The quarterfinals begin on Tuesday in New York.
With Novak Djokovic eliminated in the first round, Jannik Sinner missing due to injury, and Carlos Alcaraz playing his first tournament in over four months due to his own injury, this fortnight feels like a huge opportunity for a new player to achieve Major glory in men’s singles. And my pick to accomplish that feat before the draws were made was Ben Shelton. However, Shelton now runs into Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, and the defending champion has looked rather sharp despite his recent inactivity. Ben is 0-3 against Carlitos – can he turn that around on Tuesday night?
The winner will play one of two Americans, who square off in the other ATP quarterfinal earlier in the day: Frances Tiafoe or Alex Michelsen. The day starts with the WTA’s own blockbuster quarterfinal: two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka takes on Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova. And to begin the evening session, we have another all-American battle: Jessica Pegula vs. Emma Navarro
Here’s a rundown of the most notable matches on Day 10 (in chronological order, all times local):
Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Linda Noskova (6) – 11:30am on Arthur Ashe Stadium
Sabalenka has not dropped a set to this stage, as she vies for her 10th semifinal out of the last 11 hard court Majors. Noskova endured a three-setter in each of the last two rounds, including a tight battle on Sunday against a two-time Major semifinalist this season, Marta Kostyuk. This is only a third Major quarterfinal for Noskova.
The four-time Major champ leads their head-to-head 2-0, with two straight-set victories, with one of those occurring six months ago in the Indian Wells semifinals.
Frances Tiafoe (11) vs. Alex Michelsen – Not Before 1:00pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium
Tiafoe pulled off one of the biggest wins of his career in the last round, by taking out 2021 US Open champ Daniil Medvedev in straights. The 28-year-old American has now reached the quarterfinals in New York four of the last five years, and seeks his third semifinal appearance. By contrast, this is a first Major quarterfinal for Michelsen, though the 22-year-old is yet to lose a set through four rounds, and has already taken out two seeded players (Nakashima, Etcheverry). Michelsen has a strong serve, and brings plenty of variety to the court.
Just like the first quarterfinal of the day, this head-to-head stands at 2-0 in the higher-ranked player’s advantage, with Tiafoe taking both their prior encounters in straights.
Jessica Pegula (3) vs. Emma Navarro (26) – Not Before 7:00pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium
Pegula is vying for her third consecutive US Open semifinal, in a year when she leads the WTA with 49 match wins. Navarro followed up a third round upset over Karolina Muchova in straights, with a fourth round victory over Anna Kalinskaya in straights. A semifinalist here two years ago, Emma took a break from the tour earlier this year due to her battle with hypothyroidism, a condition that causes fatigue.
This is another lop-sided head-to-head on the day, as Pegula is 4-0 against Navarro. Just a few weeks ago in Cincinnati, Pegula defeated her in straights.
Ben Shelton (8) vs. Carlos Alcaraz (2) – Last on Arthur Ashe Stadium
In his three previous losses to Alcaraz, Shelton has managed only one out of eight sets. However, this is their first meeting in the American’s home country, and as popular as Alcaraz is, much of the late-night crowd inside Ashe will be backing Ben.
Shelton looked a bit shaky during the first week, but upped his level considerably in the last round, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in straights. Alcaraz also thumped his opponent on Sunday: American Tommy Paul. But this will be the biggest test in the first event of the Alcaraz comeback, as Shelton is a rare player that can overpower him with his serve. If Shelton can defend his big serve well, and apply some pressure onto a defending champion who is lacking in match play, an upset is far from unfathomable.
Tuesday’s full Order of Play is here.
