U.S. Open Day 7 expert picks, including Anderson vs. Thiem and Del Potro vs. Coric

Ricky Dimon and Cheryl Murray of The Grandstand make their picks for three of the best matchups on Day 7 of the U.S. Open. Juan Martin Del Potro, Kevin Anderson, and Dominic Thiem are among those taking the court.

(9) Dominic Thiem vs. (5) Kevin Anderson

Ricky: Anderson owns Thiem to the tune of a 6-1 head-to-head record. But it doesn’t take a genius to analyze their previous meetings and this next one. Anderson leads 6-0 on hard courts; Thiem leads 1-0 on clay. It isn’t complicated. On the bright side for the Austrian, he has raised his level considerably through three rounds in New York from what it was earlier in the summer, while Anderson endured five-setters against both Ryan Harrison and Denis Shapovalov in week one. Thiem will be able to make this one competitive. Anderson in 4: 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(6).

Cheryl: Thiem has done well to get to the round of 16 in New York considering the U.S. Open is not a clay-court tournament. Granted he has had a somewhat favorable draw, but he’s never let that get in the way of an early-round loss on hard courts. The fourth round is a good result for Thiem, but he now runs into Anderson. Anderson leads the head-to-head 6-1, with Thiem’s win coming on…you guessed it…clay. It’s possible the South African is tired following two five-setters in the first week, but it’s still difficult to imagine Thiem coping with Anderson’s serve. Anderson in 3: 6-4, 7-5, 7-6.

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(3) Juan Martin Del Potro vs. (20) Borna Coric

Ricky: Both Anderson-Thiem and Del Potro-Coric should be extremely high-quality contests, but it is this one that is the more appealing from a stylistic perspective. It will feature a nice contrast between Del Potro’s massive power and Coric’s counter-punching, and it will be interesting to see how the Argentine deals with the fact that his favorite shot (the inside-out forehand) feeds into Coric’s strength (the backhand). An edge goes to Del Potro, who has not dropped as set through three rounds and absolutely loves this tournament as a former champion (2009) and 2017 semifinalist. Del Potro in 4: 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Cheryl: This will be the first-ever meeting between Del Potro and Coric. The Croat has had a good year, but not a particularly good summer hardcourt swing. Coric won one match in both Toronto and Cincy, but he has definitely picked up the pace in New York. He’s unlucky to run into an in-form Del Potro in the round of 16. Delpo had three straight-set wins in his first week, and he only played Cincy as a tuneup. He should be well-rested and ready to make a move into the quarters. Del Potro in 4: 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

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(11) John Isner vs. (25) Milos Raonic

Ricky: Apparently the tennis world did not get enough of the Most Interesting Matchup in Sports when Isner and Raonic squared off at Wimbledon. Now they are doing so again in New York. Isner prevailed in relatively routine fashion on a surface that favors Raonic, but the script may be flipped on Sunday. Isner, who generally does his best work on American hard courts, has slumped in recent weeks while Raonic’s level has seriously picked up. The Canadian, who handled Stan Wawrinka with ease in round three, is simply the better player right now. Raonic in 4: 6-7(5), 7-6(4), 6-3, 7-6(5).

Cheryl: Well, you can expect at least two or three tiebreaks in this match, as both men are known for their fierce serving but not for any kind of returning prowess. Isner and Raonic have somewhat similar games, it’s just that Isner executes that game better than Raonic does, as evidenced by the American’s 4-1 head-to-head record. The two of them last met at Wimbledon this year, where Isner eked out a four-set win. Isner in 4: 7-6, 7-5, 6-7, 7-6.

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