Rafael Nadal will continue his U.S. Open campaign when he goes up against wild card Thanasi Kokkinakis on Thursday. Nadal is on a collision course for the fourth round with John Isner, who faces an in-form Jan-Lennard Struff.
(WC) Thanasi Kokkinakis vs. (2) Rafael Nadal
Did any player get a better U.S. Open draw than Nadal? In the early rounds perhaps, as Nadal had to go up against a 2018 U.S. Open quarterfinalist right off the bat (John Millman). But the second-ranked Spaniard’s path to the final is friendlier than anyone else’s after he clobbered Millman 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Tuesday night. Nadal also had a favorable road–even including the final, in fact–when he lifted the U.S. Open trophy for the third time in his career in 2017. The 18-time major champion has set himself up nicely for more success in New York with a recent triumph at the Montreal Masters followed by rest and relaxation while the rest of the tour slugged it out in Cincinnati.
Up next for Nadal on Thursday is another Aussie in Kokkinakis. Their only previous encounter came five years ago at the Australian Open, where Nadal rolled 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. Kokkinakis was only 17 at the time and projected to be one of the future stars in the sport, but injuries have derailed those plans. Stuck at No. 203 in the rankings, the 23-year-old has played just six ATP-level matches this season–one of those a much-needed 6-3, 7-6(8), 6-7(4), 6-2 win over Ilya Ivashka on Tuesday evening. Kokkinakis has not been on this kind of stage in quite a while and Nadal should put a swift end to the underdog’s short but productive fortnight.
Pick: Nadal in 3 losing 8-10 games
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(14) John Isner vs. Jan-Lennard Struff
Isner and Struff will be going head-to-head for the fourth time in their careers on Thursday. The head-to-head series is being swept 3-0 by Isner, who cruised past the German 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-2 at the 2014 U.S. Open–also in the second round. Their next two meetings, however, required final sets. Isner prevailed 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4 at the 2016 Vienna event and 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3 immediately thereafter on the indoor hard courts of Paris.
It is safe to say, though, that Struff is a whole different beast now. He is a late bloomer on tour who is enjoying by far the best season of his career at 29 years old. The world No. 37 has won 29 main-tour matches in 2019, including three at the French Open and two in Cincinnati. Whereas last year was Isner’s year in a way, this year seems to be Struff’s year. Isner, a 2018 Nitto ATP Finals participant, reached the Miami final but then was out until Wimbledon due to a stress fracture. Although the 14th-ranked American managed to win the Newport title, he has slumped since. Isner has struggled in tiebreakers of late and there a sure to be at least a couple of those in what will be a huge-serving affair with a confident Struff.
Pick: Struff in 4
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