The winner of the top half semifinal is certain to be the favorite in the 2017 US Open men’s final, and both semifinals look to be competitive as Juan Martin Del Potro and Rafael Nadal are looking to furnish their legacies, while Kevin Anderson and Pablo Carreno Busta seek to reach a career best result with their first ever Grand Slam final (and semifinal).
Juan Martin Del Potro vs Rafael Nadal
Steen Kirby: Nadal leads the h2h 8-5 but they haven’t played this season, where both men have made big strides in their results. Del Potro has made himself relevant this year in a big way and has a second US Open title in his sights, but Rafa dodged a bullet in avoiding Roger Federer and even though Del Potro has an unbelievable attacking game, Nadal’s defensive skill matches up well against Del Potro’s strength. Nadal in 5
Yesh Ginsburg: Del Potro is on a mission here. He can handle Nadal’s spins, and he has the serve and groundstrokes to hit the Spaniard off the court. Del Potro is going to win his second Slam this tournament, and it starts by beating Nadal in the semis. Del Potro in 4
Tony Siracusa: By every tennis measurement, Nadal is better equipped to win this match, except one; moxie. Yes, I am throwing gumption into the equation. Nadal is more physically capable, has stronger ground strokes and has a ferociousness to his game. But few, if any, play the game with more heart than Del Potro. In the third set against Federer, knowing his backhand had become predictable, he switched up to a two-handed stroke to get some down the line winners. It was a gutsy move. Logic says Nadal wins in three. I am saying Del Potro in 4.
Ryan Schick: Nadal has looked in top form this tournament and dispatched Rublev, losing 5 games against a dangerous opponent. However, Delpo looked like he couldn’t walk, won 3 sets in a row against Thiem and completely outplayed Federer. Sure to be a classic matchup between two champions with a lot of heart, Nadal pushes through and gets a step away from his second major. Nadal in 4
Brett Margolies: Not the dream match everybody was expecting come Friday, but not a bad consolation. After Del Potro looked completely out of it against Thiem he’s managed to reach the semifinals surprisingly. Nadal on the other hand is playing great at the moment and I can’t see him not winning the whole thing. One match at a time, but Nadal gets through on Friday in a close one. Nadal in 4
Kevin Anderson vs Pablo Carreno Busta
Steen: Anderson has 2 h2h wins and although PCB hasn’t dropped a set, Anderson’s serve, and improved return game this tournament positions him to be the type of opponent that PCB won’t be able to figure out. Look for Anderson to keep his nerve and reach his first ever slam final in a land mark result for South African tennis and his own career. Anderson in 3
Tony: Busta has had an easier path to the semis, (he only needed 28 games to win his quarterfinal match), so logic says he is rested. But Anderson is playing with a new-found aggressiveness that is working well for him. In the quarterfinal against Querrey, he won 82% of his first serve points and 60% of his second serve points. It is putting great pressure on his opponents to play flawlessly. Anderson in 4
Yesh: Anderson has been playing so well, and his serve is huge. Unfortunately for him, Carreno Busta is just so consistent. The Spaniard has not yet dropped a set this tournament for a reason. He’s going to make the final. Carreno Busta in 4
Ryan: The semi we all expected…Kevin Anderson against Pablo Carreno Busta. Both players have had relatively easy roads, not to take away from the fact that both men played great tennis to win their past 5 matches. PCB has yet to lose a set in this tournament, even overcoming a rowdy Argentine crowd to top Schwartzman. Anderson seemed well past his prime, but has used his dominant serve to take him to this semifinal. In a matchup between two players with very different styles, PCB wears Anderson down and wins the key points the change the match. Carreno Busta in 4
Brett: I thought the winner of Anderson-Querrey had a great shot of getting to the final and nothing’s changed for me. Kevin Anderson is playing great tennis with his new and improved attitude on court. I expect Carreno Busta to compete, but Anderson is just the better player on hard courts. Anderson in 4
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