U.S. Open Day Eight Preview: Djokovic, Serena and Wawrinka in Action Monday

A blockbuster Labor Day schedule highlights Day Eight action at the 2014 U.S. Open, featuring features six of the top 10 seeds on the men's side of the draw, with three of the past five Grand Slam champions taking the courts in Flushing Meadows. World number one Novak Djokovic, the 2014 Wimbledon champ; world number three Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 Australian Open champ; and world number eight and 2013 Wimbledon champ Andy Murray will all take to the court to move onward toward the 2014 U.S. Open title. While on the women’s side of the draw, two of the remaining top 10 seeds will be in action as the top seeded Serena Williams looks to take another step toward defending her crown, and the number eight seed Eugenie Bouchard will be in action as well.

Kicking things off at 11:00 a.m.at Arthur Ashe Stadium, it will be Flavia Pennetta, the number 11 seed from Italy, facing the 29th seed, Casey Dellacqua from Australia. Pennetta and Dellacqua have met once over the course of their careers, a win for Pennetta back in 2007 in Bangkok. Pennetta advanced to her first career-first Grand Slam semifinal at the 2013 U.S. Open, where she defeated three top 20 players en route to the semis where she lost to Victoria Azarenka. Dellacqua, making her sixth main draw appearance at the Open, for first time, has reached the fourth round at two Grand Slams in the same calendar year (also Australian Open). She also reached round four at the 2008 Australian Open.

The women remain on Ashe, as immediately following the match between Pennetta and Dellacqua, it will be world number one Serena Williams taking on Estonia's Kaia Kanepi, as Serena looks to march forward toward another U.S. Open championship. Through to the Round of 16 at the U.S. Open for 14th time in 15 appearances, the only time Serena fell before the Round of 16 was during her U.S. Open debut in 1998. She is bidding for her 38th career Grand Slam quarterfinals appearance and 12th at the U.S. Open. Kanepi is undefeated at 5-0 in the Round of 16 at Grand Slams, but has yet to win a match in the quarterfinals (0-5). Serena is 3-0 lifetime against Kanepi.

Men's singles wraps up the afternoon session at Ashe, as Round Four action will feature a battle of the ninth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France will meet Great Britain’s Andy Murray, the number eight seed. Murray has won nine of the past 11 meetings, but in was Tsonga who won the last encounter in a three-set quarterfinals at the ATP Masters

1000 Toronto on Aug. 15 en route to the title. Murray has won the last 15 appearances in a major fourth rounds since losing in this round to Tomas Berdych at Roland Garros in 2010. Murray is trying to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive year and fifth overall. Tsonga is attempting to reach his second quarterfinals at the U.S. Open and 11th major quarterfinals appearance in his career. Tsonga has reached the fourth round in all four Grand Slam tournaments this season for the first time in his career.

Under the lights Monday evening at Ashe, upstart Serbian Aleksandra Krunic will meet the number 18 seed, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. Azarenka is making her ninth consecutive U.S. Open appearance, and is through to the Round of 16 for the fourth time. Krunic is bidding to match Barbara Gerken as the last qualifier to reach the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open when she did so in 1981.

Capping off action at Ashe Monday evening, it will be a battle of two top 10 seeds as the 10th-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan meets the number five seed, Milos Raonic of Canada. This is a rematch of their round four Wimbledon meeting in July, won by Raonic in four sets. Nishikori leads the head-to-head 2-1, winning a match on clay and hard courts. Raonic is trying to reach his third straight major quarterfinals after getting to the final eight at Roland Garros. Nishikori, who reached the fourth round in Flushing Meadows six years ago in his debut, is attempting to become the first Japanese man to reach the U.S. Open quarters since Zenzo Shimidzu in 1922.

In an all-American doubles affair at Louis Armstrong Stadium beginning at 11:00 a.m., the American duo of Bob & Mike Bryan face the team of Bradley Klahn & Tim Smyczek. The Bryans are looking to capture their 100th career title at the Open this year. The Bryans, who have captured a record 15 Grand Slam crowns, including four U.S. Open titles, are also looking to extend their Grand Slam title streak to a record 10 consecutive years.

Immediately following on Louis Armstrong, the top-ranked Novak Djokovic will meet the 22 seed, Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany. Djokovic owns a 4-1 head-to-head record against Kohlschreiber, as he is looking to reach the quarters for the 22nd consecutive Grand Slam tournament, the eighth straight in Flushing Meadows. The last time Djokovic failed to reach quarters was at the French Open in 2009 when he lost to Kohlschreiber in the third round. Kohlschreiber is making his fourth consecutive Round Four appearance in Flushing Meadows for the third year in a row, and is looking to reach his second major quarterfinals.

In Round Four action for the women at Louis Armstrong, Russian Ekaterina Makarova, the 17 seed, meets the number seven, Canadian Eugenie Bouchard. Bouchard is through to the Round of 16 at the Open for first time and fourth Grand Slam in a row. Makarova is bidding to reach the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open for second year in a row.

Closing out Monday’s action at Louis Armstrong Stadium, it will be Stan Wawrinka taking on number 16 Tommy Robredo, who has won six of their eight previous

meetings (2-2 on hard courts). In their last match in the 4R at the Australian Open in January, Wawrinka won in straight sets en route to his first Grand Slam crown. Wawrinka, who reached the U.S. Open semis last year, is 6-4 lifetime in fourth round major matches, winning his last four. Robredo is looking to advance to the quarters in Flushing Meadows for the second straight year and the eighth major quarterfinals appearance in his career.

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