Richard Gasquet will get another crack at upsetting Rafael Nadal, the long-time rivals face off in the third round of the US Open. We have predictions for every day 6 match including Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev’s matches in New York.
Rafael Nadal vs Richard Gasquet
Jakub Bobro: Nadal has dropped the opener in both of his matches so far against Rinky Hijikata and Fabio Fognini but ultimately did not come close to losing. With a 17-0 head-to-head, it is tough to expect anything but a Nadal win though for the sake of all those watching, let’s hope Gasquet can at least try something different tactically. Nadal in 3
Anish Joshi: Nadal had a little scare in his second round encounter against Fognini, where he lost the first set and was broken thrice in the second. Nevertheless, once he settled down, Rafa had no problem closing it. Gasquet did pretty well in his first two matches against younger opponents. The Spaniard is unbeaten at the US Open since 2018, and looks like the streak will continue. Nadal in 4
Fraser Learmonth: Gasquet has performed well so far in New York which is something of a surprise given his torrid year in general. That being said, Nadal is a different animal and it will take something inspired to beat him. The Spaniard’s body is all that’s let him down in recent months and if it holds up here he wins comfortably. Nadal in 4
Marin Cilic vs Daniel Evans
Jakub: Former champion Cilic got through the first two rounds against Maximilian Marterer and Albert Ramos-Vinolas in straight sets but will now face a different challenge in Evans. The Brit made the semifinals in Montreal and looked good in the first two rounds as well and I believe he will come out on top here. Evans in 5
Anish: Marin Cilic has looked really good in his first two matches. Plus, he has a game to benefit from the fast conditions that are available this year. Evans played two equally good matches too, and this match-up is evenly balanced. All in all, Cilic is favored to win this clash. Cilic in 4
Fraser: This is a great match up featuring two very different styles. Cilic’s aggressive baseline play and big serve give him an advantage on these courts. However, Evans has the court craft to frustrate the big Croat in this one. This will be close but I suspect the Cilic serve sees him over the line in a tournament he holds dear. Cilic in 5
Jannik Sinner vs Brandon Nakashima
Jakub: After a tricky opener against Daniel Altmaier, Sinner looked much better in his second round win over Christopher Eubanks. He now faces even tougher opposition in Nakashima, who took out Grigor Dimitrov in the last match. The American will be tough to beat but Sinner should win out here. Sinner in 4
Anish: Sinner played a five setter in his first round match before grinding for another 2 hours and a half in the second round. On the other side of the net, Nakashima knocked out 17th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the second round. This match could go the distance. Sinner in 5
Fraser: A battle of two young stars that should be a great watch. Sinner, along with Alcaraz, seems best placed to dominate the men’s game in years to come. Nakashima is a solid player and will have the crowd on his side. However. That won’t be enough here and Sinner’s talent should win out. Sinner in 4
Lorenzo Musetti vs Ilya Ivashka
Jakub: Musetti overcame David Goffin in his opener, winning 11-9 in the fifth-set tiebreak, before beating qualifier Gijs Brouwer in the second round. Ivashka has had a strong tournament as well, sending Sam Querrey off to retirement before taking out Hubert Hurkacz. On current form, the Belarusian will be difficult to stop. Ivashka in 4
Anish: Lorenzo Musetti brushed past David Goffin in a marathon first round match that lasted close to five hours. Looking at his hard court record, third round at the US Open is better than usual. Ilya Ivashka defeated two hard court specialists on his way to the third round. Ivashka has a knack of performing well on the American hard courts, and could go deep in this draw. Ivashka in 4
Fraser: Neither of these two would have been expected to go too deep at Flushing Meadows. Ivashka is the superior hard court player and was brilliant against Hurkacz. That being said, Musetti is a mercurial talent who makes the game look effortless when he’s on form. If that version turns up he may well steal this. Musetti in 4
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