🔊 In the opening round of US Open 2026, experience meets home-court motivation as Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova takes on American Mccartney Kessler. Both players bring an aggressive game to the New York hard courts, capable of producing powerful, attacking tennis. Alexandrova may be the favourite, but this one is far from a foregone conclusion.
Head-to-Head
📊 In their only previous meeting, Alexandrova came out on top, beating Kessler 2-0. That result reflects the gap in class between the two players, though it is unlikely to be the defining factor in the match ahead.
Mccartney Kessler Player Overview
Kessler arrives at the US Open in inconsistent form, winning just 4 of her last 10 matches. In five of those ten she failed to win a set, pointing to recurring difficulty taking games off stronger opponents. She is winning fewer than half of all games per match on average, and her hold percentage sits at 68% - not an elite figure. Her most recent win came against Cadence Brace, but she then lost her next two matches without offering much resistance. Her sets won and overall points balance do not distinguish her among the top-100 field.
Match Results: Mccartney Kessler
Ekaterina Alexandrova Player Overview
Alexandrova is the higher-ranked player and has the results to back it up - five wins from her last ten matches, with no bagel sets conceded. On serve, she holds around 69% of her service games and averages 5.5 aces per match, well above the tour mean. Her set-winning rate of 56% puts her ahead of most opponents she has faced in this tournament. A few stumbles in the second half of August aside, Alexandrova has maintained a strong game-winning rate and moved through the early rounds of big events with confidence.
Match Results: Ekaterina Alexandrova
Key factors
- Kessler has won fewer than 12.5 games in 7 of her last 8 matches.
- Alexandrova leads their head-to-head 2-0.
- Kessler has been bagelled in 5 of her last 10 matches.
- The ranking gap and set-winning percentage both favour Alexandrova.
Expected scenario
Alexandrova is expected to win comfortably and in straight sets, controlling the match throughout and dictating the terms. A third set looks unlikely - the main scenario is a quick two-set win with Kessler picking up limited games. That fits well with the prediction on Player Total Games - Under for the American.
Total Games Prediction
Kessler has regularly finished below 12.5 games even against lower-ranked opponents, suggesting she struggles to sustain her level throughout a match. Against a clear favourite like Alexandrova, clearing that mark looks even less likely - and her recent numbers only reinforce the case for the selected bet.
⭐ Editor's Pick
McCartney Kessler is well short of her best form: a run of straight-sets defeats, a low set-winning percentage, and noticeably modest games-per-match numbers even against moderate opposition. The ranking gap and the disparity in serving consistency both point towards a short match with little resistance from the American. Our pick is McCartney Kessler - Player Total Games Under 12.5.
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Betting Tips: Mccartney Kessler - Ekaterina Alexandrova
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