2013 U.S. Open Preview: Day Seven

On Day Seven of the 2013 U.S. Open on the women’s side of the draw, the present and future of American women’s tennis takes center stage as the top seed and defending champion Serena Williams faces the 15 seed, Sloane Stephens at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Stephens holds a key win over Serena earlier in the year, in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Stephens is trying to top her best career showing at the Open, having never advanced past round three, but faces a formidable task in trying to knock off Serena.

The bad weather held off Saturday, but Mother Nature may catch up on Sunday as scattered thunderstorms are in the forecast for Flushing Meadows and may force the schedule-makers to have to juggle matches into Monday.

The men’s singles third round in the top half of the draw takes place on Sunday, with three former Open winners leading the way on the men’s side of the draw, led by reigning champion Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic (2011) and Lleyton Hewitt (2001). Other top 16 seeds in action include number five Tomas Berdych, number nine Stanislas Wawrinka and number 12 Tommy Haas. The lone American left in the draw, wild card entry Tim Smyczek, is also on the order of play.

The third-seeded Murray takes the court at Ashe Sunday afternoon, facing the unseeded German Florian Mayer for a shot at the quarterfinals. Murray leads the head-to-head matchup 2-0, and has a career 22-4 record in Grand Slam round three matches, having won 10 straight since his last third round loss to Stanislas Wawrinka at the Open in 2010. Mayer is attempting to reach the fourth round of a major for the third time in his career. Both previous appearances came at Wimbledon in 2004 and 2012.

Under the lights at Ashe, it will be the top-seeded Djokovic facing the unseeded Joao Sousa from Portugal. It will be the first meeting between the two, as Djokovic has a career 27-4 record in Grand Slam third round matches, rattling off 17 straight wins since last loss at the hands of Philipp Kohlschreiber at the French Open in 2009. Sousa is attempting to become the first Portuguese player to reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam tournament.

Marcel Granollers of Spain will encounter the last-standing American singles male, wild card Tim Smyczek, in their first-ever meeting. Granollers is trying to reach his second career Grand Slam round four after reaching round four at the 2012 French Open. Smyczek, who is playing in his first career Grand Slam third round match, is the last wild card remaining and is looking to become the ninth wild card to reach the fourth round at the Open since 1985 and the first since Donald Young in 2011.

In round four women’s action, it will be the ninth-seeded Jelena Jankovic facing the number five seed Na Li under the lights at Ashe to close out the Sunday action. And at Louis Armstrong Stadium, Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro, the 18 seed, will face the eighth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany, while the number three seed, Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska faces the 24 seed, Russian Ekaterina Makarova. Radwanska’s best performance at the Open is reaching the fourth Round in 2007, 2008 and 2012.

Also on Sunday, world number one men’s doubles pair Bob & Mike Bryan face Canadians Daniel Nestor & Vasek Pospisil kicking things off at 11:00 a.m. EST on Ashe. The Bryans are trying to become the first team since Aussies Ken McGregor & Frank Sedgman in 1951 to win a calendar Grand Slam. The Bryans have won a “Bryan Golden Grand Slam,” capturing the Gold Medal at the 2012 London Olympics and the last four Grand Slam titles.

Click here to view the full Day Seven Schedule of Play at the 2013 U.S. Open.