It will be six-time champion Serena Williams facing fellow American and 2017 champion Sloane Stephens in the second match of the day on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The most marquee men’s match of the day will see 2014 champion Marin Cilic take on three-time Major finalist Dominic Thiem. With sunny and pleasant weather forecasted, and many other appetizing matches on the docket, Saturday should be an excellent day of tennis in New York.
Serena Williams (3) vs. Sloane Stephens (26)
Williams leads their head-to-head 5-1, though they haven’t played in over five years. Stephens’ only victory was also their most prominent affair, in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Australian Open. They’ve played once previously at this event, also in 2013, with Serena winning comfortably in straight sets. Sloane came into this fortnight with a miserable 1-7 record during this abbreviated season, with her only win over a player currently ranked outside the top 500. While Serena also hasn’t looked quite her best since the tour restart, neither woman dropped a set in their first two rounds. Serena clearly has the better offense, with Sloane the better defense. Which will prevail? They say defense wins championships, but Serena’s serve has propelled her to 23 Major singles titles. And considering Sloane’s recent struggles, Serena should advance to the fourth round of the US Open for the 17th time.
Dominic Thiem (2) vs. Marin Cilic (31)
Thiem is 2-0 against Cilic, with both matches decided on hard courts. And the second seed has certainly been the better player of late, while Cilic has struggled since mid-2018. But this has been Marin’s best Major throughout his career. He’s reached the quarterfinals or better five times, and this is the seventh consecutive year he’s advanced to this round. However, it’s taken him nine sets to get here, while Thiem has only played five thanks to a retirement midway through his first round. And Thiem will like playing at night on Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the courts will play considerably slower than the outer courts, especially in cooler evening temperatures. Cilic may provide some resistance, but Thiem is the favorite.
Sofia Kenin (2) vs. Ons Jabeur (27)
The American No.1 has claimed four of their five meetings at all levels. That includes their most recent and important encounter, in the quarterfinals of this year’s Australian Open. Of course that was part of Kenin’s run to her first Major. And it was Jabeur’s best performance at a Slam to date. The 26-year-old from Tunisia is currently at a career-high ranking of No.31, after also reaching the quarters in Doha, Lexington, and last week’s Western & Southern Open. With her all-court game, this could be an upset alert. Despite having not been broken through two rounds, Kenin has stated she doesn’t feel like she’s played her best tennis. And with so few tournaments played since her maiden Major win, Sofia hasn’t had much time to adjust to her new place in the sport. While Jabeur’s only win against Kenin came on clay at a lower level event, I would not be surprised if she upsets the second seed today.
Karen Khachanov (11) vs. Alex de Minaur (21)
This will be the first career meeting between the 24-year-old Russian and the 21-year-old Australian. Khachanov scarcely escaped the opening round, coming back from two sets down against Jannick Sinner. De Minaur experienced less turbulence in getting to this stage, but did drop a set to Richard Gasquet on Thursday. The timing and placement of this match would seem to favor the Australian, as they’ll be playing midday on an outer court. De Minaur enjoys faster hard courts much more than Khachanov, who prefers more time to set up his strokes. And Alex has good memories on these courts, having reached the fourth round of a Major for the first time here a year ago. I like his chances to repeat that feat today, though the big-swinging Russian doesn’t often go down without a fight. This could be a fun one.
Maria Sakkari (15) vs. Amanda Anisimova (22)
Sakkari has excelled against American competition these last two weeks. She took out both Coco Gauff and Serena Williams a week ago. And last round, she defeated Bernarda Pera in three sets. Today she faces a 19-year-old American who was a surprise semifinalist last year at Roland Garros. Unfortunately, she missed this event a year ago, following the sudden passing of her father. While she has been unable to equal her French Open result elsewhere yet, it’s understandable considering the personal trauma she has suffered. And with her strong ground game and level-headed composure on the court, it’s seems only a matter of time before she’s at the top of the game. Amanda showcased some grit in coming back from a set down against fellow American Katrina Scott two days ago. While Sakkari is the more in-form and experienced player, I have a feeling this could be a strong tournament for Anisimova. She is better equipped to dictate play, and may feel less pressure without a partisan crowd packed inside Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Other Notable Matches on Day 6:
Western & Southern Open champion Victoria Azarenka vs. Iga Swiatek, a 19-year-old from Poland who was a quarterfinalist at the Australian Open earlier this year.
2019 finalist Daniil Medvedev (3) vs. J.J. Wolf (WC), a 21-year-old American playing in his first Major.
2019 semifinalist Matteo Berrettini (6) vs. Casper Ruud (30). The 21-year-old Norwegian won their only previous meeting, last year at the French Open.
