US Open acca tips: Novak Djokovic to continue his golden run
Novak Djokovic - Aug 2023
Planet Sport presents ten picks for the US Open action on Wednesday 30 August.
The US Open heads into its third day with some monster matches slated for the order of play on Wednesday.
Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek headline the men's and women's singles today.
Here we take a closer look at a handful of matches and make some picks to help you pick out your accumulator.
US Open men's:
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Dominic Stephan Stricker | Pick: Tsitsipas
US Open men's:
Bernabe Zapata Miralles vs Novak Djokovic | Pick: Djokovic
US Open men's:
Casper Ruud vs Zhizhen Zhang | Pick: Ruud
US Open men's:
Sebastian Ofner vs Frances Tiafoe | Pick: Tiafoe
US Open men's:
Juan Pablo Varillas Patiño-Samudio vs Taylor Fritz | Pick: Fritz
US Open women's:
Elise Mertens vs Danielle Rose Collins | Pick: Collins
US Open women's:
Miyazaki Yuriko Lily vs Belinda Bencic | Pick: Bencic
US Open women's:
Taylor Townsend vs Beatriz Haddad Maia | Pick: Haddad Maia
US Open women's:
Mirra Andreeva vs Coco Gauff | Pick: Gauff
US Open women's:
Iga Swiatek vs Daria Saville Gavrilova | Pick: Swiatek
US Open men's: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Dominic Stephan Stricker
Stefanos Tsitsipas will be faced with the task of getting beyond Dominic Stricker, a player whom he beat in their only prior meeting.
Tsitsipas wasn't happy with his level first time out and should be out to make a strong start in this one.
While Tsitsipas has ambitions of a deep run he is on the brink of matching his best ever performance at the US Open.
Stricker meanwhile, has the chance to force his way into the top 100 with a good performance in New York.
US Open men's: Bernabe Zapata Miralles vs Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic is assured of a return to the top of the rankings at the end of the tournament but a 24th Grand Slam remains his goal.
He has Spanish opposition in round two in the form of Bernabe Zapata Miralles.
The 26-year-old former top 50 player is braced for his first-ever meeting with Novak Djokovic.
Despite winning his first round match in straight sets it took, Zapata Miralles over two hours to put Ethan Quinn away first up while Djokovic blew past Alexandre Muller in quick time.
US Open men's: Casper Ruud vs Zhizhen Zhang
Casper Ruud will be guarding against an upset against a player who has crafted a few already this season.
Both players had long first round matches but Zhang needed five sets to upset home hope JJ Wolf.
Ruud will remember well their meeting in Paris earlier this year when the Chinese player took the first set and had him on the ropes.
Ruud managed to win that meeting which is to date the only clash between the players.
US Open men's: Sebastian Ofner vs Frances Tiafoe
Frances Tiafoe has raised expectations for himself at this year's US Open and a relatively clear draw will add to that.
Sebastian Ofner has lucked out in being bracketed alongside a top ten player this early in the event.
Tiafoe and Ofner have never met on the tour before which means the home player and higher-ranked man should hold an edge.
Tiafoe breezed into the second round in straight sets while Ofner was made to grind to get beyond Nuno Borges.
US Open men's: Juan Pablo Varillas Patiño-Samudio vs Taylor Fritz
Juan Pablo Varillas surprised Miomir Kecmanovic last time out but it will take some doing to repeat the feat against a fired up Taylor Fritz.
Fritz has enjoyed a good build up to the tournament and is playing perhaps the best he has coming into a US Open.
This will be the first meeting between the players who are separated by a rankings gulf.
Fritz suffered a painful early exit from the US Open last season and will be out to rectify that.
US Open women's: Elise Mertens vs Danielle Rose Collins
Perhaps the biggest test of a home player on the day will see Danielle Collins battle Elise Mertens.
Mertens may be seeded but she is ranked just two places above Collins and has beaten her just once in four meetings.
That win came in their first meeting and has been followed by a hat-trick of triumphs for Collins including one earlier this season in Doha.
Collins was imperious in putting away rising star Linda Fuhrvitova in the opening round and should continue her good form.
US Open women's: Lily Miyazaki vs Belinda Bencic
British qualifier Lily Miyazaki hits a major roadblock in the shape of world No 13 Belinda Bencic in the second round.
Miyazaki has fought hard to reach this point but the Swiss player might prove a bridge too far.
Bencic is a player capable of pushing for the title at her best and should be more than a match for Miyazaki.
Bencic and Miyazaki have not met in competition before.
US Open women's: Taylor Townsend vs Beatriz Haddad Maia
Taylor Townsend will test her resurgence on the WTA Tour when she faces Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Though Townsend won their only meeting to date that came in Miami as far back as 2019 and shouldn't really have a bearing on this contest.
Haddad Maia has since been on a tear up the rankings and is now a top 20 player.
The Brazilian accounted for a former US Open champion in the first round and should have the goods to make it two from two.
US Open women's: Mirra Andreeva vs Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff, a prodigy herself, faces the current up-and-comer of note in Mirra Andreeva feeling like an established player despite being just 19.
Gauff has never lost to a player younger than herself, besting all four teenagers she has previously battled.
These players had a fascinating tussle in Paris with Andreeva claiming the first set tiebreaker before Gauff overwhelmed her in the second and third sets.
Andreeva might be a rival to Gauff in the future but she isn't quite on the American's level yet.
US Open women's: Iga Swiatek vs Daria Saville Gavrilova
Iga Swiatek faces a potential upset when she takes on Daria Saville Gavrilova.
Gavrilova is much better than her ranking suggests and is no pushover for the world No 1.
Swiatek won their only meeting which came in January 2022 in Adelaide.
Swiatek's physical condition has been the subject of speculation and she will be well-watched during this encounter.
READ MORE:
2023 US Open: Round 1 By the Numbers
