Casper Ruud over Gael Monfils
The Norway, Ruud, had a fine event at the Olympics, as he reached the semis, but he could not beat Alexander Zverev, although it was close. He is ranked No. 8, which is solid, but he wants to win a Grand Slam, whenever he can. He must prove it, though, as he has been very close but can fall off.
Monfils has had some crazy, fantastic matches. The Frenchman is now 37 years old, and it looks like he is still pretty fast when running, but once again, he is aging. That doesn’t mean that he can beat some good players, but to upset the top 10 men will be tough with Monfils. Of course, he will try to do it, as he has been able to play for many hours over the years. He is fun to watch when he plays fantastic, yet Ruud will hit it backhand to backhand, as that has always been Monfis’ weakness. Ruud will take it in four long sets at night.
Coco Gauff over Tatjana Maria
Will the 21-year-old Gauff finally gain her ground? Last year, at the US Open, she played phenomenally, and she won the event. However, in 2024, she only won the event at the beginning of January. She can look terrific, but her forehand is still up and down, and while she is excellent at the net, she can mess it up here and there. Still, she is young, so she will continue to improve.
Amazingly, the 37-year-old Maria is still playing in the singles. Yes, most people can continue to go for it, but the older you get, you are not as fast when they run. Maria won more than a few matches long ago, bashing the ball, but now, she is going down. That’s why Gauff will win it in two simple sets.
Victoria Azarenka over Clara Burel
The former two-time Grand Slam champion Azarenka is another player who is getting older, and while she does play a lot, the 35-year-old rarely goes into the finals anymore. Yes, she can, occasionally, this year and next year, but she will start to fade. The great thing is that Azarenka reached the final at the US Open three times, and while she could not do it, it was respectable. Azarenka is a huge hitter, but she is a little bit slow, and against Burel, she will have to be patient. The Frenchwoman had a terrific win over Sloane Stephens and hit some fine shots. She is certainly getting better, and her backhand is excellent. However, Azarenka wants to enter the second week, and while she can get hurt physically, she will still try to find the lines. Azarenka will win it in three tough sets.
Taylor Fritz over Matteo Berrettini
The American Fritz has beaten the Italian all three times, so clearly, he is better than he is. However, Berrettini can explode when he feels good, and his forehand is super hard. He can get frustrated when he does not hit the ball correctly. However, over the past five months, Berrettini started to play much better. But can the Italian finally beat Fritz? Maybe, yet the San Diego native knows what to do when thinking he can smack the ball, whenever and where, against Berrettini. He will be pretty patient and mix it up. too. Fritz will win it for the fourth time, at night, in Flushing Meadows, in five extended sets.