U.S. Open R4 previews and picks: Djokovic vs. Granollers, Berdych vs. Wawrinka

Novak Djokovic will continue his U.S. Open campaign on Tuesday against Marcel Granollers. Tomas Berdych and Stanislas Wawrinka are also looking for a spot in the quarterfinals.

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. Marcel Granollers

Djokovic and Granollers will be squaring off for the second time in their careers when they collide in the fourth round of the U.S. Open on Tuesday afternoon. Their only previous encounter came in round one of the 2011 Australian Open, with Djokovic dominating 6-1, 6-3, 6-1. Granollers has battled extremely hard to give himself another shot at the world No. 1. In fact, the 43rd-ranked Spaniard has won each of his first three matches in five sets–over Jurgen Zopp, Rajeev Ram, and Tim Smyczek. Granollers, ranked sixth in the world in doubles, is a respectable 24-19 in singles this season.

On the other hand, Djokovic has been in cruise-control mode at the year’s final major. The Serb has taken out Ricardas Berankis, Benjamin Becker, and Joao Sousa all in straight sets while playing just one tiebreaker against Becker. Djokovic owns a 47-8 record for his 2013 campaign, but he is trying to bounce back from a Montreal loss to Rafael Nadal and a surprising Cincinnati setback against John Isner. With Djokovic having cruised and Granollers surely feeling a trio of five-setters in his legs, this should be extremely straightforward.

Pick: Djokovic in 3 losing 8-10 games

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(5) Tomas Berdych vs. (9) Stanislas Wawrinka

Berdych and Wawrinka will be facing each other for the 12th time in their careers and for the third time this season on Tuesday. Wawrinka leads the head-to-head series 6-5, and it is all tied up at four wins apiece on either hard courts or carpet. Berdych prevailed 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(5) in a Davis Cup rubber in Switzerland six months ago before Wawrinka scored a measure of revenge with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory on the clay courts of Madrid. Their only previous Grand Slam showdown has come at the 2009 Australian Open, where Berdych advanced to the fourth round with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 win.

Wawrinka booked his spot in the last 16 this fortnight with scalps of Radek Stepanek, Ivo Karlovic, and Marcos Baghdatis while dropping only one set to Baghdatis in the process. Both players have been in strong form this season, but Berdych may have a slight edge in that department both in general and so far in New York. The fifth-ranked Czech has dismissed Paolo Lorenzi, Denis Kudla, and Julien Benneteau all in three sets, although Kudla at least managed to be competitive. The other two opponents were nothing of a sort. Berdych will be tested in this one, but too much confidence and an ability to win just a few more free points with serves and forehands than Wawrinka should see the fifth seed through to the quarters.

Pick: Berdych in 4

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