U.S. Open Day Seven Preview: Sharapova-Wozniacki Showdown Highlights Sunday’s Action

Sunday, Aug. 31, Day Seven of the 2014 U.S. Open hits the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and for the first time all week of the Open, rain and thunderstorms may threaten or delay some of the action. The showcase match of the day is a round four encounter between the number five seed, Russia’s Maria Sharapova and the number 10 seed, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the second match scheduled at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Sharapova leads 5-2 in career meetings, the last matchup a 2013 win for Shapaova in Indian Wells, Calif. Sharapova is looking to reach the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open for fourth time, while Wozniacki is bidding for first Grand Slam quarterfinals showing since the 2012 Australian Open.

Kicking things off at Ashe, it will be the number 13 seed, Sara Errani of Italy taking on the unseeded Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia. Lucic-Baroni is off an upset victory over the number two seed, Simona Halep, and is through to the Round of 16 at a Grand Slam event for first time since reaching Wimbledon semis in 1999, a gap of 15 years. She is one of two qualifiers to reach the Round of 16 at the U.S. Open, and with a win Over Errani on Sunday, would become the lowest ranked player to reach the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.

On the men's side of the draw, the number two seed, Switzerland's Roger Federer looks for a trip to round four when he faces Marcel Granollers of Spain at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Federer has a career 50-4 record in Grand Slam round three matches, with his most recent defeat coming a decade ago to Gustavo Kuerten at Roland Garros in 2004. Federer has won 41 straight since that loss. Federer is looking to reach the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for 14th consecutive year since a third round exit in his Open debut in 2000. Federer is a perfect 2-0 lifetime against Granollers.

Under the lights at Ashe and scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. EDT start will be a match between Belinda Bencic and the number nine seed Jelena Jankovic for a trip to the Round of 16, while capping the evening off for the men is a third round meeting between Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin.

Over at Louis Armstrong Stadium at 11:00 a.m., it will be David Ferrer, the number four seed, taking on Gilles Simon of France, the 26 seed. Ferrer holds a 5-1 lifetime mark against Simon. Ferrer has a career 23-10 record in Grand Slam round three matches and has won 16 straight since dropping six in a row from Wimbledon 2008 to Roland Garros 2010.

In round three women's doubles action, the recently eliminated Venus Williams teams with her sister Serena to meet the all-Spaniard duo of Garbine Muguruza & Carla Suarez Navarro, the 12 seeds, at Louis Armstrong.

Also at Armstrong, the sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic will look to move out of the third round against Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili. Berdych has the lone win in the pair’s only lifetime meeting. Berdych has a career 22-6 record in Grand Slam third round matches, and is 2-1 this year. His lone defeat in 2014 was at Wimbledon, falling to Marin Cilic in straight sets.

The day’s action at Louis Armstrong concludes as two Frenchman clash when the number 20 seed Gael Monfils meets the 12 seed, Richard Gasquet. The two have met 10 times over the course of their careers, with Monfils taking six of those matches. Gasquet has a 17-6 record in Grand Slam third round matches, but is 0-2 this year, following defeats to Tommy Robredo at the Australian Open and to Fernando Verdasco at Roland Garros.

Over on Court 5, the team of Canada’s Daniel Nestor & Serbia’s Nenad Zimonjic, the number three seeds, take on the American duo of Merrick, N.Y.’s Scott Lipsky & Rajeev Ram in round three action. Lipsky & Ram are off a win over the young American team of Michael Mmoh & Francis Tiafoe earlier in the week.

Click here for the complete Day Seven schedule of action at the 2014 U.S. Open.