopen.org breaks down the steady but sturdy rise of newly-minted US Open semifinalist Jennifer Brady.
Brady added off-season training in Germany to shake up her methods, writes Ben Rothenberg at the New York Times.
WATCHING
