U.S. Open R4 previews and predictions: Ruud vs. Fritz, Zverev vs. Nakashima

The bottom half of the U.S. Open draw is suddenly wide open and Americans Taylor Fritz and Brandon Nakashima are looking to capitalize. They will face Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev in the fourth round, respectively.

(8) Casper Ruud vs. (12) Taylor Fritz

Fritz and Ruud will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers when they clash in round four of the U.S. Open on Sunday. Ruud has won both of their previous meetings; 8-6 in a third-set tiebreaker at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals and 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 at this year’s French Open.

It’s safe to say that Fritz will be much happier to face Ruud on the hard courts of New York rather than on the Norwegian’s clay-court stomping grounds of Roland Garros. Although Ruud is a former runner-up at both tournaments, he is still far more dangerous on the red stuff than he is on hard courts. The world No. 8 lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-1 in his opening match at the Cincinnati Masters and he was getting outplayed by Jerry Shang through two sets on Friday before physically wearing down the 19-year-old in five. Fritz has been absolutely rolling so far this fortnight, beating Camilo Ugo Carabelli, Matteo Berrettini, and Francisco Comesana all in easy straight sets. With the 12th-ranked American on fire and playing on his home turf, he should have the edge in this one.

Pick: Fritz in 4

[yop_poll id=”1494″]

Brandon Nakashima vs. (4) Alexander Zverev

Nakashima is not a loud person and his game is not particularly flashy, so it can go unnoticed by the casual tennis fan when he is playing well. To say the 23-year-old American is playing well right now would be a gross understatement; he is playing the best tennis of his career. Nakashima reached the third round of Wimbledon, Washington, D.C., Montreal, and Cincinnati; now he is in the fourth round of the U.S. Open after ousting Holger Rune, Arthur Cazaux, and a red-hot Lorenzo Musetti while dropping just one set to Musetti in the process.

Up next for the world No. 50 is a third matchup with Zverev, who leads the head-to-head series 2-0. The fourth-ranked German prevailed 7-5, 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-1 at the 2020 U.S. Open and 7-6(2), 6-3, 7-6(5) at the 2022 French Open. Zverev, who is 55-16 this season, has become the oddsmakers’ second favorite to lift the trophy in New York now that Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are out of the tournament. As well as Nakashima is playing, Zverev has taken care of him in the past and simply has much more experience on this kind of stage.

Pick: Zverev in 4

[yop_poll id=”1497″]