Melanie Oudin’s coming out party has been nothing short of spectacular at the 2009 U.S. Open Championships and this Labor Day should be no different. Today Oudin continues her Russian assault taking on the 13th ranked player in the world, Nadia Petrova.
If you’ve been following the tournament, you know Oudin has already escorted two Russian powerhouses out the door including Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva. Expect the “red scare” to continue against Petrova at Arthur Ashe this afternoon.
The Williams sisters are off today, but there is a former U.S. Open Champion and two-time grand slam winner lurking in the women’s draw. That woman is 6th seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova who plays the 9th seed, from Denmark, Caroline Wozniacki. You have to give the nod to Kuznetsova who's been flying under the radar since the tournament began.
Turning to the men’s side, Roger Federer should have a trouble-free afternoon when he takes on Tommy Robredo. However, the next round could provide more of a challenge for Fed if has to play Robin Soderling, the man who conquered Nadal at the French. At 6'4, the 12th seeded Soderling is an imposing figure with a big serve. He got a huge boost in confidence after advancing to the finals of this year's French Open where he lost to none other than Roger Federer.
Soderling, however, has to get to the next round first. He will have his hands full this afternoon against a rejuvenated Nikolay Davydenko.
The fourth seed, Novak Djokovic should also have a relatively stress-free 4th round encounter against Radek Stepankek.
The best matchup on the men’s side this afternoon may come from the man who blew Andy Roddick out of this year’s draw. Six-foot-nine-inch John Isner is back today and playing the 10th seeded Fernando Verdasco. This match should produce some sparkling tennis and a possible upset.
No comments:
Post a Comment