US Open picks: men’s semifinals

Novak Djokovic
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Novak Djokovic over Ben Shelton
In 2003 at the U.S Open, Andy Roddick won the U.S. Open, knocking down David Nalbandian and Juan Carlos Ferrero. He became No. 1, and he won a number of excellent titles. But that was just one, but it is better than nothing.

Ben Shelton has reached into the semis, and he has had an incredible strokes over the past 11 days, but really, can he stun Novak Djokovic, who has won 23 Grand Slams? I doubt that. Yes, the 20-year-old has played fantastic, with his terrific first serve, his forehand and his backhand. He is fast, running, and he can also knock it in very close next to the lines. That is right now, though, and without a doubt, he is improving a lot, but before he came here, he lost a number of matches over the past four months. Assuming he continues to be healthy, and add more game, then he could reach the top 10, or higher, by the end of the year. However, there is history, and some people  rise, and other people stay there. That is really happened.

But not Djokovic, who won his first Grand Slam title, grabbing the 2008 Australian Open, who looked very good, but he still had to improve his forehand, and at the net, too. Right now, though, when he is playing great, he is almost perfect. However, the last time was in Flushing Meadows in 2018, when he beat Juan Martin del Potro in the final, a gigantic hitter. He could not play last year at the U.S. Open, but in 2022  final, the Russian,  Daniil Medvedev, beat Djokovic. So in a sense, there are times when the Serbian loses, not all the time, but sometimes. As he said: “Believe in yourself and your abilities; confidence is key to success.”

He must have watched on TV looking about Shelton, how he should play. He will out-stroke him, backhand to backhand, and at the net, too, and also with his hard serves. Shelton can win one set, but other than that, Djokovic will win it 6-3, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 and reach the final once again.

Carlos Alcaraz over Daniil Medvedev
Both of them are not tired at all, and they have also played each other a couple times, and it was close. At night, the same thing will occur, with some long, strong rallies, all over the place, with more than a few huge shots. They both have won it here, and they could do it again. Alcaraz can do whatever he wants to, and he also likes to do some fantastic rallies, but he can also slip, once and a while. He is very young, and at times, he can over think, but constantly, he can also be more patient, until he can try to put it away.

Medvedev can be to intense, and he can also become angry, yet he can re-set himself. His forehand and his backhand are so devout, and his first serve is massive. He has said that he wants to become No. 1 again, but he also knows is that first, he has to figure out how t unearth Alcaraz. He will, for two sets, but Alcaraz will climb up again, and he will win it 6-4, 4-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-3.