In Shanghai and Wuhan: A crazy, odd day.

Taylor Fritz

Many people want to continue battling during the fall at the Rolex Shanghai Masters this week. But they are also tired, as the men and women have been playing for the past eight months. Some of them are injured with their legs, arms, or maybe their back or stomach. This has been going on for many, many years. However, most of them love to play in the matches and try to win, whether they are good, mediocre, or bad.

They are currently in Shanghai and Wuhan, where there are two huge events. Three American men are still there, with Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul. Fritz wants to be in the ATP Final in November in Italy, and currently, he is ranked No. 7, but he has to be consistent. He might, as he reached the final at the US Open. He didn’t win it, but he was close enough when he lost versus the No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Fritz has improved his backhand, his second serve, and in the net. He has yet to win a Grand Slam, but if he wants to, he has to keep up even higher. Shelton is very young, and he has a terrific attitude. He also knows that to go into the top 10, he will have to be better with the return, at the net, and with new shots. The veteran Paul has become much better this year, with some fine strokes, and he can mix it up, too. However, can he go into the top 10 and stay there? Not yet, but he is trying.

Two people were ticked off, with Frances Tiafoe and Alexander Zverev. Tiafoe lost against Roman Safiullin 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(5), and he was furious with the umpire, screaming at him and swearing. He apologized, but that was a tough moment. Zverev edged Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(6), 2-6, 7-6(5), a marathon, but he also yelled at the umpire. A crazy, odd day.

When they are winning, they can be happy, with Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, and Gael Monfils. Alcaraz beat Sinner in the Beijing final, 7-6 in the third. The rival is very serious, and it will happen again with some new strategies.

Over in Wuhan,  Coco Gauff is there, as she is pretty darn happy because she won it last week in the  China Open. She finally played so much better in the matches, with her excellent backhand and at the net. Her forehand finally came alive, and her return was more consistent. Now, she can try to do it again in the fall. The No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka is moving to attempt to become No. 1, but it won’t be easy this year. However, the No. 1 Iga Swiatek can wait until it is close and she can start again before the top 8 in the WTA Final at the beginning of November in Riyadh. That should be fascinating. 

Currently, right now, four of them, who went very deep in the summer with Jessica Pegula, Qinwen Zheng, Jasmine Paolini, and Emma Navarro all of them who is playing now.  Will one of them grab Wuhan? It depends on how to throw in some wild, tremendous winners.

Alcaraz edges Sinner to win Beijing

Carlos Alcaraz
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

They will be happening again, when in Beijing, the No. 1 Jannik Sinner was darn close to win it, but in the third tiebreaker, the Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz rose up so high. He won it 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3). He was down 0-3, and then he decided to try to put it away, when he had a chance to nail it. He sure did.

“I never lost hope,” said Alcaraz. “Honestly I knew that [when I started it] that every tiebreak Jannik plays is almost to his side. I thought that in the third set, I’m not going to lie, 3-love down, two mini breaks for him. So I didn’t lose hope, but I thought, ‘Okay, I have to give everything that I have just to try to give myself the opportunity to be close.’  I played great points just to make 3-all and after that I just thought to go for it. If I lost it, at least I went for it. So that’s all I thought in that moment.” 

There rivalries is tremendous now, as both of them have won the Grand Slams, and also, in the ATP 1000’s. In 2024, Sinner has won the Australian Open and the US Open, and Alcaraz won Roland Garros and Wimbledon. 

That know each other very well, so on the court, they can go for it, early, or to be patient.  On Wednesday, in the tiebreaker, he pushed himself, and mixed it up, close to the lines. Now it is in the fall, they can play  each other again, but it is hard to know. Or perhaps they can turn it around and show some amazing shots. 

Before that, in the semis this week,  Sinner beat Bu Yunchaokete 6-3 7-6(3), a pretty tough match, but the Italian cracked his forehand and his backhand in the tiebreaker, and he pushed him down. However, Yunchaokete is a coup, beating Andrey Rublev, Lorenzo Musetti , and Karen Khachanov, the top 15 players. He is young, and he is also very consistent.

Sinner recently won the 2024 US Open, and he is much more real, set after set. But he still wants to show that he is incredible, with his massive first serve, and his better return. Yet the No. 2 Alcaraz is also playing tremendous, also winning three Grand Slams. He is super smart, in the court. On Tuesday, in the semis, Alcaraz beat the former US Open  Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3 — again. The Russian can play amazing, on the baselines, but he can also back up. Maybe Medvedev is lost, thinking about what he has to do, and recover.

Also in Beijing, there was a lot of the fans who wanted to see with Coco Gauff versus Naomi Osaka. Both of them have some terrific finals, and they can mash the ball, especially with there hard backhand. Yet they split, but then, Gauff won  the second set, 3-6, 6-4. The third set could be wonderful.However,  Osaka retired, as she felt sick. See you later. Ouch, although,  Osaka looked pretty good this week, but she has had a tough year.

 “I wasn’t sure if it was her hip or back, I just knew that towards the end she could barely jump on her serve,” Gauff said, “so I knew that it was something that, in the moment, was probably bad but hopefully it’s something that’s not a long-term thing.”

Gauff needs to win a title during the fall, as she hasn’t won a tournament since January. She really wants, too.

NOTES

That was an odd match, when Paula Badosa beat Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-0. The American must have been out of it…

In Tokyo, the Frenchman Arthur Fils won it all, beating Ugo Humbert in three long sets, and he was so in to it, and soon enough, next year, he will reach into the top 10. He is already No. 21, so he will move up the change…

The No.7 Zheng Qinwen keeps on chucking, still winning a lot. She just beat Amanda Anisimova in three sets, as she can rally for a while, and then when she gets a chance to smash the ball, she will. She will face against Badosa, which should be a few, wild points.

Who will dominate fall season?

Iga Swiatek
Mal Taam/MALT photo

It is in the fall, with the players generally resting, as they have attended various events for over eight months. Those who win a lot and will go deep, their bodies can get sore, especially in the summer. It has happened for many, many years.

Right now, even if they pull out, they will be thrilled. Not forever, but darn close.

Next week, they will play at the Beijing, China Open, a big event. It is not a Grand Slam, but it is important, as many top players will go.

Last year, Iga Swiatek won Beijing, but the current No. 1 pulled out a couple of days ago. She could be hurt physically, or perhaps she wants to re-set it. At the US Open, she lost against Jessica Pegula.

The pullouts can be staggering. Beyond Swiatek, another four are hurt in China, including Maria Sakkari, Danielle Collins, Bianca Andreescu and Ons Jabeur.

The good news is that the 2024 US champion Aryna Sabalenka will play in Beijing, along with Jessica Pegula, when Sabalenka beat the American in the final two weeks ago. They could face off again. Or maybe Coco Gauff will win it, as she hasn’t won an event since January. She has to improve her up-and-down forehand. 

Right now in the Laver Cup, there are a lot of very good male players in Berlin. Will it survive year after year? It is hard to tell, but at least they are very enthusiastic. Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe are playing from the Americans, with some excellent players like Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Francisco Cerundolo, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and others. Fritz did reach the final at the US Open, and he looked very good, but will he finish in the top 5? A huge challenge. 

They must play the Laver Cup as there is a massive amount of money. Gigantic.

After that, they can fly to the China Open and try to win it with the No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, and Andrey Rublev. Sinner is way up with the ranking, but he could skid and not end in the year the top dog. He hopes.

Can Taylor Fritz and Jessica Pegula win a Slam in 2025? 

Jessica Pegula

In a sense, is that the players who reached the finals at the Grand Slams were satisfied. Or, if they lose, then they can be seriously disappointed?  Both Americans, Taylor Fritz and Jessica Pegula lost at the 2024 US Open finals when he went down versus Jannik Sinner in three sets,  and she lost against Aryna Sabalenka in two sets. It was somewhat close, but not close enough. 

Perhaps in 2025, the Americans will win a Slam for the first time, but you never know. They are not that young, and for sure, they have improved a lot, but each month, the players globally push themselves, and they improve a lot, such as the Italian Sinner and the Belarussian Sabalenka.

The 23-year-old Sinner has won two Grand Slams, and Sabalenka has won three. That is very impressive, on the top of the baseline, crushing it from their massive forehand and backhand. Right now, they are better players than Fritz and Pegula. 

In the third set, Fritz broke him, and he did have a chance to win the set, but Sinner attacked him again, very deep, and broke him. See ya. He won it 6-3, 6-4, 7-5. Hello.

“I’d say he’s improved a little since I beat him in straight sets at Indian Wells in 2021. The biggest improvement by far is his serve,” Fritz said.

“I played last year in Indian Wells, and he had already improved his serve. I think he was very, very good at that point, and he had just been injured and pulled out of many tournaments when he was already deep into it. He was very close to improving now with confidence and winning, but I think he was very close to the level at that point; he had yet to show all the results. If I want to go to, like, the 2021 Indian Wells, yeah, the serve and the movement, massive improvements. Then it was also much easier to hurt him from the ground. So he’s much faster and a lot better out of the corners. His serve is really good now.”

It took Sinner a while, but as he said, gradually, he grew up on the court. He was much more solid, and also, a few years ago, he would get angry when he couldn’t put the balls in. Yet this year, he calmed down, and he tried again. 

Can Fritz finally win a Slam in 2025?  If he does, the last time the  American men won it at a Slam was in 2003, when Andy Roddick grabbed it.  That was a long time ago. It could be the No. 7 Fritz or someone else. But although he lost at the 2024 US Open, he feels good.

“I think that’s just extremely reassuring to me that I could get to this point, just playing solid tennis. I know there’s still much room for improvement,” Fritz said. “And something I’ve said throughout my entire career, whether it’s when I won my first ATP point or I won my first challenger, or I made my first round of 16 or whatever it is, I’ve always said once I do something once, I just feel a lot more confident in being able to do it again.  That’s something that’s always stuck with me. Sometimes, it’s taken me some time to get to a certain achievement, but I’ve always felt like once I’ve done something, I gain a lot of confidence that I can do it again.  So it is a great feeling to have gotten to this point, knowing that I’m playing well, but I’m playing very within myself, and I feel like it’s repeatable.”

How about the No. 3 Pegula, who is 30 years old?  She played terrific over the past six weeks, winning Toronto, reaching the final in Cincinnati against Sabalenka, and then,  another final at the US Open. However, Sabalenka beat her again. She is a better player. Not that much, but more.

However, Pegula could continue to hit the ball harder and serve better, too. Her second serve is so-so, but she has advanced at the net and to put it away.

“My movement and my serve has gotten a little bit better. So I think certain parts may be a little more consistent than they used to be,” Pegula said. “I’m sure there’s other days where maybe I’ve served better. But as far as a baseline, it’s not as much up and down throughout the weeks and through matches. I would say the same for my movement.  Not quite, but I think with those other things, maybe that’s why it may seem like I’m playing my best tennis.”

She is, but is it good enough? She did stun the No. 1 Iga Swiatek, and she also beat Karolina Muchova in the semis. Those were two terrific wins. Yet in the final at the US Open, Sabalenka hit some amazing winners at the end, mashing the ball. Pegula could beat her during the fall, or next year, or maybe with the other American, Coco Gauff will start to rise again. Maybe not soon, but soon enough.  Pegula is awake.

“I think maybe I handled the moment a little bit better this year, with just having maybe a different perspective of I had a rough start to the year, and I didn’t expect to be doing this well in the hard court swing, and I was able to kind of flip that script,” she said. “So I think when I came here, it was almost less pressure because I was just happy I was in another quarterfinal. My slam record this year was not great. So I think maybe that perspective helped me through that moment, and then I was able to have a great match in the semi, come from behind, and put myself in a chance to win a Grand Slam. I will take a lot of confidence from this.”

US Open men’s final pick

Jannik Sinner
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Jannik Sinner over Taylor Fritz 

Is it truly possible that an American man can win the US Open? Maybe, as in 2003, Andy Roddick took it, and he played spectacularly, but he could not do it again after that. 

Perhaps  Fritz can snag it, yet he is an underdog because the Italian and No. 1 Sinner, who is on fire, and his strokes are massive.

The San Diegan Fritz has only won at the ATP 1000s, at the 2022 Indian Wells, but currently, he is playing so much better with some terrific shots. He can tally, side to side, and to mix it up, too, but he has to try to put it away whenever he gets a chance.  

Sinner has become much smarter on the court. Even though he might make some errors, he is able to retrieve the ball and refocus. His first serve is very strong and his backhand and forehand are forceful. These skills helped him win the 2024 Australian Open and, more recently, the Cincinnati tournament.

Fritz can also vary his first serve, placing it into the corners while adding spin or flattening it out near the lines.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing him,” said Fritz. “To be honest, I don’t think that I’m going to be put in a more stressful situation. … When I play good tennis, I think that level is good enough to win.”

Sinner has won a Slam once, at the 2024 Austrian Open, and recently, he won Cincinnati, a few weeks ago, so he is locked in.

They have played each other twice at Indian Wells, California, on the hard courts; once in 2021 and once in 2023. The American won at Indian Wells in March 2022 under the hot weather conditions. Since Roddick retired, after coming close to winning at Wimbledon and the US Open multiple times, he has won many big titles. However, the current American male players have not won any ATP 1000 titles except for Fritz. Maybe they are ready to achieve it someday.00 titles except for Fritz. Maybe they are ready to achieve it someday.

“I think it gives hope and shows that we’re knocking on the door of winning a Slam, and we have this generation, this group of guys where there’s four or five of us that are actually at this level,” Fritz said about Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda, and Ben Shelton“ I mean, it shows that we’re all moving in the right direction. I think that whenever one of us does something, the others follow, and the others get belief from it. I think this is just the start for all of us.”

He will try to jump against Sinner, in the first set, and hopefully, to shut him down. However, Sinner is more composed and he believes he can hitch his heavy strokes. He might back up a little bit, but Sinner will rise very high. He will win it 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3.

US Open women’s final pick

Aryna Sabalenka
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Aryna Sabalenka over Jessica Pegula 

Way back when Serena Williams won the 1999 US Open, she and Venus took off, all of them. But now, the American Jessica Pegula finally made it into the final, beating Karolina Muchova in the semis. She was on fire, finally.

Yet Aryna Sabalenka is also on a role, and in the semis, she took off in the tight second set, and she beat Emma Navarro.

Now, both of them want to win on an amazing day.

Pegula has had a terrific five weeks, winning Toronto, reaching the final in Cincinnati, and racing at the US Open. She is much better from side to side. She can smash her forehand, backhand, crosscourt, and down the line. She is patient, and she can mix it up, too.


The Belarussian Sabalenka can also run down and then nail it very deep. She is one of the biggest hitters out there, and at the 2023 and 2024 Australian, she won it, and now she wasn’t nervous at all. She has matured a lot and can try to be more patient. A few years ago, she would get frustrated, and then she would be ticked off. Yet, not anymore, so she wants to attack early and often.

The American Pegula is also pretty smart on the court. However, Sabalenka beat her 6-3, 7-5 in Cincinnati when she outhit her. She has a 5-2 head-to-head against Pegula but could change her direction. It should be close, both of them.

“We had a lot of great battles in the past, really difficult, tight matches,” Sabalenka said. “[Pegula’s] playing incredible tennis. Feels like she’s back on track. Cannot wait to play against her.”

Yes, she will, but what about the 30-year-old Pegula, who took her a long time to play more consistently, week after week? She can certainly go for it when the fans cheer her and hope she can rise so high. 

“So to be able to overcome all those challenges and say that I get a chance at the title Saturday is what we play for as players, let alone being able to do that in my home country here, in my home Slam. It’s perfect, really,” Pegula said.

However, Sabalenka also likes to pump it up after she hits a startling winner. In the third set, she will pound her feet and dominate her with her forehand on the lines. Sabalenka will take it 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

2024 US Open men’s semis

Taylor Fritz

Taylor Fritz over Frances Tiafoe 

It has been a very long time since the American men reached the final at the US Open. Andy Roddick did, winning it in 2003, beating Juan Carlos Ferrero,  but after that, he couldn’t win it again. Either Taylor Fritz or Frances Tiafoe will reach the final for the first time, but which one will do it? Those to know each other well, their friends, and they met each other 10 years ago, and then, they became fast conversations. However, Fritz has beaten him six times, and he only won one time. Clearly, then, Fritz is the favorite. The question is, can Tiafoe attack him early? He does really like the rallies, but so does Fritz. The San Diegoan has improved a lot over the past 11 days, smashing his forehand and his backhand, and also, with his fine first serve. 

Tiafoe did not have a good year, but then, he became so efficient, and he decided to focus point after point. He is so quick and can go for it when he has an opportunity and try to crush the ball. 

They also practiced with each other a lot, so on Friday night, they would know where to go and, if they had to, to change it up.

Fritz is slightly more accurate on the court, but Tiafoe reached into the semis at Flushing Meadow two ago. He couldn’t get into the final as he lost against Carlos Alcaraz.

Yet this a new day. This is Fritz’s first Slam semifinal,  but he is itching to go. He will try to be creative and try to lop in the second serve.  Tiafoe wants to win it badly, but Fritz will take it, winning it 4-6, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5. 

Jannik Sinner over Jack Draper

These two have played each other just one time, and Jack Draper beat Jannik Sinner 7-6, 7-6 in London/Queens Club three years ago on the grass, but now, in the US Open, it is on the hardcourts, faster, for sure. They are both young, and they still have to learn a bit more, but the Italian Sinner is ranked No.1, so clearly, he is darn good with his heavy forehand and backhand. He is on a roll, beating almost everyone, but that doesn’t mean that the left, Draper, is gaining ground, and he could shock him.  

Sinner put down Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the quarters with some fantastic strokes. He can become ticked off when he cannot think inside the box, but currently, he can re-do it or breathe. He won Cincinnati a few weeks ago, so he is locked in.

However, with his cool spin, Draper can also dance when his forehand stays in, and he can jump it on his massive shots. This year, he was up and down, week after week, yet the Britain pays attention.

In Montreal, they played doubles, and now they are good friends.

“Obviously lefty, it’s also tough to see, as there are fewer lefties than righties. You know, his ball striking was always very, very good,”  said Sinner.

“It was nice to share the court with him in doubles in Montreal. We got to know each other even more. We text each other when we have good or bad times, trying to keep ourselves up. It’s a great friendship…It’s going to be a tough match. He hasn’t lost one set yet. He’s playing great. He’s serving great. I saw also the match today, he’s hitting very, very strong. So it’s going to be a tough match.” 

Sinner has won a Slam once, at the 2024 Austrian Open, but Draper has yet to go to the final. He will become nervous, but  Sinner won’t, and he will win it in four tough sets.

US Open women’s semis picks

Aryna Sabalenka
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

 Aryna Sabalenka over Emma Navarro

The rising American Navarro has had a fantastic tournament, and when she gets on the court, she may be calm and locked in. Yet Navarro has never played in the semis at the Grand Slam, and while she has gone deep this year, this is a new day.

However, the Belarus Sabalenka who won the  2024 Aussie Open, should be much more composed. She can crush her forehand and her backhand, and she can attack early and often.  Her serve has improved over the 12 months, and she can jump in the returns.

The former NCAA champion for the University of Virginia, Navarro, can also try to attack and control it. When she sees the ball in the middle, she puts it into the corners, from the left and the right. She is intense and earnest.  Navarro thinks that she can knock her down in the third set when they are playing, but Sabalenka understands what she will do. At Roland Garros, Sabalenka beat her 6-2, 6-3. She will do it again, this time on the hardcourts, to kick her down,  6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Jessica Pegula over Karolina Muchova

Finally, the 30-year-old Pegula reached the semis for the first time.  She has been working for so many years, and in the quarters, she couldn’t do it all four Grand Slams, but on Wednesday, she took down Iga Swiatek 6-2,6-4. That was massive because Swiatek messed up so many errors, and Pegular hit some terrific shots deep, crosscourt, and on the line.

The Czech Muchova has also had a terrific event, shutting them down. She has so much talent with her strokes and reads it daily. Yes, she can become exhausted when she can’t find the lines, but she can be steady if she wants to. Muchova is on the role again; now, her body is 100 percent. She can hit in all directions and also spin it flat, too. She has gone deep in the Slams, so she will be controlled on the court and go up into the net. When she does, she usually puts it away.

Pegula won’t push her around, and she will mix it up heavily. Over the past five weeks, Pegula began to find out where to go and bring it back. She truly knows where she can go and drive. Pegula finally made it into the semis, so now, she can reach the final. That would be almost stunning. Yet first, she has to play spectacularly. Why not? Pegular will win 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

US Open day 10 picks

Karolina Muchova


Karolina Muchova over Beatriz Haddad Maia 

The Czech has beaten Haddad Maia all three times, two of them in the hardcourts last year in Cincinnati. Muchova is on the role, once again, and now, her body is 100 percent. She can hit all directions, and also, to spin it, and flat, too. Haddad Maia has had a terrific event, and she is very enthusiastic. She can try to mash the ball. Yes, there are times when she will try to engage the rallies, for a long time, but in the US Open, she has to go for it, whenever she has a real chance. 

Muchova has gone very deep in the Slams, but the Brazilian hasn’t done that much. Therefore, Muchova will take it in two tough sets.

Alex de Minaur over Jack Draper

The Aussie de Minaur is rocking and rolling, and while a few weeks ago, he hurt his body and almost decided not to play. Yet he recovered, so now, he is ready to dance, on the court. He is very consistent, with his forehand and his backhand, and he can also make an attempt to find the lines.

The 22-year-old Draper is also having a terrific event, winning four straight matches, and he must be thinking that he can go even further. He did win Stuttgart, and the Britain is stronger all the time.

 However, de Minaur studies where he can go and change it when he has to. He has lost some critical marches, but he is getting much smarter. De Minaur won’t get nervous, so he will win it in four interesting sets.

Iga Swiatek over Jessica Pegula 

Is it possible that the American will finally reach the semis at the Grand Slams? Pegula is inching for it, but how can she chop down the No. 1 Swiatek, who has won five Slams? That won’t be easy, as the Polish person can lock it in, and then she can swing it all over the place. She is very powerful, and she can shatter her forehand and her backhand. Yes, this season, she has been very good, but she has lost some key matches.  

She has beaten Pegula six times, but she has lost three matches. The 30-year-old Pegular has refined a lot during the summer, and not only is she so normal, but her backhand, and at the net, is very stout. 

Pegula has been trying to win at a Slam, and at all four, as she has been in the quarters, yet she has not been into the semis. If it time to do it? She must be thinking about whether she can trip her up, but Swiatek knows that when it is in the third set, she can buckle down. Once again, Swiatek will throw in some wonderful winners, and she will take it 6-4 in the third set.

Daniil Medvedev over Jannik Sinner 

Is this a real toss-up? Maybe, as they have played each other 12 times, and the Russian has won seven times, while the Italian took it five times. Yes, Medvedev is a slight favorite, but he is 28 years old, while Sinner is 23 years old. His forehand and his backhand can be stunning, and his first serve is spot, on. Medvedev also loves to rally and can sit in the backcourt for hours anytime he wants to. They played each other four years ago, so they know each other’s game. This year, Sinner beat Medvedev in the final at the Aussie Open 6-3 in the fifth, and then at Wimbledon,  Medvedev took him down 6-3 in another five-setter, again, in the quarters.  Medvedev can look odd when he is playing poorly, but over the past nine days in New York, he is playing unbelievably. Because of that, he will edge Sinner in four sets, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. 

US Open day 9 picks

Alexander Zverev
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Alexander Zverev over  Taylor Fritz

They have played each other nine times, which is a lot, and the German has won it five times, and he lost four titles. Even? I would say, yet. This year, Zverev beat him in Rome, on the clay, and then at Wimbledon, Fritz took him down in five, exhausted, sets. They have been playing a lot time, in the matches, and they first went each other, over eight years ago. So for sure, they know each other well. 

Both can like to rally and try to split with their forehand and backhands, crosscourt, or down the line. They can strike on the return in the second serve. They can also run to the net, bend, and touch it. It is a toss-up, and while Zverev almost won the 2020 US Open, he slipped up in the fifth set in the tiebreaker against Dominic Thiem. Zverev must think he can go away, but he has to prove it. However, he will edge against Fritz and take it in four, extended sets.

Emma Navarro over Paula Badosa

The former NCAA champion Navarro stood up, and in the third set, she nailed it very deep. She beat the 2023 Grand Slam winner, Coco Gauff, and her shivers went away. She can nail the ball with both sides, and while she still has more work to do this year, she has been much more consistent.

Badosa has also been much more consistent, and she also likes to rally. Yes, there are times when she doesn’t hit it deep, yet she can also go for it with her strong backhand. 

These have played together once, and Badosa took it in Rome in three difficult sets. The Spaniard can hustle and change it up, but this time, Navarro will out-hit her on the hardcourts, and she can drive it, forehand versus forehand. The American might be super nervous, but this time, early in the day, she will breathe and win it in three feral sets.

Qinwen Zheng over Aryna Sabalenka

Somehow, Zheng won it on Sunday/Monday, at beyond 2 am, which was a record. But still, her forehand, her backhand and her first serve are so flat, hard, and gigantic. Yes, the Chinese player can go off, but in reality, after she hits a bad shot, she can still walk over and start again. She did win the Olympics a month ago, so she is flying high. 

However, to beat the 2024 Aussie champion Sabalenka will be very difficult. Belarus is finally playing terrifically, as last month, her body was so-so, so she wasn’t playing wonderfully. But now, she is locked in, and the No. 2 won Cincinnati a few weeks ago. She is one of her biggest hitters, out there. Both of these two will go for it early, and try to put it away. To win the match, they have to use their first serves and crush it when she returns. Zheng is still pretty young, but she is moving up words. Zheng will win it, in two tiebreakers. 

Frances Tiafoe over Grigor Dimitrov

The Bulgarian Dimitrov can look great, and then he can look slow on the court. Yes, when he is on, he can do almost everything, but the reason why he has not won a Slam was because his one-handed backhand is phenomenal, but it can also be too short. 

The American Tiafoe can also look terrific, but the same thing because, in 2024, he lost a lot all over the place. Now he is playing much better, but how he got there again is hard to tell. 

Dimitrov beat Tiafoe three times and only once. He is older and has more experience, yet Tiafoe loves playing in front of the crowds in New York, and he will try to be super consistent. There will be some tremendous rallies, side to side, and very deep at night. Tiafoe will seize it in five sets.