When play gets underway on Day 5 at the US Open, Laura Robson and Li Na will kick off proceedings on Arthur Ashe Stadium.  With the power and talent that both of these players possess, it could prove to be an enthralling match with a little bit of everything.  Then again, with the erratic nature of their games, it could also end up a total bust.  It will all depend on whether or not each woman truly shows up on the day.

Li became the first person from Asia, male or female, to win a major singles championship with her run to the 2011 Roland Garros crown. She comes into the match as the fifth seed and as the heavy favorite.  Li has enjoyed a very solid 2013, starting the year in style by winning a title in her native China straight out of the gates and following that up with an Australian Open final appearance.  She also reached the quarters at Wimbledon and has played admirably on the hard courts, posting deep runs at elite events in Miami, Toronto, and Cincinnati. 

Robson’s 2013 has been much less fruitful.  In contrast to Li, the teenager has virtually stalled following the breakthrough successes she enjoyed last season, which included winning the Olympics silver medal in Mixed Doubles with partner and fellow Briton Andy Murray.  2013 has been mostly a string of early-round defeats, and Robson remains without a full-time coach after splitting with Zeljko Krajan this past May after just nine months together.  Her biggest accomplishments this year have been third-round finishes in the Australian Open and Madrid, where she notched a win over Agnieszka Radwanska, and a Round of 16 showing at Wimbledon. 

Clearly, based on their respective résumés coming into this third round match, Li has to be considered the heavy favorite.  Both women possess decent first serves and powerful forehands, but Li unquestionably has more confidence and experience.  She also holds a definite edge in the movement department. 

But, despite the chips piling up in Li’s corner, it would be a mistake to count out Robson.

Players frequently find their best out of nowhere when they return to venues that hold fond memories for them.  The US Open is one of those venues for Robson.  Aside from New York being one of her favorite cities in the world, it was here at last year’s US Open where she became the first British woman to reach the fourth round at any major since Samantha Smith in 1998.  During that run, Robson defeated Kim Clijsters in the second round to end the Belgian’s professional singles career. 

Even more significant, she followed up that win over Clijsters by prevailing in an entertaining three-setter to secure her first victory over a top-10 player.  Robson’s vanquished foe in that match was none other than Li.  That is a fact which is unlikely to be forgotten by either woman as they take to the court on Friday morning, especially since it represents their only meeting as professionals.

Robson may have one other factor working in her favor, and that is the nerves that have a tendency to creep into Li’s game.  The Chinese woman posted respectable results heading into the US Open with her semifinal showings in Toronto and Cincinnati, but she may also remember the way she squandered leads on multiple occasions in both of those semifinal matches.  If Robson can keep it close, Li may struggle to manage the mental side of things, particularly since she has the added pressure of being the higher-seeded player expected to advance to the next round.

There are a number of intangibles going into this match.  Hopefully they all will have the opportunity to play out so that these two competitors can produce a worthy encore performance after the fireworks display they put on last year.  If they can do that, it’s hard to imagine a better way to kick things off on the world’s largest tennis stadium.