By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, September 4, 2015
Victoria Azarenka plays Angelique Kerber for her fourth straight trip to the US Open fourth round.
Photo credit: Tennis Canada
On each day of the US Open we will provide you with notes on three matches to watch, plus notes and numbers to keep you well-equipped for the day ahead.
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1. Richard Gasquet (FRA) vs. Bernard Tomic (AUS), First Match, Grandstand
The temperamental Tomic saved two match points scraping out a five-set victory over mentor Lleyton Hewitt on Grandstand Thursday night and appeared to battling the onset of cramps at the end of that match. How much strength, stamina and desire will the 24th-seeded Aussie exhibit against Gasquet, who has won five of their six career meetings?
The backhand is the best weapon for both—Tomic's flat two-hander against Gasquet's sweeping and versatile one-hander. Gasquet is playing for his sixth trip to the Flushing Meadows fourth round. The Frenchman can play all-court tennis. A 2013 US Open semifinalist, Gasquet has won all six sets the pair have played on hard court, with three of those six sets decided in tie breaks.
2. Angelique Kerber (GER) vs. Victoria Azarenka (BLR), Third Match, Arthur Ashe Stadium
Determined baseliners both have successful histories in New York. The sturdy Kerber reached her first career Grand Slam semifinal at the 2011 US Open. Azarenka is a two-time US Open finalist. Former world No. 1 Azarenka has won all four of their prior meetings, but Kerber has looked sharp in two tournament victories so far.
Both women can drive the ball down the line effectively. Kerber is the better scrambler, but Azarenka possesses more power and has reached at least the quarterfinals three years in a row.
3. Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA), Second Night Match, Arthur Ashe Stadium
The 2012 US Open champion roared back from a two-set deficit for the eighth time in his career conquering Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in round two. Now the third seed faces another dangerous left-hander in Bellucci, who beat Murray in their lone prior encounter on clay at the 2011 Madrid tournament.
Bellucci owns a booming lefty forehand and can smack a sneaky-fast serve. The 30th-ranked Brazilian has not dropped a set in the tournament reaching the third round for the first time. If Murray tries nudging off-pace shots in the middle of the court Bellucci can make him pay. But the lanky left-hander is 0-7 vs. Top 10 opponents this season and 8-8 on hard courts, while Montreal champion Murray is 31-7 on hard courts this year.
By the Numbers
5 Consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals Stan Wawrinka has reached.
6 Number of Grand Slam singles champions in action on Saturday (Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitova, Samantha Stosur, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka).