Americans Jack Sock and Ryan Harrison will try to maintain momentum and book spots in the U.S. Open fourth round on Friday. Sock has an extremely tough test on his hands with Marin Cilic, while Harrison is going up against Marcos Baghdatis.
(26) Jack Sock vs. (7) Marin Cilic
Cilic and Sock will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the second time this summer when they meet again in the U.S. Open third round on Friday. Their only previous showdown came during the recent Davis Cup quarterfinals, with Sock benefiting from home-court advantage in the United States to pull off a 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 upset. It has been downhill ever since for the 27th-ranked American, at least in singles (he won the doubles bronze medal with Steve Johnson). He lost the decisive fifth rubber of the Davis Cup tie against Croatia to Borna Coric and suffered a disastrous Olympic first-round setback at the hands of Taro Daniel. But Sock has erased demons of 2014 and 2015 U.S. Open retirements with victories this week over Taylor Fritz (in five) and Mischa Zverev (6-1, 6-1, 6-2).
The champion of this event in 2014, Cilic–outside of the obvious top contenders–is looking like a possible title winner once again. Cilic just captured his first-ever Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati and so far in New York he has clobbered Rogerio Dutra Silva and Sergiy Stakhovsky. Sock will be a much tougher opponent, but Cilic is too confident right now and simply too good at Flushing Meadows.
Pick: Cilic in 4
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Marcos Baghdatis vs. (Q) Ryan Harrison
At long last, Harrison is through to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. Although he is still only 24 years old, big things have been expected of the American since he won his first ATP-level match at 15. After showing brief signs of living up to those expectations, Harrison all but disappeared from the main tour over the past few seasons. This summer, however, the former world No. 43 is once again playing some of the best tennis of his life. He successfully qualified and reached third rounds in both Washington, D.C. and Toronto, also qualified for this U.S. Open, and is now in the last 32 following defeats of Adrian Mannarino and Milos Raonic. Harrison rolled over Mannarino 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-3 and benefited from a hobbled Raonic to upset the sixth-ranked Canadian 6-7(4), 7-5, 7-5, 6-1 on Wednesday evening.
Up next for Harrison is a third career contest against Baghdatis, with the head-to-head series standing at 1-1. Baghdatis won their only previous ATP-level tilt 7-6(7), 6-4 at the 2012 Brisbane event before Harrison prevailed 7-6(8), 6-4 in the final of the 2015 Happy Valley Challenger. Whereas the second round of slams had been a massive roadblock for Harrison, the third round has proven to be Baghdatis’ undoing of late. In fact, the 44th-ranked Cypriot is 0-8 in his last eight matches at this stage of majors dating back to the 2010 Australian Open. Baghdatis has looked good this week with relatively routine wins over Facundo Bagnis and Benoit Paire, but a confident Harrison is more than capable of extending the veteran’s third-round woes.
Pick: Harrison in 4
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