Federer, Four Americans Headline Saturday’s U.S. Open Action
Roger Federer headlines Saturday’s action on Day 6 of the U.S. Open, as the 34-year old Swiss takes on Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber for a spot in the Round of 16.
Federer has looked flawless through his first two matches, losing just nine games combined against Leonardo Mayer and Steve Darcis, his first two opponents. He squares off in an opponent in Kohlschreiber whom he is 9-0 against, and Kohlschreiber will have to play the match of his life to upset Federer on the Arthur Ashe court.
The five-time champion in Flushing Meadows has won 62 of his last 64 matches against German players, and has a 14-1 career record in the U.S. Open third-round, so all indications are Federer should have no problem moving into the round of 16.
Following this match, third-seed Andy Murray will take on 30th seed Thomaz Bellucci.
Murray is hoping to avoid a start like he had in his last match against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. Murray dropped the first two sets before storming back to win in five sets, and will play another left-handed in Bellucci today.
The two have met just once before, and Bellucci actually won that match, a straight set win in Madrid in 2011. But you’d be hard pressed to find someone playing better than Murray this year. For the eighth time in his career he came back from two sets down to win. The last time he did that, he went on to win the Wimbledon title in 2013, and hopes that story plays out the same at this tournament.
The first women’s match of the day will feature the first meeting between fifth-seed Czech Petra Kvitova versus 32nd seeded Slovak Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova. This match will mark the first time this tournament that Kvitova will play someone in the top 100, and Schmiedlova will present a stiff challenge to the two-time Wimbledon champion.
Kvitova hasn’t played a ton of matches this year and Schmiedlova will look to take advantage of that as the two are the first match onto Ashe.
Over on Armstrong, Great Britain’s Johanna Konta will take on 18th seeded German Andrea Petkovic starting at 11 a.m. Konta upset ninth-seed and Wimbledon finalist Garbine Muguruza in her last match, and the qualifier will seek to pull another upset on Saturday.
There are a few Americans on both sides of the draw seeking spots in the final 16. John Isner will take on Czech Republic’s Jiri Vesely and is looking to reach the round of 16 for the first time in four years. He takes on Vesely, who upset another big-server in Ivo Karlovic in his last match, but Isner is playing some of the best tennis of his career as of late.
If Isner can continue to dominate with his serve, he should be able to get past the veteran Vesely.
Donald Young seeks to continue his run in Flushing when he takes on 22nd seed Serb Viktor Troicki. Young hope to make the U.S. Open fourth-round for just the second time in his career.
On the women’s side, Varvara Lepchenko is hoping to reach the fourth-round here for the first time in her career when she plays Germany’s Mona Barthel.
American qualifier Shelby Rogers hopes to shock the world on Ashe when she plays third-seed Simona Halep. The two have never played before, and you should expect Rogers to try and throw the kitchen sink at the Romanian.
Long Island’s own Scott Lipsky and partner Eric Butorac seek to continue their run when they face off with Gilles Muller and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureschi in a second-round men’s doubles match up on Court 5.
