The third round starts on Friday, Day 5 at the 2024 US Open. Eight exciting matches means eight players will find themselves moving onto the second week. As always, we here at LWOT will share our thoughts on all eight matches. We split the eight matches between two articles, with our other article featuring Novak Djokovic vs Alexei Popyrin. Predicting these matches are Manuel Traquete, Damian Kust, and Yesh Ginsburg. Who do you think will move on?
US Open Day 5 Men’s Predictions
Alexander Zverev vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Manuel:
Etcheverry put up a very good fight when they faced at Roland Garros last year, but on a hard court Zverev should have a very clear edge, overpowering Etcheverry with his massive serve and powerful groundstrokes.
Prediction: Zverev in 3
Damian:
Etcheverry has done very well to get this far at both hard court Slams this year, but in Australia he got to Djokovic and simply faced a wall he couldn’t push back even one bit. Should be relatively similar here. The Argentinian has gotten himself to a point where he can beat a lot of players off-clay, but he still can’t touch the very best.
Prediction: Zverev in 4
Yesh:
Etcheverry is improving and is a solid player. He might win a few smaller tournaments over the next few years. But he’s not sticking with Zverev at a Major.
Prediction: Zverev in 3
Andrey Rublev vs Jiri Lehecka
Manuel:
Both players turned around 0-2 deficits in the second round to get here and will be extremely motivated after that. It should be a high level contest but Rublev is generally the more consistent and reliable player of the two and should have the edge here.
Prediction: Rublev in 4
Damian:
Lehecka himself doesn’t know how he won that second-round match against Krueger, but you have to appreciate the fight he gave. Before the tournament I was very high on his chances to beat Rublev, now it’s all so unclear. Maybe he just isn’t 100% in New York this year? This might be stupid, but I’ll still try him with Rublev not looking that amazing either.
Prediction: Lehecka in 5
Yesh:
Neither one of these men has looked good so far this week. But Rublev has the much higher upside, and his poor form has been better than Lehecka’s poor form so far.
Prediction: Rublev in 4
Casper Ruud vs Juncheng Shang
Manuel:
Ruud won a tough four setter against Monfils in the second round, while Shang had a tough five setter against Bublik in his opening match. On a hard court, Shang definitely has the weapons to get the upset here, but Ruud’s consistency and experience are likely to prevail in the end.
Prediction: Ruud in 5
Damian:
Would be such a massive step in Shang’s career if he was to post a win like that and he certainly has the game to do it. At least in theory Ruud should be gearing up with every match though and he kinda has done it already. It’s likely that the former finalist just grinds down Shang if this gets too physical for the Chinese as well.
Prediction: Ruud in 5
Yesh:
Ruud has reached the final here before, and he probably should have won that title. I don’t know if he’ll ever get a chance like that again, but he’s criminally underrated by just about everyone in the sport. He’s a top player, and it will take another top player to take him out. Sheng might be that someday, but he isn’t yet.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Ben Shelton vs Frances Tiafoe
Manuel:
This repeat of last year’s quarterfinal should be a very tightly contested match; Tiafoe is just off arguably the best week of his career in Cincinnati, but Shelton has established himself as one of the best servers on tour and tends to play his best on the biggest stages. It should be a very close match like last year, but once against Shelton should have the slight edge.
Prediction: Shelton in 5
Damian:
Rematch for the quarterfinals last year where Tiafoe played pretty subdued and didn’t seem to be all that comfortable while not being the star of the show. But maybe it will be closer this time with their tight Houston final and the recent Cincinnati run giving him a bit more confidence. I’ll stick with the same winner with the higher ceiling though.
Prediction: Shelton in 5
Yesh:
This is such a tough match to pick. Based on who’s been in better form recently, it’s Tiafoe. But Shelton has the higher upside and the advantages in this matchup, and he’s played his personal best at the US Open. I’ll go out on a limb and say that the younger American finds his range and rhythm once again, upsetting Tiafoe to move on.
Prediction: Shelton in 4
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
