FEDERER GETS ANOTHER U.S. OPEN NIGHT SESSION, DIMITROV TO FACE MONFILS BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 1st September 2014

FEDERER GETS ANOTHER U.S. OPEN NIGHT SESSION, DIMITROV TO FACE MONFILS BY RICKY DIMON

epa04378683 Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts after defeating Marcel Granollers of Spain during the seventh day of the 2014 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 31 August 2014. The US Open runs through 08 September, a 15-day schedule. EPA/DANIEL MURPHY |

Perhaps no part of the men’s singles draw is more intriguing than the bottom quarter, where Roger Federer leads the way as the No. 2 seed. If the 17-time Grand Slam champion gets past Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round, he will next go up against either Grigor Dimitrov or Gael Monfils. Talk about an absolutely loaded section of the bracket!

Let’s take a look at Tuesday’s four men’s matches:

(17) Roberto Bautista Agut vs. (2) Roger Federer: Federer will be four for four in having night matches this fortnight by the end of play on Tuesday. Technically it should be three for four, but the conclusion of his third-round date with Marcel Granollers was pushed back to an official part of the night session after a two-hour rain delay. The second-seeded Swiss had little trouble under the lights in handling Marinko Matosevic, Sam Groth, and then Granollers, and more of the same can be expected against Bautista Agut. Count on Darth Federer reaching the quarters.

Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria hits a return to David Goffin of Belgium during the seventh day of the 2014 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 31 August 2014. The US Open runs through 08 September, a 15-day schedule. EPA/JUSTIN LANE

(7) Grigor Dimitrov vs. (20) Gael Monfils: In terms of talent and the entertainment factor, this is a matchup worthy of a slam final or at least a semifinal. Dimitrov and Monfils will have to go head-to-head in the fourth round on Tuesday, but hey, it’s a lot better than the first round–which is when they squared off at the 2011 U.S. Open (Monfils won 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-4). The Frenchman has looked unusually focused this fortnight. In fact, he looks like he actually wants to win tennis matches more than he wants to be a circus show for the crowd. Not surprisingly, his tennis has benefited immensely from this apparent shift in attitude. That could spell bad news for Dimitrov, who got bageled in his first set by David Goffin on Sunday night.

(14) Marin Cilic vs. (26) Gilles Simon: After respective third-round matches against similar players, this one will be an intriguing contrast in styles. Cilic got past Kevin Anderson in a matchup of big hitters; Simon upset David Ferrer in a battle of scrappy baseliners content to play 20-ball rallies. On Tuesday, Simon will continue to grind and grind and hope for 30-ball exchanges, while Cilic will obviously be looking to implement power tennis to keep points as short as possible. A ton is at stake for two men ranked outside the top 10: not only a quarterfinal berth, but also another match that would be extremely winnable.

(6) Tomas Berdych vs. Dominic Thiem: Christmas came early for Thiem. The 20-year-old Austrian was one set away–a few games, in fact–from bowing out of the U.S. Open in the second round. Then good friend Ernests Gulbis started struggling physically and eventually lost to Thiem in five. Just like that, Thiem suddenly finds himself in the last 16 of his first appearance in New York. And it’s not inconceivable for the only unseeded player left in the tournament to get another gift from Berdych, who had not been playing well this summer prior to the Open.

Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic hits a return to Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia during the seventh day of the 2014 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 31 August 2014. The US Open runs through 08 September, a 15-day schedule. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Topics: Dominic Thiem, Gael Monfils, Gilles Simon, GRIGOR DIMITROV, Marin Cilic, Ricky Dimon, Roberto Bautista Agut, Roger Federer, Tennis, Tennis Results, Tomas Berdych, US Open

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10sBalls_com says:

September 1, 2014 at 11:00 pm

@rogerfederer GETS ANOTHER @usopen NIGHT SESSION, @GrigorDimitrov TO FACE @Gael_Monfils BY @RD_Tennistalk- http://t.co/oSHLE9bSEV #tennis