The semi-final line up of the US Open will be confirmed on Wednesday as the last of the quarter finals are played out on another tasty looking schedule on the Arthur Ashe Stadium out in New York.
The draw may have opened up in the bottom half of the singles draws but we still have two former champions on show across the day as well as a couple of former finalists and two rising stars in the game. It is all set up for another top day.
Day 9 Recap
The first day of quarter finals could barely have been more epic. Maybe not in the women’s draw where Serena Williams came through in two tougher sets than just a straight sets outcome shows while Sloane Stephens saw her title defence end at the hands of Anastasija Sevastova. In the men’s draw Juan Martin del Potro outlasted John Isner in four brutal sets while Rafael Nadal survived a marathon epic to see off Dominic Thiem in a deciding set tiebreak.
It was a better day for us betting wise as the two men’s bets landed for us. Annoyingly Karolina Pliskova couldn’t deliver another break which would have brought the women’s bet in but two singles winning from three bets is decent enough. Another accumulator failed by one though.
Day Session
Naomi Osaka vs Lesia Tsurenko
Two women who are looking for a place in their first Grand Slam semi-final get the action underway on Wednesday when the Indian Wells champion Naomi Osaka takes on Lesia Tsurenko who has slayed one or two giants already this week.
The scheduling always looked like being important for this match. Tsurenko was out on her feet at one point in the heat of the day in her last match on Monday and you’ve got to think that on the roasting hot Arthur Ashe Stadium that is going to be a concern. Osaka is used to these conditions and her win in Indian Wells highlights that she thrives in them.
Had Osaka been facing someone experienced of this stage of the tournament backing her may have been more difficult than usual but Tsurenko is probably more inexperienced than her and this is her biggest chance of success at this level. That should keep the Ukrainian motivated but Osaka’s class should come through here. She can win in straight sets.
Marin Cilic vs Kei Nishikori
The day match in the men’s session will see us watch a re-run of the 2014 US Open final as Marin Cilic, who won his only Grand Slam to date on that occasion, takes on Kei Nishikori for a spot in the semi-finals this time around.
Both these men have looked insanely good so far in this tournament. Cilic has been hitting the ball about as well as we’ve ever seen him from the back of the court and he has come through adversity to be here. Nishikori looks back to the form that took him to the final here in 2014 so we are set up for a daytime showdown of epic proportions I believe.
Four of the last five completed matches between these two have gone to a deciding set and the other one saw Cilic win a second set tiebreak so their game styles tend to gel to provide lengthy matches. We can get bits of over 39.5 games here which looks worth taking here. We should get four sets and potentially five so the over has ever chance of landing.
Night Session
The evening begins with the women on show once again. The likes of Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki and Petra Kvitova were all slated to be involved here but instead it is Madison Keys taking on Carla Suarez Navarro for a semi-final spot.
Many people were doubting Keys going into her clash with Dominika Cibulkova last time out but she powered to victory. I was one who doubted Suarez Navarro against Sharapova but she produced a clean hitting masterclass albeit against a Russian who was visibly daunted by her second serve being so useless and get strong mental game disappeared as a result.
I think this will be a different challenge for Suarez Navarro because Keys isn’t going to lose faith in what is a big serve. She also isn’t going to want for power on the ground either. Keys leads the head to head 3-0 although all three have gone to a deciding set which could interest over backers. I’m on Keys at 5/1 for this match having backed her for this quarter and that is more than enough interest for me.
Novak Djokovic vs John Millman
The last of the quarter finals was billed all tournament as Novak Djokovic against Roger Federer but nobody gave the script to John Millman who came along and dumped the Swiss star out to book his spot in the match.
Millman’s story is a good one and he probably deserved his night in the spotlight which he certainly got against Federer. That it wasn’t Federer’s best is irrelevant because the Australian played well but his problem here is that Djokovic plays a similar game to him only a few degrees better.
Millman will chase everything down but so does Djokovic and Millman will look to use his power from the back of the court but again that is Djokovic’s strength so unless the heat gets to the Serbian I’m expecting a comfortable evening for him. Given the restricted odds on 3-0 I’ll take under 30.5 games as that offers three 6-4 sets which the -6.5 or 7.5 games doesn’t.
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Daily Accumulator
Another daily accumulator lost by one leg on Tuesday so we’ll have another go on Wednesday. Note that this will be the final accumulator of the tournament. With matches running out from here on in building an accumulator to pay anything will be impossible. Here is our last go at another winner.
Osaka win
Cilic win
Keys win
Bryan/Sock win
£10 pays £41.10
Tips
WON – Back N.Osaka to win 2-0 for a 4/10 stake at 2.10 with Unibet
Back her here:
WON – Back M.Cilic vs K.Nishikori – Over 39.5 games for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with Coral
Back it here:
WON – Back N.Djokovic vs J.Millman – Under 30.5 games for a 4/10 stake at 1.91 with Boylesports
Back it here:
Back Daily Accumulator at Unibet
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