Alexandra Eala vs Iva Jovic - Preview & Prediction - 2026 US Open

0:00Hey guys and welcome back to the channel. We have Alexandra Ayala, the Stevie Yovic for the round three matchup at the US Open. This is the one that everyone was looking at when the draw came out, especially of course, Alexandra Ayala because Iviyovic is a very good friend of hers, but she's also someone who seems to have her number when it comes to matchups. She leads her head to zero and she's won both those matches this year. One in Queens, on the grass, six, two, six, two, and one at Roland Garros, six, four, six, two. So Alex is yet to win a set off either. However, the one thing I will say is that they haven't played on a hard court yet. And I think it's fair to say that in terms of surface, hard courts are Alex's favorite surface. She showed that when she won the 500 in Washington for Iviyovic, I don't know, I think she's got an all good all court game. So does Alex. I don't know whether hard courts are certainly her best surface. I think maybe grass is. She's very solid on all surfaces.

1:01She's got a very good all round game. But my thinking is that Alex's game is more suited to the hard courts in comparison to other surfaces than Iviyovic's if that makes sense. Let's then talk about the matches so far. Break it down tactically and give you guys my prediction. And before we do, of course, if you like this video, do hit that like button and also do comment below who you think is going to win and why. I think it's going to be a really tough one to call if I'm being honest. And also, if you are new to the channel, do hit that subscribe button. We have so much content coming your way, not just about Alex Yala, but about all the players who are playing at the US Open, match previews, post-match analysis, and of course, maybe some cheat clips as well at the slam where Liam is. Okay, let's get into this then. So Iviyovic, she has come through both her matches and straight sets, beat Madeline Afrek in straight sets, seven, five, six, three, and then Franjo and six, four, six, four. For Alex Yala, again, it's been very, very, very comfortable.

2:04Only dropping eight games so far. Six, one, six, two years, Maris Deanna, the former coach player, and then Odininkava, B has six, one, six, four, very awkward players come up against. Both of these players haven't really come up against anyone who's got a similar style. Arguably Maris Deanna maybe has some similarities to Iviyovic, but Iviyovic, I think has a lot more firepower than her fellow compatriot. I mean, Iviyovic hasn't played the lefty or anyone who's got similar traits, I would say, to Alex. In terms of the matchup, now, I think the issues that Alex has had against Eva is, he hasn't been able to hold herself, well, Eva's been very aggressive on return, and she's actually been the one who's looked more likely to break. Even though I think on paper, and generally speaking, if we talk about it from a general standpoint, Alex has a better return game than Eva, I would say, against the top players and just generally on tour. I think she is now a top three returner on the tour.

3:06However, Eva hasn't been a good matchup for Alex because I think Eva hasn't been afraid to be very aggressive on the return. She also hasn't been afraid to go toe-to-toe with Alex in the baseline exchanges. She doesn't necessarily hug the baseline, like Alex and try to take the ball that early, but she's got enough firepower that if she does stand maybe a foot behind the baseline, she can still unload on the backhand or forehand. And I think what she was doing really well is finding good angles on the backhand side, which goes, of course, cross-call into the forehand of Yala, and she was going quite flat or angled or deep and making it very difficult for Yala to actually hit anything penetrating off that forehand wing, which of course, we know, is really crucial because she wants to try and attack with that shot. Similarly, with the forehand to backhand exchange, she was going very hard into the Yala backhand. She was using good angles, making it awkward for Alex, and that was having some successures using the drop shot as well. And I think on grass, that's a really good play.

4:06Only issue that Eva's going to have, of course, on hard core is that the drop shot is not as effective on a hard core, it is on clay or grass variety, generally, just isn't as effective because you have a true bounce. And it's just not going to have the same effect as it would on the natural surfaces. But in saying that, I'm sure she will still have some success, and I think her serve is going to be really key here because she can serve pretty big. I think she's going to be one of, I think she's going to be a really big server in the future, and she's already a pretty big one. In five aces in the first match, at 73% of first, so points one, five in the second match, at 69% of first, so points one. I think she's got a better serve than Yala if I'm being honest. However, the one thing I will say is that Alex is first serve is much improved. So if she's able to hit a spots on first serve, try and limit the second serve she's hitting because I think Eva's going to try and destroy the Yala second serve if I'm being honest, then she puts herself in good stead, Alex. And she then needs to be very proactive

5:09on that plus one shot. That's something that she's been so good at in the last few weeks and months, is backing up that serve with something of quality, whether that's the 400 backhand, but it's got either, it's a good angle shot, it's got good depth, it's got a good pace with the call, it's penetrating. Eva is one of those players who also has very good plus one weapons. So Alex is going to have to be quite patient there. I think sometimes against Eva, she feels like she needs to snatch the point away, but if she's just a tad bit more patient, I think in this matchup against Eva, she will get some errors from the rack of the American. And I think the backhand slice is not a bad ploy against Eva to just mix it up a little bit. If you play the same rhythm, I thought that really plays into the type of star that Eva has that she's able to then calibrate and get into her flow. And that's when it becomes very difficult because her ball striking, I think, does go up a level and I think it can hurt Alex big time.

6:12It's going to be a real tug of war in the points as to who can wrestle momentum in the points. And I think whoever's on the front foot is going to have the better chance of winning because yes, both players can defend quite a lot of both very good moveers, but that's not really what their game is based upon. The Noroco go go, for example, they are more inclined and I think we're likely to win points on the front foot. Predacion wise, we were the 14th seed in Yolage versus the 17th seed in Yala. I think the surface will have something to say and the form of Alex Yala. I know she struggles with Eva. I know they played a, I think it was a pre-U.S. Open, whatever exhibition hatch and I think Yolage won that one as well. But I get the feeling that Yala's going to flip it this time. I don't think it's going to be easy. I think it's going to be three sets. And I do think that I wouldn't be at all surprised if Yolage got the win. Thanks very much guys, take safe while we'll see you next video.