Agnieszka Radwanska versus Caroline Garcia

There are any number of reasons a match might be considered “must-see” tennis, but one of the most popular is when a match features contrasting styles.  That will be on offer in the third-round match between Agnieszka Radwanska and Caroline Garcia, but only one style will prevail to help one of these women into the fourth round.

Truth be told, it is difficult to bet against the fourth seed, Radwanska.  It is no coincidence that the Pole is seeded higher.  She has enjoyed far more success throughout this season, regularly reaching the latter stages of the biggest events.  She has secured two titles in 2016, one coming at the start of the season in Shenzhen and the other just last week in New Haven.  She has been as high as Number 2 in the world and will be keen to reach the second week of a fourth consecutive major.

Garcia has not accomplished nearly as much as Radwanska in the singles arena, but she is still very much a threat in this match.  She won titles in Strasbourg and Mallorca in 2016 and she has held her own well against some of the game's greatest in the past.  She is perhaps best known though for what she has done in doubles.  She is currently one-half of the world's top women's doubles team with Kristina Mladenovic, with whom she won the Roland Garros title this past spring. 

If Garcia can translate the skills that have brought her so much success in doubles into her singles play, then she is unquestionably in with a chance to earn the upset.  The Frenchwoman boasts greater firepower from the ground and on serve.  She is someone that really loves to hit flat, which when her game is firing on all cylinders, makes her difficult to hang with.  And of course, she is comfortable in the forecourt, which if she is able to get there with any frequency will help her rob the speedy Pole of time.

The problem for Garcia is that there is not much margin for error on her ground strokes, which has typically made it difficult for her to find consistency.  That can be deadly against a player like Radwanska, a human backboard with amazing anticipation that makes it exceedingly hard to put the ball away against her.  She is also good about mixing up her pace and placement of shots, which should make it difficult for the twenty-fifth seed to get into a rhythm.  And lastly, Radwanska is no slouch in the forecourt either.  On the contrary, she has a spectacular feel at the net, and she needs to attempt to get there to take that bread-and-butter play away from Garcia.

Radwanska and Garcia both enter this match knowing what they have to do, and both know that it could go either way irrespective of the difference in their seeding.  Radwanska leads their rivalry 3-1, but all of their matches except one have gone the distance.  That should give the Frenchwoman some hope that she can turn things in her favor if proceedings stay tight.  Then again, Radwanska comes in with more confidence following her title run in New Haven, and unlike Garcia, she has been to the second week of a major far more frequently.  Her particular game is also steadier, so it should be easier for her to mentally ride out any peaks and valleys.

All told, this has the potential to be an entertaining third round encounter.  How entertaining rests mostly with Garcia, the streakier of the two.  If she is at her best, she could produce some breathtaking tennis to garner the upset.  As alluded to earlier, however, the smart money has to be on Radwanska.  Her variety and consistency prove troublesome for many opponents, and Garcia is no exception.  Expect her to advance to the fourth round.

Kei Nishikori versus Nicolas Mahut

With so much of the talk at this year's US Open focusing on Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray as the favorites, it is easy to forget that there are other players who have a chance – albeit an outside one – of winning the title instead.  One of those men is sixth seed Kei Nishikori.  He will take to the court on Saturday against Nicolas Mahut in a bid to keep his 2016 US Open campaign alive and kicking.

Observers have been talking about Nishikori for quite some time, and the Japanese man has really begun to deliver on that promise in the last few seasons.  Currently, he is ranked just three spots below his career-high of Number 4, and he has had a very solid 2016.  In addition to winning the title in Memphis, he has been strong in the Masters, too, reaching the finals of both Miami and Montreal as well as the semifinals of Madrid and Rome.  He secured the bronze medal in singles at Rio, and as a former finalist in New York two years ago, he will be itching to not only match that result but go all the way if at all possible.

The veteran Mahut has not enjoyed the same level of success in his career as his Japanese opponent, but he still poses a threat in this battle.  He is ranked a respectable Number 42 and two years ago was within the Top 40.  He has five singles title to his name, and all of them on grass, which suggests that he has a game that translates well to the faster surfaces.  He has really gone gangbusters in doubles, however, where he is currently the top-ranked player in the world and part of the top doubles team in men's tennis.  He won Wimbledon earlier this summer with his countryman Pierre-Hugues Herbert, as well as the Masters events at Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo this season.  His success in that arena has aided his efforts in singles and might propel him to an upset on Saturday.

A lot has to go right for the Frenchman to cause the upset, though, because Nishikori does have the better all-around game.  Although he regularly goes for his shots, his ground game is more consistent.  His forehand is arguably slightly more penetrating, and Nishikori has a decisive edge in the battle of the backhands, a stroke he should be looking to frequently trade with Mahut.  His serve also tends to break down less in the pressure moments and he is more agile around the court.

Of course, Mahut should not, and will not be looking to turn this match into a track meet.  For him, it is all about keeping the points short by going after his forehand and charging the net.  He has great touch and feel around the net, but it is imperative that he not press when he gets up there, trying to be too cute out of respect for Nishikori's speed.  Rather he needs to keep finding his forehand and putting the sixth seed under pressure to regularly come up with the pass all match long.  If he can come up with the goods under that kind of sustained pressure, then that is just too good.

There is no telling how Nishikori might react to that kind of constant barrage if the Frenchman is making frequent forays to the net.  As solid he has been, he is still known to throw in the odd, disappointing result.  He has also looked the shakier of the two throughout the first couple of rounds.  As the higher seed, the onus is on him to find a way to win the match, which brings with it a level of pressure of its own, and then there is the discomfort for both men, as this marks the first meeting between the two.   Outside of this match being on grass, Mahut probably could not have drawn up a better scenario for his first meeting against Nishikori.

With any luck, this contest could prove to be deceptively enthralling, and fans should not dismiss it as a “gimme” victory for the sixth seed.  Mahut has successfully battled above his ranking before, and he could do so again.  Still have to like Nishikori, who if he plays his game is getting through to the Round of 16, but he could be made to work for it.