The U.S. Open has a lot of wide open sections in the draw, with Roger Federer, Tomas Berdych and other players out. This tournament feels like it will be a mad scramble for the quarterfinals and semifinals. Which players will take important steps forward in a tournament filled with opportunity? Before we take a look ahead to Friday’s tennis picks, let’s take a look back to yesterday.
We had a fairly decent day with our tennis picks on Thursday, going 2-1 with our selections. We had hoped to hit a mild upset with Fabio Fognini against David Ferrer but that never came to fruition. The two traded sets for the first four, but then Ferrer outlasted him in the fifth and deciding set. As for our other two picks, we cashed in with Gregor Dimitrov and Juan Martin Del Potro. Del Potro was pushed in the first set by Steve Johnson but after that, it was smooth sailing for the Argentinean as he eventually won in straight sets. As for Dimitrov, he required the full five sets but got past Jeremy Chardy to advance.
Now let’s take a look at Friday’s tennis picks.
Marin Cilic vs. Jack Sock
Marin Cilic, a genuine contender for the U.S. Open title, brushed past Sergiy Stakhovsky with a commanding 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 victory in exactly 100 minutes. The tall Croat is serving big and smacking winners with ease. Since 2011, Cilic hasn’t lost in New York before the round of 16, and it’s going to be hard to halt his progress in the middle rounds.
Next for Cilic is Jack Sock, who romped past Mischa Zverev with a devastating 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 win. Sock desperately needed a quick match after needlessly stretching his first rounder against Taylor Fritz to five sets. Sock has won six of his last nine matches on hard courts. In their only meeting, the American inflicted pain on Cilic by beating him 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in 3 hours and 13 minutes in a home Davis Cup tie. The crowd will be heavily on his side but the 2014 U.S. champion knows how to subdue the crowd. He’s a much better player.
Prediction: Cilic in straight sets
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Kevin Anderson
Both Tsonga and Anderson were quarterfinalists at the U.S. Open last year. This year though, only one will bid to reach that stage as they both square off in the third round. On Wednesday, Tsonga worked hard and required exactly three hours to eliminate Australian wild card James Duckworth. Tsonga survived a stiff challenge and eventually prevailed 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 after converting four of 25 break points.
Tsonga holds a 2-0 head-to-head advantage against Anderson, who convincingly beat Vasek Pospoisil 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-4. If the Frenchman can win against Anderson, he could face Marin Cilic in a rematch from last year’s quarterfinals, albeit one round earlier. Anderson has been hampered by injuries but has shown signs of improvement in form. He reached the quarterfinals in Toronto and the round of 16 in Cincinnati. However, it’s still difficult to assess to what extent he has recovered. It’s even more difficult to choose between Tsonga and the towering South African, but Tsonga probably has an extra gear in a fifth set.
Prediction: Tsonga in five sets
Marcos Baghdatis vs. Ryan Harrison
Ryan Harrison, ranked 120 in the world and a qualifier at the U.S. Open this year, scored the biggest upset of his career. The man from Louisiana beat an injured Milos Raonic 6-7(4), 7-5, 7-5, 6-1 and booked his place in the third round for the first time in 20 Grand Slam attempts.
He next faces Marcos Baghdatis, who has never been past the third round at the U.S. Open and is 0-8 in the last eight third round matches at this stage of the majors. The head-to-head series is tied at 1-1. Baghdatis won their first meeting at Brisbane International 7-6(7), 6-4, but in 2015, Harrison got the better of him in the City of Onkaparinga Happy Valley Challenger final. However, the Cypriot has looked fantastic this week, notching fairly routine victories over Facundo Bagnis and Benoit Paire. Harrison is playing excellent tennis but so is his third round opponent. Baghdatis gets the edge, so take him with your tennis picks in this spot.
Prediction: Baghdatis in four sets
