The third round action begins on Friday in New York with Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic holding ashes, while a trio of American men cross to Armstrong and Grandstand. Here’s what we will see.
See the full day of day 6 here
Novak night
Novak Gjokovic may be in a physical test on Friday evening in New York, as the great champion 24 times will face Cameron Norrie. It is a head -to -head in favor of Djokovic, who has won the six clashes with Brit, but Gjokovic will have to show better energy than he has demonstrated in his first two victories over student Tien and Zachary Zhajda.
It is difficult to know what to expect from the 38-year-old, but the good news is that he has put two wins under his belt on his first tour since Wimbledon. Perhaps this has allowed him to pour some of the rust and the fatigue he felt during his first two matches.
Norrie of the 35th Rangu has been in the rankings this year, but he went into the tournament riding a three games losing his belt in strong courts after losing in the first round in Canada and Cincinnati for the non-introduced players.
vs rybakin
Emma Raducanu has only dropped six games through two games and she will take her burnt shape in a very anticipated clash with Elena Rybakina in Armstrong, first. The 2021 champion is looking very comfortable in New York and it can present major problems for Rybakina, which is trying to reach the first week for the first time in Open.
Townsend gets attention
Taylor Townsend has been in the news since her second round victory over Jelena Ostapenko, but no one is talking about her tennis. This should change on Friday evening she faces 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the third round action in the last night’s session in Arthur Ase Stadium.
Townsend will do his best to include the crowd and go to the attack against Russian craft while trying to reach the fourth round for the second time. US Open is the only collision where Andreeva still to reach the second week, and seed No.5 will try to change it on Friday.
A strange statistic: Twice the last teens have won the title in Indian Wells, they have continued to win the US Open title in the same year. It happened to Serena Williams in 1999 and happened to Bianca Andreescu in 2019. Will Andreeva, who beat Sabalenka in a memorable final of the Indian Wells, be third?
Americans outside the ash
Three American men will be in action on Friday but none of them will play on Ashe. Ben Shelton will take to Armstrong against Adrian Mannarino, the 37-year-old Frenchman; Taylor Fritz gets the Armstrong night session against Swiss qualifier Jerome Kym, while Frances Tiafoe treks out to Grandstand to face German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff. We think Americans will engineer a clean, 3-0 cleansing.
