Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will try to take additional steps toward a potential U.S. Open quarterfinal showdown when they take the court again on Thursday. Federer is facing Benoit Paire, while Djokovic collides with Tennys Sandgren.
Benoit Paire vs. (2) Roger Federer
Federer and Paire will be going head-to-head for the seventh time in their careers when they clash in round two of the U.S. Open on Thursday afternoon. It is a clean 6-0 sweep for Federer, who had taken care of Paire in five consecutive straight-setters until things finally got interesting–very interesting–earlier this summer on the grass courts of Halle. The underdog Frenchman had two match points in a third-set tiebreaker before succumbing 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7).
At that point in the season Federer was still somewhat rusty despite a title-winning run in Stuttgart, as he had skipped the entire clay-court swing. Now, of course, the 37-year-old Swiss has himself ready to go for the final major of 2018. He finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic in Cincinnati and got a routine win under his belt on Tuesday night by beating Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. Paire punched his ticket to the last 64 by holding off Dennis Novak 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(5), improving to an even 22-22 for his 2018 campaign. The world No. 56 is in decent form, but not to the extent that he will challenge Federer like he did in Halle.
Pick: Federer in 3 losing 11-14 games
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(6) Novak Djokovic vs. Tennys Sandgren
Djokovic’s comeback from an injury-plagued 2017 campaign was already a smashing success even prior to his first-ever Cincinnati titlte. The sixth-ranked Serb also triumphed, of course, at Wimbledon–where he raised the trophy for a fourth time. Djokovic showed brief signs of slowing down amidst searing heat in New York on Tuesday afternoon, but he managed to recover from a mid-match hiccup and defeat Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Up next for Djokovic on Thursday is a second career contest against Sandgren, whom he recently victimized 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 to touch off his run at the All-England Club. Sandgren was the talk of the 2018 Australian Open on and off the court, but he has cooled off on the heels of a hot first few months of the season and has faded from relevancy. The 61st-ranked American will have to do a lot more than beat a slumping Viktor Troicki in order to prove that he is back on top of his game. Even if he is, Djokovic will likely raise his own level from round one and make this one-way traffic.
Pick: Djokovic in 3 losing 8-10 games
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WWW?
Paire will unquestionably be trickier than Nishioka. But if Fed looks like he did yesterday, it should be smooth sailing. I agree with Ricky’s prediction.
Same with Novak. I hope he wipes the floor with that clown Sandgren…
For once I agree in supporting the Djoker against the Sandman. I hate to like or dislike a player based on his political opinions, but that guy doesn’t even have the courage of his convictions.
Djokovic in 3
Paire in 5
Paire in two.
Federer hasn’t played in a day match at the USO in about 20 years.
Although forecast is cooler than the first few days so not a surprise.
Paire in two???
At USO NO one can win in two in ATP! You can win in either 3 or 4 or 5 only!lol
Fed & Joker in 3 but 1/2 set’s can be tricky!
I guess Hawks thinks Fed will retire after losing the first two sets? Me, I don’t think so. Fed in 3 fairly close ones.
Fed in 3….but an entertaining 3….and sandgren always gives it 100%….but still it’ll be Joker in 3.
Federer in 3 with maybe one tricky set and Djokovic in 3 easy sets.
The thing with Paire is that he could come out playing really well and confidently, pushing Fed hard like in Halle. Or he could come out looking like he didn’t even want to get out of bed today, and lose like 2,1, and 3. You just never know what you’ll get with Paire. Total loose cannon. Also, although humidity can slow down the court speed, really high heat typically can speed it up, which could potentially help Fed to end points quicker.
Hawks is obviously exaggerating, but Paire can definitely win this, particularly since it’s on an very hot day. But Fed retiring from a match? It’s never once happened in over 1,100 matches, so I don’t see it happening now.
You guys are reading into Hawk’s pick WAY too deeply lol
No This is not Fed. This is Fed duplicate. Fed will play in night session. This is Djokovic in disguise.
#FedPlaysInNightSessionyOnly
#YesWillBeBack
#WillContinueToPostGarbage
#GuessWhoAmI
So much for the dangerous kygrios fed third round match!
NK on his way out…(obviously in the pay of devious Swiss agents..)
Amy(Poehler???), you are wrong(always?)!lol
Kyrgios won in 4 sets! Big engines or big bodies like that of Kyrgios takes some time to warm up before it starts to fire! Until it is warmed up…don’t jump the gun!lol
No doubt Kyrgios is flakey and not mentally stable sometimes. But he does not lose to doubles players like Mahut, Herbert etc.!lol
I know you are not a big fan of the big Aussie Bird (Kyrgios)! But…
This is just a joke because I am The (D) Joker!lol
Peace!
Trivia for all guys
How many times Fed has retired in a professional tennis match on ATP Tour.
Yes Answer is 0.
And the biggest TROLL ho does not seem to have a life posts here that he would retire. If he were to retire even, that should be respected as well coz of his past 100% record.
Fedexal-
I understand you’re going through the customary feud with Hawks that we all have gone through at some point. Think of it as a right-of-passage of sorts in the Grandstand community!
My advice to you is to not take the things Hawks says personally- this is ultimately just over a game where people hit a ball back and forth over a net, and nothing more. Hawks loves to stir the pot, and if you can try to learn to take it all in fun, your Grandstand experience can be more enjoyable.
But don’t try to battle Hawks- it’s will always result in either an “L”, or a stalemate. Either way, it’s a losing proposition haha. Right Hawks??
Advice Taken. Best part is to ignore the biggest troll. Can understand and pity people who deal with this guy on day to day basis.
All I can say that we are lucky !!
Advice Taken. Best part is to ignore the biggest troll. Can understand and pity people who deal with this guy on day to day basis.
All I can say that we are lucky !!
Never ever wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.
Are you guys immune to detecting sarcasm?? 😂 #Herbert
One of the shortest games I’ve ever seen when Fed served for 2:2
Admit it, Benny- there are times when it’s really hard
to tell if he’s being sarcastic or not… A couple years of Hawks has turned me into a gullible moron! 😂 And I’ve learned not to ask Hawks if he’s being sarcastic or not, because I know the response will just make me feel even dumber haha!
#HeReallyThinksHerbertWillWin??
#IsHerbertEvenPlayingToday??
#ShouldIPretendLikeIGetTheJoke??
Haha good point Kev
Fed showing more signs of age today. He really can’t play his best during the day anymore; for his sake, hopefully this was his last daytime match. His problems aren’t mental, and haven’t been since AO 2017 final. He’s just slowing down, especially on hot days or when he hasn’t had adequate rest, as in Cinci. It shows in his footwork, and the results are evident in the high number of shanks, which are kind of becoming normal. Again he was helped by a fairly hapless opponent. A more consistent, top-20 player would have beaten him today.
Luckily for Fed, even at his reduced level, he can still be competitive here. Kygrios is a total question mark, Novak is well below his best, and Fed has Nadal’s number these days. If Roger can somehow lift his game for his next 5 matches, he’s still the favourite to win the tournament: imo, his best will beat anyone else’s. However, I don’t think he will be able to do that, and in fact I’m not sure he still has that best level for a Bo5 match. Right now, I put the chances of Fed making the final at less than 50%.
Fed will get one more day match in round 4 but I think it won’t be that hot now on.
The final is a day match too..5 pm
Fed has nadals number these days..yes beat him 4 times last year but don’t speak so soon. Rafa is kinda playing the same level as last but Feds has dropped down from last year
I think Fed can handle a 5pm start, but matches that start around noon are tough.
Big difference between Fed’s R1 and R2 level. He needs something close to R1 level to be competitive with the best. R2 level Fed will lose to R2 level Nadal, for sure.
Nope, Rafa is playing better this year than last year!
Rafa was clueless last year at IW and wasn’t playing well (at least not well enough to be competitive even against a tiring Fed in the Miami final, when both Berdych and Kyrgios were better than him against Fed by extending Fed to three sets and even had chances of beating Fed). Rafa rarely lost to Fed in such manner, he would normally be competitive throughout the match, except on indoor HCs.
I would even guess that had Rafa had his 2018 level of play on the HCs, during his 2017 season, he would fare better against Fed in 2017.
Fed obviously is not playing as well this year compared to last year, so Rafa will most likely reverse the trend this year if they get to meet. If a sub par Djoko could turn it up to beat Fed on Fed’s fave HC surface, I don’t see why a Rafa who’s playing well couldn’t beat Fed.
Normally Paire could be a top 20 player, but his attitude is an impediment. He’s definitely more refined than a lot of higher ranked guys.
Holy shit, Fed is really struggling to put Paire away! Fed was up a double break, and Paire was visibly not even trying anymore! This is odd…
Is anyone hearing about the controversy from the Kyrgios-Herbert match? They’re talking about it non-stop on ESPN. Layani came out of the umpire chair when Nick was down a set and 2-5 or something like that, was tanking his ass off as usual, and basically started coaching Nick and giving him a pep talk!
In my opinion, that is seriously unprofessional, and EXTREMELY unfair to Herbert! I understand what Layani was thinking- I assume he was thinking about the people who paid to see a match, and Nick was completely tanking, so he probably laid into Nick about just stop being a baby and try to win.
But that’s not the unpire’s job! If coaching on court is illegal, then that should include the umpire, too! Herbert must be so pissed about that! He was about to take the set because Kyrgios wasn’t competing, and then Kyrgios gets to have a pep talk? You gotta be shitting me… Herbert is out there busting his ass, and while Kyrgios isn’t even trying. If anyone deserved a pep talk, it should have been Herbert! Layani should have went over to Herbert and said, “Hey man, I just wanted to say thank you for actually trying to win, and not letting this crowd down. Now put this little brat out of his misery, so we can get him the hell out of this tournament!”
Layani will surely be suspended for that. Unbelievable.
Yeah. Layani’s one of my favorite umpires but…he does seem to go soft in the head around NK. I saw it in the Beijing final last year where he was trying to get NK out of one of his funks. That is no part of an umpire’s job, as I understand it.
Good luck to Fed. NK often focuses and plays well for big matches. I really, really do not want to see him in the final. And I don’t want to see Layani in the chair for his matches.
That’s crazy. The umpire must be given a lesson. Even if Kyrgios was tanking, it was his choice. You don’t get down as an umpire and talk like that. That totally changed the match dinamics. That’s subtle mental influence. Someone says they like you and you subconsciously try to prove something. How’s that fair to Herbert?
Layani has developed a multi tasking role lately, eg drying the court with towels
I don’t have an issue with what Layani did! I think he had good intentions! Dont think it was unfair to Hibbert! I imagine Hibbert would much rather play his best against a player who is actually playing their best! Y would he be happy to beat someone who is obviously tanking? Where is the merit in that?! I think the spectators would much rather watch a match where both players r actually playing rather than a match where only ONE is playing while the other is visibly tanking!
I think if a player is tanking, the rule should be that they are to be taken off court, fined and suspended for a few tourneys!! If not, then I c nothing wrong with the umpire encouraging the player to play. The crowd does it all the time by clapping and calling the players names? So whats the difference? I have seen so many players struggle and after the crowd gets behind them the match changes! So is THAT fair?!! If the crowd can do it, y cant the umpire?!
I would be very pissed if Leyani is suspended! Instead, they should use this as an opportunity to change the rules!!
#NotAKyriosFan
#HibbertWillWin
Yeah!….Agree with Monalisa!….I want to see this things on another perspective…I think PHH shouldn’t crumbled like that…..We see a bunch of incidents in the past…bad calls from line judge, bad umpiring,bad Hawkeye challenges,bad crowds,bad opponents etc…They’re professional players…They’re having this kind of things on a daily basis…If things didn’t go their way,they should deal with it professionally & move on…If they can’t,then it’s themselves to blame…Not others…
I think we could take Nole vs Fed vs NY crowds a couple of years back…I think that situations was much more brutal than this incident…And Nole didn’t crumbled..he thrived on it…Very successfully…That’s separate between average & great players…on many level…Especially mental..
Agree with Monalisa! As a spectator, I want to see both players trying and put up a good show, Layani is probably thinking about how the spectators feel, having to put up with Krygios’ tanking.
I don’t see how Herbert would feel good beating a tanking opponent.
Monalisa-
I totally get you’re point of view! And maybe that is the way PHH sees it? But I also feel like a guy like PHH, who can really use the money/attention/everything else that comes with advancing in a Singles draw at a major. I can’t speak for him, but personally I would want to advance in the draw any way I could, and I would feel cheated if my opponent got an advantage that I didn’t get, especially since I would be the underdog like PHH.
Guys like Fed/Rafa/Novak who don’t need any further money or status, it would be easy for them to act like they don’t care of the opponent gets an unfair advantage. But PHH? Not so sure about him… He’s a phenomenal doubles player, of course. But singles is a totally different story.
Ultimately, though, you could be absolutely right. Who knows? I guess I just don’t like it when anyone gets some sort of advantage that the other player doesn’t get.
Kevin, dont get me wrong, I understand that perspective too with regards to PHH. I really do! However, consider this, if both players were truly trying their best but PHH was really struggling the crowd would try to encourage him like they always do, bcos ultimately, the crowd just want a good match, a competitive match, regardless of who wins!
But all I am saying is I don’t agree with the argument that Layani was ‘coaching’. I dont c it as coaching but an umpire who is overseeing a match trying to ensure that the players are providing good value for themselves and the spectators, outside of any rules that have been crafted for a situation like this!! Layani made a call and it was a good one given the circumstances!!!
If they suspend him it would be a travesty!!! He is a very good umpire, very likable! Like i said, instead they should just implement a policy for tanking!! Full stop!!
Did I miss anything while I was away?
My closet ears were burning.
Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!
#WhosYourDaddy
Not much , but your daddy “Fed” retired after 2 sets . Now go home and enjoy !
Homophobe fedexol thinks calling someone gay is an insult. He likely voted for separation and a Trump fan.
I’ll take everything that you badmouth as a complement.
Will start fearing when you start talking positively because thats not expected of the biggest TROLL here.
Hell, I’ll vote for you. At least world will get to see creatures like you exist, something which were perceived to be existent in a museum only now.
homophobes usually take being called out as one “as a complement”.
(As for “TROLLING”, look in the mirror. If there’s one thing worse than a “TROLL”, it’s a hypocritical homophobic “TROLL”).
Such a sadfan.
Oh God!Nole is CRAZY with his defense today!!Hahahaha….But Tennys also not fazed with everythings Nole thrown at him…Impressive!
Let see if he can hold on in the 4th sets…It’s not easy to do that against one of the Greats!…Very possibly he will have nothing left after the hard fought 3rd sets…
Mira Andi- I must admit that I really want Novak to win because I am attending the QF next week, and I DESPERATELY want to see Novak vs. Fed! 🙂 I thought my life was complete when I got to see both Fed and Rafa play last year, but if I get to say that I once saw a Federer-Djokovic match, at a MAJOR? Then my life would be complete haha! I think the only thing that could further complete my life than that would be to see a Fedal final in person at either the AO or USO. 🙂
Kev!…YOU’RE TO SEE QF NEXT WEEK???Then Novak will win today Kev!!Hehehehe….Oh God!…That match is going to be XPLOSIVE!!….I can’t wait too!You’re lucky Kev!…But,we have to wait Fed/Nicky The Brat 1st…I picked Fed to win in that match!…Fedal final here??Oh God!…I don’t know about that Kev!…I picked Rafole final in my Bracket…We’ll see okay??Btw…enjoy your time at USO next week Kev!…
Paire tanked. Hitting unnecessary tweeners. Umpire would have given him a pep talk if Federer wasn’t on the other side of the net.
#BanFavouritism
Paire should be banned just because of his tantrums. He curses everyone. Throws rackets . Misbehaves with ballboys.
I just gotta say as a Fed fan, I am very pleased with what I have seen so far. Not only has Fed won all six sets playing not close to his best but Novak has already lost two sets in two rounds.
If Djoker meets Fed, it would be difficult for Fed unless he wins first two sets quickly.
The thing is, once Djoko sees Fed or Rafa across the net, he’ll summon his best tennis to beat them! He looked half dead vs lesser opponents during Cincy and had to go the distance in almost each of his matches to beat them, then he brought his best game in the final and duly dispatched Fed in straight sets!
Was Fed playing worse than Djoko’s early round opponents? I don’t think so! I won’t be fooled anymore by how Djoko looked in the early rounds of any tournament, slams or not. Another typical example at the slams – AO2016 when he was pushed to the limit by Simon in the early round, made 100 UEs, yet when he was at the SF and the Final, he was totally unbeatable against his fellow big four Murray and Fed.
I’ve learned my lesson – never underestimate Djoko, no matter how poorly he played in the early rounds.
Djoker would feel the effects of the long matches ultimately.
He has played a lot off late and all matches have been long. I see there are lapses in his concentration as you would never expect him to lose a third set after being so dominant.
And I think once of Zverev or Cilic would reach from this half and that won’t be a cakewalk for Djoker or Fed as well.
Yes, so who would Rafa prefer of Fed or Djoker. I think he would prefer Fed. Fed as average against an awful Paire. Although I expect Fed to prevail over Kyrgios, I think Fed’s legs will give up against Djoker who will just grind to victory. Although deep inside, I want that match to happen.
Rafa’s draw is very complicated as well. I think its been a fair draw with Fed’s draw being toughest. Although I dont think Fed is playing well, he was playing better in AO 2018, or even Wimby 2018 .
Its going to be quite an Open and I sense upsets would be less and all seeded players might play one another during the later part.
This is true. Like the rest of the big guns, Djokovic raises his level when it counts the most. I will say I would hope Roger plays better than he did in the Cincinnati final should they meet here though.
Lucky!….I totally,definitely,surely 100% agree with everything u said!…Don’t get fooled when we see Nole like this in ANY matches!…He only needs to see Rafa @ Fed & he will become invincible all of a sudden!…
No where to post about Sasha so I’ll post it here. I was impressed with how Sasha played against Mahut in R2. It seemed to me he’s more aggressive now and more willing to move inside the court to take the ball early, and, he’s certainly moving very quickly around the court! He had 43 winners with only 15 UEs; even when we less off his 10 aces, he still had 33 winners off his ground strokes or net game, I think that’s very impressive in a three sets match. He’s not wasting energy playing five setters in the early rounds, maybe we’re seeing the Lendl effect here?
The way he played in this match, it’s quite similar to how Djoko played the Cincy final vs Fed, ie able to hit big groundstrokes, then moved forward quickly to take the ball early and took time away from opponent; of course Mahut was no Fed, but still, a very effective way of playing and winning matches.
Don’t be fooled. Remember Mahut is ancient 😂 #MrMasters1000
No, not how Mahut played but it’s how Sasha played. I always think/thought there’s something lacking in Sasha’s game and that is he rarely moves inside the court but stays at the baseline to try blowing his opponents off the court.
Now, I’m seeing a Sasha who’s so willing to take the ball early by stepping inside the court so often. I think if he continues to play like this, he’ll one day become invincible like the Djoko of 2011 and 2015, when the big four are gone (of course, not expecting him to beat the big four when they’re still playing top class tennis!).
I hope Tsitsipas, Shapo and FAA can improve too to counter the force that is Sasha, in time to come. I don’t think the likes of Chung, Khachanov, Coric, Tiafoe or Medvedev can do better against Sasha, my opinion of course.
Sascha under Lendl is a dark horse and could surprise.
God I hope not!
#Not a fan of Zverev and his inflated ego!