The quarterfinals begin on Tuesday in New York, with eight players who have never won a Major in singles. Five of them of recent Slam finalists (Matteo Berrettini, Casper Ruud, Ons Jabeur, Coco Gauff, Nick Kyrgios) while the other three have never advanced beyond this stage of a Major (Ajla Tomljanovic, Caroline Garcia, Karen Khachanov).
Matteo Berrettini (13) vs. Casper Ruud (5) – 12:00pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium
Both players already survived five-setters to reach this quarterfinal. Two rounds ago, Ruud took out Tommy Paul 6-0 in the fifth, in what was Paul’s third consecutive five-setter. And in the last round, Berrettini outlasted Alejandro Davidovich Fokina after the Spaniard injured himself in the fifth set. This is a fifth straight Major quarterfinal for Matteo, and he is 2-2 in those quarters. This is a second quarterfinal for Casper, after defeating Holger Rune three months ago in the quarters of Roland Garros. Ruud leads their head-to-head 3-2, with four of those matches occurring on clay courts. Berrettini comfortably claimed their only hard court meeting in straight sets, which took place two years ago at this same event. While Matteo’s backhand remains a liability which Ruud take advantage on, Berrettini should be favored on this surface.
Ons Jabeur (5) vs. Ajla Tomljanovic – Second on Arthur Ashe Stadium
Tomjanovic has been most impressive this fortnight, not only by defeating Serena Williams, but by following it up with a gritty victory over one of the WTA’ most in-form players, Liudmila Samsonova. And she faces another tall task on Tuesday as she tries to achieve her first Major semifinal against the WTA’s second best player of 2022. Jabeur is 42-13 on the year, and is vying for her second consecutive Slam semi. Ons is 1-0 against Ajla at tour level, having defeated the Australian in straight sets this past May on clay in Rome. After earning her first win in four tries over a red-hot Veronika Kudermetova in the last round, Jabeur should feel uber-confident. Her more offensive, diverse style makes her the favorite on Tuesday. However, Tomljanovic has proven doubters like myself wrong two matches in a row, and is playing with plenty of confidence herself. Ajla’s improved movement and defensive skills could prove frustrating for Ons on Tuesday.
Coco Gauff (12) vs. Caroline Garcia (17) – 7:00pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium
Gauff was a finalist three months ago in Paris, but this is her first deep run at her home Slam. Prior to this year, she was just 3-3 in New York. But Coco has played excellently through four rounds, advancing without the loss of a set. Garcia was a quarterfinalist five years ago in Paris, and endured several years of results that were well below the level of her talent. Yet no WTA player is hotter than Caroline, who is on a 12-match winning streak since the qualifying rounds of Cincinnati last month. She has accumulated 11 sets in a row, and seems unburdened by the years of her unrealized potential since claiming her second Roland Garros doubles title with Kiki Mladenovic. However, she is 0-2 against Gauff, with both matches taking place within the last 18 months on hard courts. But this is a new version of the Frenchwoman that Coco has not yet faced. The night session crowd will be heavily behind the young American, but her second serve and forehand can still at times be unreliable. I like Garcia’s chances of achieving her first Major semifinal.
Nick Kyrgios (23) vs. Karen Khachanov (27) – Last on Arthur Ashe Stadium
The last time these two men faced off, it was an epic encounter. At the 2020 Australian Open, Kyrgios prevailed in a fifth-set tiebreak after four-and-a-half hours. Their only other previous match also went the distance. Three years ago in Cincinnati, Khachanov was victorious 6-2 in the third. After eliminating world No.1 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev in the last round, and with Nadal knocked out of this tournament on Monday by Frances Tiafoe, many consider Kyrgios the favorite to win this event. It will be quite interesting to see how Nick deals with the pressure that comes with that expectation, which is completely new territory for him. Khachanov is a bit of a surprise in making it to this stage, as he’s had an unremarkable year. Karen was 26-20 coming into this event, and is yet to reach a tournament final this season. He served excellently in a five-set win over Pablo Carreno Busta on Sunday, but his serve is not quite as elite as Nick’s. And the improved return game of Kyrgios was on full display during his four-set victory on Sunday over Medvedev. The Australian is the favorite to reach his second straight Slam semifinal.
Tuesday’s full Order of Play is here.
