After Sam Querrey dismantled Mischa Zverev Sunday night 6-2 6-2 6-1, he once again finds himself as the last American man remaining in the draw. His run shouldn’t be looked at as a fluke either. Even though he’s had questionable losses this year, he’s shown the ability to perform well on the biggest stages in the game
Earlier this year in Acapulco, Querrey won the biggest title of his career. Looking back on it, he defeated David Goffin, Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios, and Rafael Nadal consecutively to win. Then at Wimbledon, he recorded wins over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Kevin Anderson, and hometown favorite Andy Murray to reach the semifinals before falling to Marin Cilic. If that wasn’t a sign of what was to come, I don’t know what is. He hasn’t really changed anything tactically either, he just seems to be playing more relaxed, and more consistently. He typically sticks with what he knows best, which is big serve and big forehand, and he tries not to get involved in long points.
Coming in to the US Open, there’s always questions surrounding when an American man will finally make a run like Andy Roddick did in 2003. Querrey’s quarterfinal appearance is the first time since 2011 that an American has made it this far. Sunday night was the first time Sam Querrey played a night match in Arthur Ashe Stadium. He didn’t let the moment get to him as he blasted 55 winners, and only 8 unforced errors. It was about as flawless as you can get, and looks to be in top form heading in to the quarterfinals. He’ll face Kevin Anderson in what looks to be an even match, with both players knowing the opportunity that lies ahead of them. The winner of their match will most likely be an overwhelming favorite to reach the final as they would face either Diego Schwartzman or Pablo Carreno-Busta. Querrey and Anderson will be playing for the 15th time in their tour-level careers, dating all the way back to 2008. Querrey owns an 8-6 record H2H including a five-set win at Wimbledon this year. Their most recent meeting went to Anderson 6-4 6-1 which was a couple days after Querrey won the title in Los Cabos, so fatigue may have played a factor in the scoreline.
Next week at this time, Sam Querrey will be the #1 American, regardless of what happens the rest of the way in New York. He’s also put himself in prime position to reach the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time in his career. The last American to do so was Mardy Fish in 2011. The live race rankings have him at #9, with the top 8 receiving entry. Injuries from top players like Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka have presented opportunities for someone like Querrey to have a realistic shot at gaining entry to a prestigious event like the ATP finals. If he has success on the Asian swing, and on the indoor hard courts in Europe, he may very well find himself playing at the 02 Arena in London come November.
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