Novak Djokovic will take on rival Stan Wawrinka for a spot in the U.S. Open fourth round on Sunday. Meanwhile, newly-crowned villain Daniil Medvedev continues his campaign against qualifier Dominik Koepfer for a spot in the quarterfinals.
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (23) Stan Wawrinka
Djokovic has already had an injury scare in New York. The shoulder pain that bothered the Serb in Cincinnati had him wincing all through his second round match against Juan Ignacio Londero. He received treatment on court several times before closing out the the match in straight sets. There were no obvious signs of pain in his third-round match against Denis Kudla, but in his post-match interview the defending champion and world No. 1 refused to discuss his condition beyond saying that he played “virtually pain-free.”
If there is lingering soreness there, Wawrinka is going to expose it. Djokovic has an impressive head-to-head record over Wawrinka, but the matches the Swiss has won are the important ones. Sunday will mark the 25th meeting between the two men, and Wawrinka has only won five…but his three most recent wins came at the U.S. Open, Roland Garros, and the Australian Open.
Wawrinka has been slowly making his way back from left knee surgery and now appears to be back to top form physically. Despite the fact that he is the No. 23 seed, Wawrinka is a formidable opponent and this match has the potential to be the match of the tournament so far. It’s hard to pick against Djokovic, as he’s such a rock at the majors, but if Wawrinka finds a way to win it won’t be a huge surprise.
Cheryl pick: Djokovic in 4
Ricky pick: Djokovic in 4
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(5) Daniil Medvedev vs. Dominik Koepfer
Controversy is nothing new for Medvedev. In 2017 at Wimbledon, the temperamental Russian threw a handful of coins at umpire Mariana Alves’s chair. After the match, he was unable to explain why he chose that particular protest. He upped the villain ante on Friday in New York. A tired Medvedev was the surliest we’ve seen him in a while. He yanked a towel from the hands of an unsuspecting ballkid and threw it on the ground, which nabbed him a code violation. He gave the booing crowd the middle finger, threw his racket in the direction of chair umpire Damien Dumussois, and when he finally defeated Feliciano Lopez he trolled the still-booing crowd by telling them they’re the reason he won the match.
Koepfer has been much quieter as he’s made his way through the draw. The qualifier pocketed excellent wins over Reilly Opelka and No. 17 seed Nikoloz Basilashvili to set up this fourth-round encounter with Medvedev. The Russian will still be considered the favorite to make the quarterfinals, but given his trouble with cramping earlier in the tournament and his physical exertion against Lopez, it could be an excellent opportunity for the world No. 118 to get an upset win over a top 10 player.
Cheryl pick: Medvedev in 4
Ricky pick: Medvedev in 3
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Djoker in four and Koepfer in five
D4, M3
Joker in 3 (though my heart says Wka); Medv in 3.
Tense times for a Nole fan. I don’t like his pain management plan – nor do I trust it to be the best. But if he went somewhere credible while in NYC and had an MRI and careful diagnostic assessment on the shoulder after that match when he was clearly in debilitating pain that was bad enough to restrict his arm movement – then I have to keep my mouth shut, go along, and support him. Hope he wins and can play his best otherwise, advantage Stan. I’m not comfortable predicting this one.
I’m with you, Elizabeth. The disappearing pain has me concerned about more permanent damage. I hope all is well.
Thank you, Cheryl.
Hope all is well too.
Cheryl..fed is playing so well ..primed to win uso ? I think djoko if he makes semi will have tough ones against stan n Medvedev n fed will have him..fed anyways has rafas number now outside clay..I think fed is winning uso
Sanju, I’m never surprised when one of the Big 3 wins a major. But just like Rafa at the Australian Open, Fed isn’t really at his best in New York. I’m not inclined to consider him the favorite just yet, but his prospects are certainly higher since it seems Djokovic is not 100% healthy.
Prospects about Rafa Cheryl ? Hope he can survive cilic (:-
He was a little scratchy in his last match, but generally I’ve been impressed with his form. I don’t think Cilic is playing well enough to take him out. I expect that we will see him in the final next Sunday.
Medvedev in 3. Like he said – winning the next 5 matches 😀
HA! the late bloomer,25 y/o qualifier, Dominik Koepfer takes the first set, impressively.
Liking Koepfer’s tennis brain already but actually hoping the bad boy Medvedev wins because he’s my bracket pick. And one reason the baddy boy is deep in my bracket is to cheer me up if he wins, because I really hope he LOSES 😀
The fans are too quiet. Medvedev needs to do something off color to get the crowd into it. But Medvedev already has 20K in fines for his conduct… so maybe he wants to forget his absurd speech. Daniil looks fairly subdued tonight. I think it’s 500K on the line if one reaches a GS QF US Open…that is what I thought I heard a commentator say. What a great win for Koepfer that would be!!
Ha, so Medvedev gets a fine! That’ll at least keep him well behaved for a while; he’s there to make money, not losing money!
It appears now that Medvedev has perked up a bit and wants this win. He’s put more pace on the ball and took the 2nd set easily.
Come on Koepfer, keep fighting!
Koepfer should retire, he can’t win. Give Medvedev his best chance in the quarter finals.
Let the chips fall where they may.
Right. Maybe they should cut a deal, Koepfer retires for 25% if Medvedev’s prize money? Are you sure you used to play tennis?
?
Sorry, Elizabeth, that flippant remark was not aimed at you. Also sorry about Djoko’s retirement. He seems optimistic about playing Tokyo but I hope he learns from others’ mistakes in playing with injuries and takes the time he needs to heal up.
The crowd, if they want Koepfer to win, better don’t make so much noise in cheering for him, it may just spur the defiant Medvedev to play better and better to get the win in the end.
It’s just like Fed vs Djoko at Wimbledon; Djoko and Medvedev both work on the negative energy the crowd send them! Meanwhile, Medvedev is serving some second serve bombs that Koepfer just couldn’t handle. Medvedev’s serve is really something, especially his booming second serve when he needs them.
Medvedev is really taking after his model player Djoko, both in game style and personality on court. I do admire what both could do with their game on court, amazing players.
Ouch. But I do see why you say so, Lucky. I took me awhile to appreciate and then root for Novak. But I never thought ill of him like I do Medvedev.
Well my TV is forcing me to watch Keys and Svitolina now. Which is fine with me – I wanted to catch their match. No more Medvedev Koepfer for me now, anyways.
Djoko doesn’t behave as badly as Medvedev.
Medvedev has a nasty side of him that we won’t like, but I do feel that’s because of his strong desire to win, to be successful and then getting to live a good life out of his success. At least he works hard at it, making full use of his talent, but at the same time is ambitious, unlike Davydenko who was more interested in gathering his wealth by winning as many smaller events as possible instead of winning the big titles. I like Davydenko btw, because he did play good tennis when his game was on.
At least Medvedev will make full use of his talent, unlike that Kyrgios guy.
Thank you, for the kind words about Nole, Luckystar.
I don’t care what motivated Davydenko. I just loved watching him.
Tennis needs Medvedev’s no matter what I feel about him, and well…I believe I’m alone on this: also Kyrgios.
Am I the only one cheering for Medvedev? I really want to see him doing well at a slam, to seal his position as a TOP five player; not like Sasha who’s under so much criticism for not getting past a QF at a slam after being in top ten for so long!
All the former regular old Guards in the TOP ten – Tsonga, Berdych, Ferrer, Stan, Cilic, Delpo – they have at least reach a slam final if not winning it.
Come on Medvedev, send this Koepfer guy packing!
I think at least you, Lucky, and Jim Courier are on the same page cheering for Medvedev. I have no well wishes for Medvedev. Only good is that his win here will help my bracket.
Koepfer is the one I’d like to see get the boost from the 500K!
Svitolina – Keys match is good, so far. I need Keys to win but I like Elina Tennis more.
Big hold by Medvedev. 0:40
In the women’s, Wang hasnt dropped a set. Theres a good chance she’ll give Serena a spanking out of nowhere. If not, she will prob play Svitolina which I dont think Serena would want. Svitolina is a tough nut.
Thanks for coming Koepfer
Haha. Medvedev.
Ha ha Medvedev wins in the end despite being the rascal that he is.
Well done to both guys. Medvedev’s defiance helps him to win? Actually I want him to win too because of the crowd ( I can’t stand a crowd that cheer against a player consistently throughout a match, which was also why I wished for Djoko to win against Fed at Wimbledon). I mean in Medvedev’s case, it’s a new match, a new day, stop cheering against him if he doesn’t do anything wrong in the match to warrant the ‘hostility’ against him.
I admire Medvedev’s guts, guts to take on the New York crowd! They behave like big bullies imo!
They were just miserable to Djokovic for YEARS because of that Roddick incident. In fact, they still won’t cheer for him…they just don’t boo him anymore. They’re a little….feral.
He’s even less popular at Wimby for reasons I don’t need to explain.
Well unlike Medvedev, Novak actually wants to be loved and respected and it’s hard on him when he’s accomplished so much and seems to expect at least respect – but he is still the bad guy of the big three.
Medvedev truly doesn’t give a rats what the crowd thinks. Maybe after he works his arse off for another decade, has won many titles and held #1, he will not be quite so fine with the constant bad guy role. I would admire his sarcastic speech more if he had not earned the booing by jerking the towel out of the kid’s hand, throwing it down and flipping off the crowd. He asked for it in that last match and got it. He is, however I feel about him, clever and amazingly talented. And his little dance after his match tonight was cheeky. He does like being Daniil Medvedev at this point!! lol
Maybe over time I will no choice but to appreciate him. Or not.
Congrats to Elina Svitolina! Sorry for all the brackets that picked bracket busters: Keys, Halep, Pliskova, Barty, ect… Nice to have Svitolina healthy and moving well.
Elizabeth, you’re right. Nole’s desire to be liked is one of the reasons the New York crowd dislikes him. They’re kind of mean that way. My kids would call him a try hard.
And I agree that being disrespectful to a ballkid is poorly done. Those kids don’t get paid…there is NO EXCUSE for that kind of behavior. He definitely earned Friday night’s boos.
Cheryl, for your kindness — thank you again.
And I am not up to watching Novak play. Time for me to take a walk. Some good tennis today. Cheers. I’ll check scores maybe tomorrow LOL… how the heck did I get so attached to a tennis player!
Elizabeth – when I was young, I was like that with Andre Agassi. After a while, I couldn’t bring myself to watch him play Pete Sampras. It was so excruciating. So I know the feeling.
I can relate to that totally as an Agassi fan. But I consoled myself that Agassi had the edge on the slower high bouncing courts.
A question I keep asking myself…
Do you really think Novak is disliked? He’s certainly well liked at RG. Is it just that more fans prefer Roger or Rafa? Why can’t fans be as adult about rivalries as most players seem to be? Rafa would think it insane to dislike someone because he beat him at tennis! Plus if players acted like that he and Roger would be the most hated guys in the locker room, which they are certainly not.
But he didn’t earn this one today, that was last match. A mature crowd would have moved on and behaved like adults instead they kept on the booing. I am not a fan of medvedev at all but what he did with the ball boy was bad but we all have done stupid irrational things when we are frustrated, in pain or losing something. Doesnt excuse it but he was not taking it out on the kid intentionally, he was just lost in frustration. Please he didn’t kill anybody.
The crowd continuing on is bullying period. Medvedev trolling them again is just comedy gold again. Sorry but the crowd deserve it. I dont think djokovic cares whether he’s liked or not any more, he has earned his place as one of the greatest and deserves respect and he has my respect in abundance. He’s after federer’s record and all the haters better start respecting him whether they want to or not. He has won 4 of the last 5 grandslams. And this is not the first time he has done it nor the second time he has done something similar or close,I rest my case.
Hi Happy, I’m with you about the crowd’s behaviour towards Medvedev and Djoko.
Medvedev didn’t do anything wrong in this Koepfer match so he didn’t deserve the treatment from the crowd. Yep, I’m so pleased that he got the chance to retaliate against them and to irritate them in the end! Just don’t like their bullying, poor Djoko, just because he offended them during that Roddick case doesn’t mean he deserves such treatment from them year after year.
Dang it Koepfer! Happy for Medvedev, I like him as a player and I have had mixed opinions about his recent antics (not a fan of his actions vs Lopez but impressed at his response to crowd and I found some of the stuff he has done or said hilarious but also annoying) but I really wanted Koepfer to win this one. It would have been incredible to see the underdog continue his run. Kudos to Medvedev though. One of the least surprising maiden runs to a slam quarter final ever LOL
It’s a really big ask to get through qualies and then reach the quarterfinals, you know that! Koepfer had a great tournament, seems like a nice guy and I wish him well.
Benny, I’m with you about Medvedev. I’ve already seen the nasty side of him well before this USO, so I’m not surprised by his behaviour in the Lopez match. He was bad and so he deserved the jeering and booing, and also the fine imposed for his bad behaviour. He’s witty and gutsy though, dare to go against the crowd and irritated them further!
I don’t see the need to cheer against him in this Koepfer match though, as he wasn’t behaving badly. It’s unlike Kyrgios where no matter how badly he behaved, the crowd still wanted to support him in his subsequent matches! It’s ridiculous! As if encouraging Kyrgios to continue with his bad behaviours.
I hope Medvedev reaches the final and meets Rafa there, Rafa will show him what’s good behaviour and I doubt Medvedev will be disrespectful towards Rafa. I just hope the crowd don’t get too enthusiastic cheering against Medvedev to spur him into giving Rafa tonnes of problems!
I think Medvedev’s behavior toward the ball boy was inexcusable! Period!
I am with Elizabeth in saying that he richly deserved the boos from the crowd. New Yorkers are tough but honest. They don’t like to see someone treat a ball kid like dirt! Bravo to them!
Medvedev’s speech to the crowd was self-indulgent and stupid. Since when did the New York fans get to bullies? The guy gave them the finger, threw his racket and worst of all, violently grabbed the towel from a ball kid. He got exactly what he deserved from the crowd.
I guess it’s been too long since 9/11. Attitudes have sure changed since then.
yep, he really earned the boos from the crowd by behaving like that.
The fact that that he is able to use that negative energy to spur himself is fun to watch though
No NNY, it’s not about that match, it’s about this Koepfer match. He didn’t behave badly yet the crowd still cheered against him, to me that’s bullying!
They bully Djoko too, no matter what he does! I never like the New York crowd tbh! They pick and choose who they want to bully, they condone Kyrgios bad behaviour no matter what, still cheering for him despite his ongoing bad behaviour.
The New York crowd ARE bullies period. So it’s okay for them to continue booing medvedev in this match when he actually behaved well and cheer for kyrgios when he does MUCH MUCH worse consistently and boo djokovic no matter what he does for years since that roddick incident. With all due respect that’s not logical imho.
They booed osaka last year. Whether they understood what was going on or not then, does not excuse booing her when she was announced as the winner IN THE TROPHY PRESENTATION. if they wanted to boo, boo the chair umpire especially when he comes to receive his reward though the chair umpire did nothing wrong actually. Causing the poor girl to cry and apologize for beating serena, now that’s inexcusable.
Exactly Happy! The New York crowd, they’re the big bullies, and yes I forgot about the Osaka case last year.
They just want to bully those that they don’t like, I mean Serena herself at times was a big bully herself yet they won’t boo her as she’s their own people. Osaka didn’t do anything wrong but she got all the booing.
Novak-Stan is one of my favourite match ups. The quality of baseline rallies is just breath-taking! This is such a big test for Novak. We know he has developed the ability to raise his level at the final stages of slams but what happens when he is up against this big a challenge as early as in the 4th round?
Stan is playing great and as usual, proving to be so difficult for Novak. The dynamic of baseline rallies if just messed up for Novak.
Ps, Novak’s been hitting some great volleys of late!
It’s the hard hitters who could hit big persistently and consistently who would give Djoko plenty of problems. Stan is one strong and fit guy who could go toe to toe with Djoko to go the distance, so Djoko just couldn’t gain any advantage over Stan.
Djoko doesn’t have Rafa’s topspin or Fed’s quick net rushing abilities to deal with Stan’s power game.
Wawrinka is dialed in big time.
Stan seems to have turned back the clock tonight. I wondered if he could bring it and challenge Novak the way he has in the past. His power game is flowing beautifully. Nice to see him feeling it and delivering with some stellar tennis.
Wawrinka is Djokovic’s nemesis, he loves going toe-to-toe with him.
IM SCREAMING WITH JOY COME ON STAN HES JUST BULLYING THE DJOKER I LOVE STANIMAL
I write a comment about how great it is to see Stan playing so well, but it did not show up. He has really brought the goods tonight! Wow! I wondered if he could make this a match and challenge Novak the way he did in the past. The answer is a resounding YES!
Stan is taking it to Novak. He is one of a very few players whose power game can do a lot of damage against Novak. It’s like the old Stan,
Wow, Wawrinka approaching God mode, up two sets to love. Very hard to see Novak coming back from this. The power coming off of Stan’s racquet is truly awesome.
Novak has looked vulnerable in this tournament and you can tell he is just lacking in confidence and not able to play at this best. Stan has found great rhythm on the other hand and we know how tough a prospect that is even for a 100% nole.
Novak retired!
His shoulder could not handle Stan’s power play!!
Wish Novak a speedy recovery!
When facing a situation to fight with the opponent, it becomes an injury and retirement.
When facing a weak opponent, it is almost pain free.
That sounds contradictory,
Which of the two statements above believable?
Would Novak have retired had it been one set all ..Novak could have easily won second
He was not playing bad ..just that Stan was way better
Novak lost 1820 points ..this makes the no 1 year end a three horse race now
It won’t be a three horse race. I don’t expect Fed to sweep up everything from now on.
Whether Fed will win this USO or not depends also on how his opponents perform too; who knows, if any of them could stretch him to go five sets after five sets, he won’t be in tip top conditions reaching the final.
It’s not only about how Fed plays but also how the others play too.
Seriously, if Rafa wins the USO, he has a good chance to finish the year as no.1, provided he doesn’t overplay. I mean he still has Davis Cup matches, Laver Cup, and then the two remaining masters and the WTF to play. Plus, he’s getting married, so he can’t afford to get injured and spoils everything.
Rafa should forget about the year end no. 1. his only priority should be the US open. anything else is just icing on the cake. The last time he was obsessed about the no.1, he got it but paid a terrible price with multiple injuries since then till april this year. He’s goal if he should win this one should be play one more tournament (apart from davis cup) and WTF and get married. Remember he had a knee injury this year on a hardcourt again. Prevention is better than cure.
No Happy, that year in 2017, it’s due to his ‘stupidity’ in playing everything from Laver Cup, Beijing and Shanghai that got him injured. He didn’t get injured only at WTF, or because he’s pursuing the YE no.1 ranking.
I believe he’s going to skip Beijing this year after the Laver Cup, at least he’s wiser now, learning from past mistake (the mistake that to me had cost him his 2018 and the chance to defend the YE no.1).
Novak will probably take some time off now. He doesn’t have a tear or anything but needs rest isshould be okay for Shanghai but might miss it, who knows! I feel if his effort will depend on how many points Fed and esp Rafa can gain this week.
If Rafa wins USO, he will quite likely end the year as no.1
Wawa vs Rafa in the final, most likely. 50:50 chances for both.
Fed won’t be able to handle this Wawa.
Fed is winning uso..Stan won’t beat fed here
If Fed wins USO i’ll be very shocked bcos he’s playing very terrible!! Hope Stan beats him, seriously, bcos Stan is playing way better!
Goffin seemed comatose in his match against Fed today so not much to takeaway from this match
Fed also had the advantage over Evans because of the rain delay, when Evans had no rest from R2 to R3 after beating Pouille in a 3+ hours match. I would expect more resistance from Evans had it not for the rain delay; he’s able to push the TOP players with his style of play, despite not beating them.
Fed has played the two quickest matches of the tournament by anyone back to back. Pretty sure he’s not playing terrible…
Saying Fed is playing terrible is a bit comical, considering the scorelines of his last two matches. Anything can happen, but with Nole out Fed has to be considered the favorite to win the tournament. Apart from Rublev, who beat him last month in Cinci, here are the last times the remaining players beat Fed on a hard court:
Dimitrov: Never (6-0)
Wawrinka: Never (17-0)
Medvedev: Never (3-0)
Monfils: 2013
Nadal: 2014
Cilic: 2014
Sorry, I forgot about Zverev and Schwartzman; the former actually has a winning record against Fed:
Zverev: 2018 (1-2)
Schwartzman: Never
Rublev? He’s 1-0 over Fed, and won their latest encounter at Cincy!
Rublev is mentioned in the initial post.
Vamosrafa..Rafa can handle cilic ? A bit nervous about it
Hey, I am not too worried about that one. We all know Marin is dangerous but Rafa will handle in 3 or 4 sets in my view
Come on Sanju, of course Rafa can handle Cilic! Cilic barely scraped past Isner, who wasn’t playing his best tennis either. Why do you have so little faith in Rafa, when Rafa is playing well here? Rafa rarely underperforms in slams when he’s playing well and in good form.
Imo, it’s those players like Djoko, who hits flat and penetrating shots that will give Rafa much problems, not those big hitters or big servers. He has good records against them (big hitters and big servers).
Come on Sanju. You’re a fan of Nadal. Should be more confident. Cilic could beat him, but it’s hard to see that right now.
I am never confident about Rafa .I just pray he does not lose .it’s not without reason I am not confident as he has flattered to deceive a lot too
Elizabeth,
I wanted to leave this for you. All along you knew there was a problem with Nole. You were right not to watch. He obviously has a shoulder problem that needs to be dealt with and some much needed rest. Stan played like his old self. He brought his “A” game. As the match went on it was obvious that something was wrong with Nole. He had to quit at the beginning of the third set, down two sets. He just could not play. He did get some treatment for the shoulder.
Now I do have to criticize my hometown New York fans. Boo Medvedev. He really deserved it. But not Nole. That was hard to hear the crowd booing Nole as he walked off the court. A real shame.
At least you know that he will take care of this injury and you don’t have to worry about him risking it to continue playing. He wanted to try and play. But it was just not going to happen.
I know about being so invested in a player! Boy do I know! I just hope for you that this gives you peace of mind. Nole will deal with this and be back healthy again.
😘
@NNY
Great post! I echo your sentiments. It’s so very hard to see your fave injured.
I’m okay now, Ramara.
Vamos Rafa!
Thanks again, NNY.
I’m relieved he went out last night and finally quit risking more injury to his left shoulder.
Hey – I pray Dorian gets nowhere near you. Stay safe, Nny!!
Elizabeth,
Glad to see you here. You can relax now and know that Novak won’t be risking anything. He needed to stop.
The hurricane shifted and we will not get a direct hit in Palm Beach County. But because it is so strong we will get rain and high winds. I am not near the coast and they are the ones who could get hit with the storm surge. But we may lose power. It could land further up north in Florida near the space station. So we did get a break in avoiding the direct hit they thought we would get. It’s just about seeing if the power goes out and how soon it comes back on.
Thanks for you concern!
😘
Nny,
Well then, you have a lot of smarts to resist the lure of beach front property and I certainly am glad! Yes outer bands of Dorian can do enough damage. Maybe you have a generator after that last scare.
And I wonder if Dorian will track up the East coast and affect our little tennis tournament? Probably a lot of wind and/or rain by next weekend. This thing is a slow moving disaster, so they say.
Elizabeth,
I don’t have a generator, so I just have to hope that if we lose power it’s not for long. I glad that I do not live near the beach!
If it does get up to New York, it will be a lot weaker. It could hang around for a while, going up to Georgia and the Carolinas.
I sort of agree with what someone said above. I would never go as far as to say Fed “can’t handle this Stan”, because Fed has “handled” an in-form Stan every time they have ever played off of clay- even at the majors. What I would say is that an in-form Stan absolutely CAN beat Fed anywhere outside of Wimbledon, and I would actually favor him slightly to win at this US Open because the conditions are so slow. Fed will have to play so aggressively to counter the barrage of baseline power that Stan will throw at him. So yes, I would actually favor Stan slightly if they met in the SF, but not overwhelmingly. Saying that Fed “can’t handle this Stan” is literally a false statement. It is Stan who has never handled Fed off of clay, even since he became the world-beater Stan. Since Stan emerged and won 2014 AO, Fed has beaten Stan at Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open, and even Roland Garros, while Stan beat him once at Roland Garros. And 3 of those 4 losses to Fed each came within months of Stan winning a major. So who can’t “handle” who here? To me it’s more of a question of if the conditions at USO give Stan the edge. I watched Fed in person today, and even though Goffin was awful, Fed was still very sharp and served well. He also was very sharp against Evans. Evans being tired is irrelevant to how Fed hit a ton of winners and few UE, and served well. That is where Fed struggled in beginning of the first two matches- he served poorly and sprayed balls everywhere. At least in his last two matches, he clearly has gotten more comfortable with the conditions. I just think that the recent US Open favors Stan a lot, so I think it would give him an edge.
However, I still see Rafa as the favorite as of now. These conditions suit him so well, and he’s so well-rested and healthy. I give Cilic about a 5% of upsetting Rafa. If this were Wimbledon or AO I would give him a higher chance, but not here. This is just right in Rafa’s sweet spot as far as hard courts are concerned. The only person I would have outright favored over Rafa is now out of the tournament, so Rafa’s chances only increase now in my eyes.
If your favor Wawrinka to beat Fed and the odds for Wawrinka are greater than 2/1, that means Wawrinka is a good bet does it now? You will most likely get 3/1 or greater.
How much are you putting on Wawrinka IF he makes the semis?
Having skin the game confirms your conviction otherwise there’s a good chance you dont actually believe what youre saying.
Of course Evans being tired might be why he couldn’t get to some of those winners by Fed. Also the quicker conditions in the day may be why Fed could serve better when his serves may be more difficult to return.
I do feel that nowadays the court conditions matter more to Fed than during his younger days. We saw how playing at night and playing during the day could make quite a difference in the way Fed played.
https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/1172718/Stan-Wawrinka-Roger-Federer-Rafael-Nadal-US-Open/amp
Haha
Kevin. Why was the roof shut today all day ? Seemed on TV it was shut
The court surely did not look slow in the djoko Stan match neither fed goffin match..balls were flying fast
I agree. And others seem to be saying that the court conditions are fast, not slow. Certainly faster than last year USO.
Fed called the court dead but it surely does not look slow..god knows what was he saying..the Stan djoko match was looking so quick
It seems that the court is quicker during the day, the organisers gave Fed the first slot for two consecutive matches now at AA and so Fed had it easier in his last two matches compared to the two matches in his first two rounds.
The court is slower during the night session because of the moisture in the air without the sun drying up some of it. I doubt Fed is complaining playing at noon; I think the court speed suits him more at that time slot.
But now with djoko out .he will get the night match for qf n maybe even semi ..
He’ll always be given favourable time slot; I guess they want a Fedal final now that Djoko is out.
He played not much late in dzumhur match ..it was second match of day n yet he called it dead
The weather that day was bad, remember matches being postponed to Thursday due to rain? I think there’s not much sun on that day too!
imagine if Roger wins the US open, what a turnaround
that would be after his Wimbledon disappointment.
It would be soo nice. I think he deserves a slam after the way he played Wimbledon and USO right now. He can do it.
How ridiculous is the US open crown..to boo an all time great when he retires due to injury instead of applauding him for fighting through the pain…
crowd*
Ridiculous, too is to speak about Federer’s chances at USO as if his name is Lopez or Versasco (I respect both massively), not a 20 time slam winner. Like ‘playing terrible’ (terribly well,you just don’t want to admit it), or he ‘will not get there’. Based on what? I mean, anything could happen. I saw the draw and made the not so funny statement that a Fedal final is unavailable. Sure, that was just a guess, but I also felt something. So, if you were to choose the final opponent for Rafa, would you pick Fed or someone else? Are you really looking forward to a Fedal final at USO?
No I am not Eugene..I rather have Rafa face someone else ..Rafa has not beaten fed on HC last 4 times and I doubt he will here.
So are you feeling fed takes uso ? I think he will take it though I don’t want him to as Rafa will then be further behind
But btw Rafa has to get there first..right now feds draw turned out way easier..cilic won’t be easy..neither will Diego as he always troubles Rafa..zverev can turn it around anytime..rublev is danger now .
On feds side dimitrov will surrender ,Medvedev is on fumes n Stan has never beaten fed outside clay
I just want it…I feel he deserves it after being so close to win Wimbledon. And it would help relieve that pain…
A potential final vs Rafa would be difficult. I don’t necessarily see Fed aa a favourite. Chances are quite equal at USO I think. But at least he would give himself another chance to win another slam.
It will be a filled with pressure final for both..whoever holds nerves better will take it..fed will come in more relaxed as he knows he has rafas number outside clay..but let Rafa get there first
Exactly. Let them qualify there first. Anyway, I hope both guys will do well.
Why would Fed be more relaxed? He should be more nervous because he knows he won’t have that many chances any more.
Wasnt he too eager to win at Wimbledon, that he tensed up during crucial moments there and lost the final?
But lucky he has rafas number outside clay..he surely did not tighten up against Rafa at wimby..it’s Rafa who tightens up more now
Sanju, that’s because Wimbledon is Fed’s home just like RG is Rafa’s. Why Rafa didn’t tighten up against Fed at RG?
Federer to me has been very scratchy during this tournament so far and he has not played anyone of note except Coffin who was really half dead at best! Roger has not been challenged yet and I don;t see anything in his game to suggest he’ll win USO. So for me, at this point i really can’t say who will win now that Novak is out.
And besides moat of the predictions on here have been dead wrong so far! A lot of wishful thinking!! I stand by my option Fed is not looking great so I really can’t say he’ll win USO, And besides when was the last time he even won the damn thing?!
Well Mona he won AO after 7 years of not winning it ..2010 last n 2017..USO he last won 2008…if he wins will be after larger gap..I think he is the firm fav now .only Rafa can beat him but again due to history, has lesser chance ..if they play..70:30 in feds favour..my reason is due to wimby .I thought after Rafa beat roger at rg,he may right the ship but come wimby n he was the same. Tentative, not aggressive etc
Come on Sanju, Wimbledon is on grass, this is HC. The USO Court plays slower than the AO these days.
Fed won the AO in 2017 when they quickened the court there, if not Rafa wouldve won that final given that Rafa was 3-0 vs Fed there prior to 2017. Even so, Rafa almost won that 2017 final when he was leading in the fifth set.
And RG on clay is different from Wimbledon on grass obviously. Why Fed could beat Rafa at Wimbledon but could not at RG? It’s the surfaces.
Why was the roof closed today on Ashe..
It seems rain and thunderstorms Monday Wednesday Friday but good sunny on Sunday 25 degrees with 50 percent humidity
Monalisa, Fed can win the whole thing without playing his best tennis. Same Rafa. Sometimes playing at 70-80% is enough for them. Depends on the play schedule and other factors. The way you speak just shows you don’t want him to win, which is fine, but you’re not objective. Rather find an excuse why Fed shouldn’t win. The reality is that Dimi, Waw, Rafa don’t sound like an impossible mission.
There’s a good chance Fed will only lose 2 sets to those 3 players.
The great players win slams even when they are ‘scratchy’, which is not Fed’s situation right now anyway. He was affected visibly by that final loss…which is normal. Some other players would only recover mentally after years; but he sees an opportunity now, which is arising bigger and brighter. I just hope he can get into the final and fight for the trophy like it’s his last career final.
All i’m saying is that I really cant say who is going to win bcos i’m going according to current form, not past! Fed does not look impressive to me, Rafa’s serve needs to improve, and the rest of the field is playing great and can give both Rafa and Fed a run for their money!
I learnt from Wimby this year. I really thought Rafa was playing well enough to win and he was a major disappointment!! Fed looked great and he was two points from raising the trophy and was even a bigger disappointment!! Im not calling shit!! Im about just fed up with building my hopes and then having them dashed! Im calling it as I see it! At this point any one remaining can win it!!! And im not listening to any of those analysts either…McEnroe thought Kygrios was a shoe in for the semis, sigh!!!
And as for the NY crowd booing Novak, I’m not sure if I blame them! They are a very sophisticated crowd and they won’t allow anyone to play them for a fool, no matter WHO you are!!
Everyone is aware of Novak’s shoulder issue. He knew before he stepped on the court that he was playing Stan, someone who has whopped his butt in a slam more than once, including at this here USO!!! But he still showed up, so it meant Novak thought he was in for a chance! Novak got broken in the first set, broke back like he always does, but still lost the set. He played quite well considering, but he continued on bcos he still thought he could win. But after he lost the second set he should have just retired bcos he should have known by then that he had no chance, but I guess he thought he could still win. Not only after he got broken in the third THEN he retires!! Of course the crowd would boo him!! He should have just simply continued and lose!!! But no, let’s not give Stan the honour of beating me yet again at another major!! I’ll just call it a day……like at the French Open. Sigh!!
Novak’s reputation precedes him, and that’s nobody’s fault but his own!! However, with that being said, I really do wish him a speedy recovery bcos the sport really does need him!!! He has really elevated tennis to a whole new level and that must NOT be overlooked! I wish him all the best! I miss him already!
Mona,
I love your passion! I can agree Ruth much of what you said. But I do think the crowd was harsh in Novak. It was obvious he has been struggling with a shoulder injury, but wanted to play. Maybe his timing of retiring was not that great, but he did not feel he could continue to the end.
I try to be careful with these things, because Rafa has been in that position. Nothing can take away from how well Stan played. He was okay with Novak retiring. Only Novak knows what was going on. I think Londero should have taken him out, but wasn’t able to best even an injured Novak. I do think there was a price for winning that Wimbledon.
I think Cheryl Murray said something about the NY crowd never forgiving Novak for insulting Roddick in that 2008 match at the USO. They don’t love him. I realize that they thought Novak was cheating Wawrinka of the win. Sometimes you think you can play through something, but it doesn’t work out.
I take it one match at a time because I don’t want to be disappointed. Now everyone and his brother is jumping on the Fed train. You can never role put Rafa when he is healthy. So we will see what happens. Fed has a clear path to the final now. Rafa also has a good path. But I am not about to decide that Fed is going to win this.
One match at a time with Rafa!
Auto correct again!
I can agree with MUCH of what you said! *
You can never rule out Rafa! *
Rafa is not going to just hand this to Fed if they should meet in the final. We know Rafa has the advantage on clay, but he is no slouch at the USO.
Sorry but I know Novak had been dealing with a shoulder injury. However I don’t believe he would have retired if he had won the second set. I feel he knew he was done and just called it quits, which is why the New York crowd booed him. It’s like if Rafa had retired against Stan in the Australian Open final in 2014. I feel that in both cases (especially yesterday), Stan was just playing too well and wasn’t gonna lose no matter the health of his opponent. The thing is Rafa finished the match. He didn’t give up and throw away a service game then call it quits. Novak retired so suddenly, I think he had only started getting treatment (in this match) a few games before.
Everyone can have their opinion. Maybe Novak should have finished the match. NY crowds can be tough. They did not appreciate the timing of it.
The bottom line is that Novak was dealing with an ongoing injury. It was obvious in his match with Londero. But he might have tried some treatment to try to continue to play.
Watching Rafa in the 2014 AO final was something that was incredibly hard. It took me s long time to forgive Stan for making a fuss over Rafa going off court to get treatment. That got the crowd booing. It was terrible. So people should remember that even though Rafa stayed in the match when he knew he could not win, the crowd booed him anyway. It can be a cruel sport. That is why I am not condemning Novak.
Benny G, exactly!!I feel the same, had he won the second set he would have pressed on. I look at him in the presser and he does not even sound convincing!!! No one knows the nature of the injury!! I am not saying he does not have a shoulder discomfort but if he was playing a lower ranked player i doubt he would have retired like that!! The timing of the retirement is what pissed me off, and the NY crowd as well!!!