Sloane Stephens versus Elise Mertens

It is Labor Day Weekend in the United States, and that means the second week of the US Open is about to get underway.  Sloane Stephens remains on track to defend her title, having come through a potentially tricky opponent in Victoria Azarenka in the last round.  Her upcoming match will not receive nearly the same amount of buzz, but it likely represents a stiffer challenge.  Elise Mertens is not yet a household name, but Stephens will be no less wary of the Belgian.  Mertens has really come into her own in 2018.  She has secured three titles and has enjoyed an excellent summer to rise to Number 15 in the rankings, just one spot below her career-high.  There are no glaring weaknesses in her game. 

She plays with exceptional consistency thanks to her great defensive skills, but also does a great job of recognizing when to pull the trigger and when to move forward.  It is a combination that has proved effective against many opponents, including Stephens, whom she defeated in their only prior meeting a few weeks ago in Cincinnati.  It should be interesting to see if that loss has any impact on the American's nerves and subsequently her game in this contest, as her game does actually put her in the better position to determine the outcome.  She possesses easier power off the ground and can change the dynamic of the rally with a single stroke.  She is also quicker about the court and can be especially dangerous when she is given angles to work with.  If she brings her best to the table, she can take it to Mertens and advance to the quarterfinals.  Anything short of that, and it could be Mertens who once again garners the upset and dashes the American's hopes.

John Isner versus Milos Raonic

Before the first ball has even been struck, one can almost hear the commentators asking, “Can we skip ahead to the tiebreak please?”  John Isner and Milos Raonic have met on five previous occasions, and not surprisingly, there have been many tiebreaks over the course of those matches.  That is hardly surprising, however, as both have very similar approaches to achieving victory.  They are two of the biggest servers in the sport, and their games are built around that signature weapon.  They each aim to keep the points short and dictate with their favored forehand wing as well.  Raonic has a slight edge in terms of court coverage and perhaps with his feel in the forecourt, but Isner is the more consistent of the duo off the ground, especially from the backhand wing. 

Crucially though for Isner, he enjoys the mental advantage in this rivalry, having won four of the five prior meetings, including this year at Wimbledon where he defeated the Canadian in four sets.  That past history could prove vital on the pivotal points, as there is very little to separate these two.  It is going to come down to who has the better serving day, and who can put a few more returns in play.  Neither man would be a surprise as to which can do those things better on the day, but past history and current rankings suggest that it is Isner who should find his way to victory.

Kevin Anderson versus Dominic Thiem

It seems he is always flying under the radar, but last year's finalist Kevin Anderson is still very much alive and looking to make a second consecutive US Open Final.  But the South African, who backed up his showing from here a year ago by reaching the final of Wimbledon earlier this summer, will not be taking his next opponent, Dominic Thiem, lightly.  Thiem is seeded ninth, just four places behind Anderson.  He reached his own first major final this past spring at Roland Garros.  He sports some explosive firepower from the ground and on the serve, and he can throw multiple looks at his opponent with his one-handed backhand.  He has also secured his share of notable victories, so he is unlikely to be too daunted by the prospect of upending Anderson. 

That said, Anderson has proven to be a bad match-up for the Austrian.  Anderson's height gives him an advantage on serve, and he also cuts a more imposing figure at net, which puts that much more pressure on Thiem when looking to make the pass.  A larger factor in the fifth seed's success, however likely stems from Thiem's court positioning.  For all that he is aggressive and can wail on the ball, he tends to float too far behind the baseline.  He also often requires a large back-swing to create his ground strokes, and that is a recipe for disaster against someone like Anderson, who tends to stay up on the baseline, goes hard and flat, and is a threat to move forward on a semi-regular basis.  That is why Anderson has defeated Thiem in all but one of their seven encounters, including at this venue in 2015.  So, while this one could certainly be entertaining, Anderson should be the one favored to advance.