On Day 6 at the 2021 US Open, top seeds Ashleigh Barty and Novak Djokovic look to book fourth-round spots; Canada’s Bianca Andreescu remains perfect; and Italians try to take over the men’s draw. Here are five things to watch as you start your Labor Day weekend.
1. Novak Djokovic goes for 17 straight against Kei Nishikori
Japan’s Kei Nishikori, typically a man of few words, described Novak Djokovic well earlier this week: “He has everything.”
That everything includes a 16-match win streak against Nishikori that Djokovic will try to extend when they meet inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The top-seeded Serbian leads their head-to-head 17-2 overall, and he last lost to Nishikori in the 2014 US Open semifinals.
“I know his game well,” Djokovic said, in what could be the understatement of the tournament so far.
More stats in Djokovic’s favor: He’s 55-5 in third-round matches at Grand Slams, including 13-2 at the US Open. With a win, Djokovic will move to within four victories of the calendar-year Grand Slam and that much closer to becoming the first man to do so since Aussie Rod Laver in 1969.
2. This hasn’t happened in the 140-year history of the US Open
Djokovic’s calendar-year Grand Slam efforts are historic and all, but if you’re really looking for something that doesn’t happen often, search no more: Matteo Berrettini, Andreas Seppi and Jannik Sinner are the first trio of Italian men to reach the US Open third round since the tournament started, in 1881, you know, 140 years ago.
Seppi, 37, is the oldest player remaining in the draw and faces Germany’s Oscar Otte. Since 1975, only two men older than 37 have reached the US Open Round of 16: Jimmy Connors, 39, in 1991, and Roger Federer, 38, in 2019.
The sixth-seeded Berrettini faces Winston-Salem champion Ilya Ivashka of Belarus. The Italian won their lone prior matchup en route to his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon earlier this year.
Sinner, 20, is the least experienced of the bunch and has the trickiest matchup: Frenchman Gael Monfils, who at 35 years old, lacks some speed and agility that he possessed years ago, but is still must-see tennis in Queens. They’ve split their two matchups.
3. For Ashleigh Barty and Shelby Rogers, ‘there are no secrets’
“There are no secrets.”
Top seed Ashleigh Barty of Australia was speaking in general about the women’s tour, but what she said could apply to her head-to-head series against American Shelby Rogers as well.
The 25-year-old is 5-0 against Rogers. They’ve played four times this season alone, including at the Australian Open, where Barty won in straight sets.
But if you doubt Rogers in a big match, prepare to live with regret. The 28-year-old from just outside Charleston, S.C., has three Top 10 wins on her résumé, and is a two-time major quarterfinalist, including at last year’s US Open.
4. Much has changed but much remains the same for Jack Sock, Alexander Zverev
The last time American Jack Sock and Alexander Zverev of Germany played, Sock was No. 9 in the world, Zverev, No. 3, and they were playing at the 2017 ATP Finals in London.
Sock won that match, the biggest of his career by ranking. But much has changed since then, including their rankings and respective paths.
Yet when they meet again on Saturday night inside Ashe, the stakes will again be high as they face off for a place in the fourth round.
Sock, ranked No. 184, could become the lowest-ranked player to make the fourth round of the US Open since No. 187 Ken Flach in 1987. The American wild card is also hoping to match his best Grand Slam showing (2016 US Open).
Zverev, meanwhile, is looking to reach the fourth round for the third consecutive year. He, along with countrymen Otte and Peter Gojowczyk, hope to become the first German trio in the fourth round of a Grand Slam since Boris Becker, Michael Stich and Nicolas Kiefer at 1997 Wimbledon.
5. Bianca Andreescu is still perfect
In news that should make the rest of the women’s singles draw take note, 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu appears to have defeated her biggest opponent (for now, knock on wood): injuries.
The 21-year-old faces No. 104 Greet Minnen of Belgium in Louis Armstrong Stadium for a place in the fourth round. Andreescu is 9-0 in New York and earned crucial confidence in her gritty 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 win against Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland in the first round.
“I'm feeling very good out there. I think as the matches are progressing, I'm starting to feel my tennis more and more,” she said. “Pulling off that first-round match gave me a lot of confidence. I think it progressed towards this match, as well.
“A lot of it is mental. I haven't played a lot of matches this year,” said Andreescu, who is 15-9 on the year. “A lot of practice sets and all that, but it's not the same as actually playing in a tournament. If I can just keep it going, continue winning, that's really all I need.”
