The first week of the US Open comes to a close out in New York on Saturday on a day where the tennis should be of a great quality and where the drama and tension is likely to escalate as the third round comes to an end.
We’ve still lost very few of the truly big names who entered the tournament but that could all change on Saturday with some big seeds playing tough opponents on a day which has the feel of bring something pretty special.
Day 5 Recap
It was another day where the big names were largely unscathed over the course of it. Naomi Osaka had to go to a third set to make it through but there were straight sets wins for Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova while Alexander Zverev made it through in four sets. We had to wait until deep into the night for the drama but it came out on the Louis Armstrong Stadium where Stefanos Tsitsipas looked to be cruising at 5-1 in the fourth set having won two of the first three, only to blow seven match points, lose six games in a row and then lose the decider on a tiebreak. That will take some getting over.
After building a bit of momentum it was a terrible night for us betting wise with three bets all losing, not helped by Madison Brengle going a break up in both sets of her match against Shelby Rogers and failing to win either. It hasn’t been the best week for us so far to say the least so there is plenty of work for us to do over the second one in order to get back to something like parity for the event.
Arthur Ashe Stadium
There is a decent schedule on the Arthur Aske Stadium on Saturday and it all begins with the beaten finalist of last year as Daniil Medvedev looks to take another step closer towards a second successive final when he plays the American player JJ Wolf. Two much more seasoned American players take to the stage once they are done when former winners Sloane Stephens and Serena Williams collide in what is the match of the day across the grounds on Saturday.
The quality doesn’t really relent that much when it comes to the night session either. It begins with another of the American brigade in action when the former finalist Madison Keys looks to make it into the second week. In order to get there she will have to come past the extremely competent Alize Cornet before the pick of the men’s matches rounds off the show when 2014 winner Marin Cilic meets Dominic Thiem for a place in the last 16.
Louis Armstrong Stadium
Two seeded women get the show on the road on the Louis Armstrong Stadium on Saturday afternoon when the Greek star Maria Sakkari will be aiming to avoid the same fate as her countryman Stefanos Tsitsipas when she goes up against the dangerous Amanda Anisimova. Roberto Bautista Agut has gone quietly through the draw so far and he’ll look to continue doing that when he meets Vasek Pospisil before the other American male left in the tournament looks to make the last 16 as Frances Tiafoe takes on Marton Fucsovics. Two women’s matches finish off the schedule as Victoria Azarenka takes on Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur meets Sofia Kenin.
Court 17
There is a doubles match that opens up the show out on Court 17 but once the singles comes along it will be last season’s semi-finalist Matteo Berrettini going up against Casper Ruud for a place in the last 16 before the conqueror of Andy Murray, Felix Auger-Aliassime, now many people’s idea as a possible champion from here on in, meets Corentin Moutet in the only other singles match out on the delightful Court 17 on Saturday.
Best of the Rest
It is mostly doubles that are scheduled for the outside courts on Saturday but there are some singles matches dotted about here and there. Among the players on show are Andrey Rublev, Alex de Minaur, Karen Khachanov, Donna Vekic and Elise Mertens on a day where there are plenty of competitive looking matches and no shortage of quality across plenty of the courts over at Flushing Meadows.
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Men’s Betting
There are a lot of one-sided looking matches in the men’s draw on Saturday and we have to wait until the final match of the day before my bet comes along when Marin Cilic goes up against Dominic Thiem in a match I believe will be longer than the bookmakers seem to think. Cilic is a former champion here who has never once hidden that he loves this tournament and this court in particular while Thiem showed over the last 12 months that he is major winning material.
While it probably isn’t ideal for Cilic that this match is in the night session which could slow his serve down a little bit, the Croatian has been around long enough for him to come up with a way to overcome that issue. Thiem wouldn’t have minded a quicker court for his groundstrokes but he won’t be too disappointed. Whichever way this one goes I just can’t believe it is going to be won in straight sets so the over 36.5 games, with chances of a tiebreak relatively high here, looks likely to land.
Women’s Betting
I’ll go with one in the women’s draw as well and it comes in the huge clash on Ashe between Sloane Stephens and Serena Williams, a match I’m really looking forward to but one where I fancy there could be something of an upset in. Serena looked pretty good in the last round to be fair to her but she still struggled to finish off the match and that has been a real trend since lockdown and that is a big concern here.
Sloane Stephens looked to have lost her way a little bit but she seems to be finding her mojo again having linked up with the coach she won this title under and her heavy hitting and better movement could well give Serena problems. Writing off a champion is never easy but I think Stephens has a better than 2/1 chance of winning this match so the fact we can get almost that on the American here makes me think she’s the value.
Daily Accumulator
We haven’t had much joy with the accumulators this week but we’ll try another one on Saturday where we will look to get a fourfold to land.
Sakkari win
Fucsovics win
Azarenka 2-0
Auger-Aliassime win
£5 returns £27.22
Tips
Back M.Cilic vs D.Thiem – Over 36.5 games for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Boylesports
Back Daily Accumulator at Boylesports
Back them here:
Back S.Stephens to beat S.Williams for a 3/10 stake at 2.90 with William Hill
Back her here:
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