Maria Timofeeva vs Elise Mertens Preview & Prediction | 2026 US Open | Second Round

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Elise Mertens takes on Maria Timofeeva at the US Open. 

Start date/time: 3 September 2026 at 4:00 pm

Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York, USA

Surface: Outdoor hard

How to watch on TV: UK – Sky Sports Tennis / USA – ESPN

How to watch online: UK – Sky Go / USA – ESPN+

Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Maria Timofeeva vs Elise Mertens ticket information

Maria Timofeeva vs Elise Mertens prediction

Maria Timofeeva marked her US Open debut with a win, as she beat qualifier Tamara Zidansek in straight sets. Timofeeva won 6-3 7-5 after one hour and 46 minutes. She arrived in New York with encouraging form after coming through qualifying in Monterrey, where she defeated Lanlana Tararudee and Kamilla Rakhimova before comfortably beating Shuai Zhang in the main draw. Timofeeva has also won two WTA 125 titles this season and is currently at a career high of 86 in the world. 

She faces Elise Mertens in round two. The Belgian beat Kaitlin Quevedo in straight sets. Mertens won 79% of her first serve points and never dropped serve, winning 6-4 6-4. She had only just reached the final of the Monterrey Open a few days earlier.

Mertens came from a set down to beat Timofeeva at Wimbledon this year, so she leads the head-to-head 1-0. Timofeeva’s improving form makes her dangerous again, but Mertens is the favourite.

Maria Timofeeva vs Elise Mertens tip: Elise Mertens to win