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Sabalenka (2) vs Gauff (6)

Gauff has come on tremendously since her Wimbledon first round exit. Titles in Washington and Cincy and now her first US Open final.

The American was overwhelmed in her first slam final, the 2022 RG championship match. Since then, she’s shaken up her coaching team, adding Gilbert into the mix, and worked on her serve and forehand.

She’s also got a healthy perspective, acknowledging there is far more pressure in the world than being a professional tennis player.

Her opponent, Sabalenka has also come a long way recently. She’ll be world. No.1 on Monday. The Australian Open trophy now sits in her cabinet. After two failed US Open semis, she ‘s now into the final.

Both players have a great chance to win this. Namely because their games negate the others. Sabalenka is the ultra aggressive one, Gauff the human backboard. Whoever executes their respective style better should win.

It probably won’t be so straightforward, though. This could be a royal mess. Both women have a lot at stake. Sabalenka would like to begin her reign at No.1 coming off a fresh slam win. Gauff is the next big USTA hope in the women’s game and this is her chance to deliver on the hype.

However it plays out, it’ll be fascinating stuff. The two best players right now playing in the final. Championship matches often fail to live up to expectation, but we have a decent chance here of getting something worth watching.

The hot and humid weather became the official scapegoat for the less than Quarter-final worthy play fans witnessed on day 9.

Ostapenko went down 0 and 2 to Gauff in a comedy of errors. Few in the stadium were laughing. Those tickets are expensive.

Ostapenko’s scapegoat wasn’t the weather, though, but the scheduling. She’d been told after beating Swiatek that she’d be the night match. Instead, she was on at midday. Such last minute switcheroos are more commonly found on reality TV than professional sports. The US Open is far from alone in scheduling its home players favorably and Gauff took full advantage. All she had to do was follow the most basic of tennis maxims – keep the ball in play. And she could do it in peace and quiet, too, for there wasn’t even a peep from Gilbert. Thank the tennis Gods. The heat and his chanting might have sent Gauff crazy, too.

Fans would have hoped for better for their second, and last, match of the day session. Not in that heat, though. Fritz’s brain seemed fried as he went down tamely in the opening two sets against Djokovic. The third was a little more competitive with Fritz getting breaks and forcing Djokovic to fight for the win. Fritz couldn’t consolidate, however, and his rival roared in approval. The Djokovic noise gave the impression that something exciting was happening down in that fiery cauldron of a stadium court.

The evening session took off from where the day one left. Cirstea dropped the first set 0-6 to Muchova. She did fight, despite the steamy conditions, and it was obvious from her demonstrativeness how much her first slam quarter final since 2009 meant to her. The Romanian managed to make more of a match of it in the second, breaking serve. However she could not hold on to her lead. Muchova was tremendously solid, taking the set 6-3, and added a semi-final at the USO to her impressive results of late.

I didn’t watch the final match of the day, Tiafoe vs Shelton. It’s too late. I had naïve hopes for those fans who were still tuned in or who were suffering in the AA sweat pit. This match would be the one. That quarter final where both players leave it all out on the court and goes down as one of the year’s classics.

Alas, it was not to be. By all account, Tiafoe went down to Shelton more timidly than we would have expected, the younger American winning in four and reaching his first slam semi.

The heat is not going anywhere anytime soon, either. In fact, forecasts suggest it’s going to get even tougher for the players and the fans. Oh, and rain is coming, too.

Sinner was upset by Zverev in five sets. Oh dear. I really don’t want to give Zverev much air time so all I will say is that Sinner losing is a shock and the tournament suffers for not getting the anticipated QF vs Alcaraz.

Now, we get Alcaraz vs Zverev after the defending champion defeated Arnaldi in straights.

Medvedev dropped the first set to di Minaur before winning in four. He now faces Rublev who beat a worn out Draper, also in four.

In the women’s, Jabeur’s run on borrowed time finally came to a close. QueenWen beat her in straights. Zheng now faces Sabalenka who eased past Kasatkina.

Pegula was also upset. Keys disposed of her, dropping just four games. Keys now faces Vondrousova who fought back from a set down versus Stearns.

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.

Ostapenko sent Swiatek flying out of the US Open fourth round 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

The 2017 RG champ led the head to head 3-0 going into the match. Playing with confidence and belting flat, heavy strokes, she took charge of the match late in the second and steamrolled the third. Ostapenko had a slight waver serving for the match at 5-0 but in the next game she attacked the Swiatek service, broke the top seed and sealed the upset.

Ostapenko faces Gauff in the quarters. The American beat Wozniacki in three. Gauff was in control of the match until the second set when Wozniacki made a match of it, taking the second and leading by a break in the third. The Dane seemed a little shocked by what she was achieving in only her third event back and errors, once unfathomable for the former No.1, leaked into her game.

Gauff won the next six games to take the match. On her way, she told her coaching box to be quiet. In her post match interview, she said she likes to figure things out for herself. It’ll be interesting to see if the constant chants of ‘Make it physical, she’s tired’ will now cease.

In the other quarter final, Muchova will face Cirstea. The RG runner up beat Wang in three. Cirstea reached her first slam QF since RG ’09, defeating an irritable Bencic in straights.

In the men’s, Shelton upset a strangely subdued Paul (14) in four sets. He now faces Tiafoe, conqueror of Hijikata.

Fritz defeated Stricker in a match in which both men needed on court medical assistance. Three sets was enough for the American to line up a quarter final match with Djokovic who straight setted Gojo.

Perhaps the most monumental event that occured happened off-court – Sabalenka became No.1, the 29th woman to do so. She can send Ostapenko flowers.