Dominic Thiem over Ben Shelton
In 2020, , Thiem won the tournament, with some tremendous shots. His forehand and his backhand with some heavy spin, and with depth. But he became hurt, and it has taken him in the last year to recover, physically. Now it look like that he is slightly better. He is not 100 percent, but at least 70 percents.
Shelton is only 20-years-old, and he is already pretty good. He can nail on the lines, across and down the line. He can run very fast, and attack the ball. However, he still has a lot of work to do, especially with his serves and at the net. There will be so many rallies, side to side, and while Shelton will put on some great points, Thiem will rise again, and win it in five, tough sets.
Frances Tiafoe over Sebastian Ofner
Yes, the nice and funny person Tiafoe really loves Flushing Meadows, and he has had some phenomenal matches. However, there are times when he over thinks, especially during the rallies. Yes, he is very swift, and he can get it back, but also, he goes for it too early. But in a sense, when he playing terrific, then he can beat almost anyone.
He should be able to beat Ofner, who has yet to reach the top 50, but he did have some fine tournaments. At Roland Garros, the Austria qualified, and then he won three more matches before he lost against Stefanos Tsitsipas. He was more than loyal. They are the positives things, and at the start of the year, he was ranked No.193. Months later, he is ranked No.58, so apparently, he is playing much better. However, Tiafoe has a better backhand, so he will win it in four, muscular sets. As Tiafoe said: “New Yorkers love great entertainment,” says Tiafoe. “Everyone is tapped into tennis. The energy is second to none. Some people are made for it. Some people aren’t. I feel like I can make that stadium shake.”
Elena Rybakina over Ajla Tomljanovic
In Rome, Rybakina won the title, and it seemed like that when she is on, she can step on anyone. But after that, she looked decent, but not skilled. In March and April, she won Indian Wells and she reached the final in Miami, on the hardcourts. She was so powerful, and nailed her backhand, down the line.
Tomljanovic has been playing for a long time, traveling a lot, and tournament after tournament. She is 30- years-old, and when she is on, she can be somewhat fit, but other times, she can back off. She does like the spotlight, but when it is quiet, she can disappear. Tomljanovic will challenge Rybakina, but it won’t be enough. Rybakina will win in two fun sets.
Danielle Collins over Elise Mertens
Collins beat her in Doha, but it was close. The American likes to hop on, and swing very hard, with both sides. She did have a good week in Montreal, taking down a few good players. However, the next week, Iga Swiatek crushed her, so Collins has to be much more devout. Yes, she is a huge hitter, yet she needs to mix it up more.
The Belgium Mertens plays a lot, each month, everywhere. She can be faithful, reaching the semis at the 2018 Aussie Open, and twice at the quarters at the U.S. Open. She does like to change her tactics, but her serve, and at the net, are so-so. Collins will beat Mertens in three, close sets.