US Open Day 9 matches to watch

Gauff Vs Ostapenko

Most likely, Gauff takes this in an easy straight sets. Ostapenko is not known for her consistency and a letdown after her takedown of Swiatek could happen. Gauff is all about hitting the ball in the court and is a nightmare match up.

However, once upon a time, Ostapenko won 7 matches in a row at a slam, beating Halep in the final. She also defeated Stosur and Wozniacki on her way. This player has what it takes to win a slam and she can certainly beat Gauff. She’ll need to find the right balance between aggression and margin for error, and have a good serving day. No doubt she’ll target Gauff’s forehand and put pressure on her second serve.

Gauff is the favorite to reach the final now. She’s been there before, her greatest day also coming at RG. Doing it in NYC is an altogether different task – far more pressure, and with Ostapenko on the other side of the court, it’ll be the biggest test of if she has what it takes in her short career.

Fritz vs Djokovic

I always live in hope, and I’ll need it here. Really, this match is likely going to be quite unremarkable. Like the above match, this is probably going to be won by the favorite in straights. In fact, it’s highly likely that Muchova-Cirstea and Tiafoe-Shelton will be the two better matches. However, the two matches I’ve gone with have huge potential and if they take off could be highly entertaining.

Fritz is having a great Open. His sins of 2023 are forgiven.

Djokovic is getting through his draw, getting into the gears he needs when necessary.

Back at the AO 21, these two had a mighty showdown, with Fritz coming back from 0-2 down before losing the fifth. Djokovic even roared like he’d won a slam at the end, in an empty stadium. Fritz can bother these top players, especially on a hard court.

Fritz’s limitations are treats for these guys, too. His lack of versatility and predictability make him fodder for them when they’re on. He’ll need to serve big, take his chances on second serve returns, and get those big groundies on the right side of the lines.