RICKY’S PICKS FOR DAY 7 AT THE U.S. OPEN TENNIS, INCLUDING RAFA NADAL VS. POUILLE AND MONFILS VS. BAGHDATIS

Written by: Staff on 3rd September 2016

RICKY'S PICKS FOR DAY 7 AT THE U.S. OPEN TENNIS, INCLUDING RAFA NADAL VS. POUILLE AND MONFILS VS. BAGHDATIS

epa05521188 Gael Monfils of France hits a return to Nicolas Almagro of Spain during their match on the fifth day of the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2016. The US Open runs through September 11. EPA/JUSTIN LANE |

By Ricky Dimon

Rafael Nadal has not been seriously troubled through three rounds at the U.S. Open and he will hope to keep it that way when he opposes Lucas Pouille on Sunday afternoon. Quarterfinal spots will also be at stake in Gael Monfils vs. Marcos Baghdatis and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Jack Sock.

Ricky previews and makes his predictions for three of the most intriguing Sunday matchups:

(4) Rafael Nadal vs. (24) Lucas Pouille

Rafael Nadal of Spain serves to Andreas Seppi of Italy on the third day of the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 31 August 2016. The US Open runs through 11 September. EPA/JASON SZENES

Nadal and Pouille will be squaring off for the second time in their careers on Sunday. Their only previous meeting came last spring on the clay courts of Monte-Carlo, where Nadal cruised 6-2, 6-1. A hard court will obviously give Pouille a better chance, but the Spaniard is certainly no slouch on this surface. Nadal is a two-time champion of this tournament, he is coming off a fourth-place performance at the Rio Olympics, and he has not dropped a set through three matches in Flushing Meadows. The world No. 5 blitzed Denis Istomin 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, cruised past Andreas Seppi 6-0, 7-5, 6-1, and made similar 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 work of Andrey Kuznetsov on Friday night.

Pouille punched a ticket to the last 16 of a second straight Grand Slam (he went all the way to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon) in dramatic fashion. After taking care of Mikhail Kukushkin in four sets, the 22-year-old overcame Marco Chiudinelli 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-2, 6-0 and outlasted Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1. Prior to Roland Garros this spring, Pouille owned just a single main-draw win at a Grand Slam; he has since picked up eight such victories. The 25th-ranked Frenchman will be unafraid of the big stage, but Nadal is in stellar hard-court form this summer and should have way too much game for an opponent coming off consecutive five-setters.

Pick: Nadal in 3

(10) Gael Monfils vs. Marcos Baghdatis

Monfils and Baghdatis went more than nine years without going head-to-head. Now the two veterans are set to square off for the second time in a three-week span. At last month’s Cincinnati Masters, Monfils took a modest 2-1 lead in the series by cruising past the Cypriot 7-5, 6-0. Interestingly, their first-ever showdown also came in Cincinnati–way back in 2006 when Baghdatis prevailed 7-6(8), 2-6, 6-1. They also met at the 2007 Australian Open, where Monfils got the job done 7-6(5), 6-2, 2-6, 6-0.

A second slam showdown between them was not expected given that Baghdatis found himself in the same section of the draw as a red-hot Milos Raonic. But Ryan Harrison ousted a hobbled Raonic in four sets and Baghdatis promptly took care of Harrison 6-3, 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-1 on Friday. The world No. 44 preceded that victory by beating Facundo Bagnis and Benoit Paire in mostly routine fashion. Monfils has not dropped a single set in wins over Gilles Muller, Jan Satral, and Nicolas Almagro. The Frenchman is an awesome 38-11 for the season and currently in position to qualify for the World Tour Finals. Nothing suggests Baghdatis, who is in the fourth round of a major for the first time since 2009, will be the one to slow down Monfils.

Pick: Monfils in 3

(9) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. (26) Jack Sock

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France serves to Kevin Anderson of South Africa during their match on the fifth day of the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2016. The US Open runs through September 11. EPA/JUSTIN LANE

Tsonga and Sock will be facing each other for just the second time in their careers. Their only previous meeting came last year on the clay courts of Madrid, and to say it did not disappoint would be an understatement. A final-set tiebreaker had to decide the outcome, with Tsonga getting the job done 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(4). This productive fortnight is a much-needed one for Sock, because he had been forced to retire with heat-related issues during early-round action in both 2014 and 2015. Prior to upsetting Marin Cilic, the 27th-ranked American outlasted compatriot Taylor Fritz in five sets and clobbered Mischa Zverev 6-1, 6-1, 6-2.

Tsonga s through to the last 16 thanks to defeats of Guido Andreozzi, James Duckworth, and Kevin Anderson. Only Duckworth managed to steal even one set. Like Sock, Tsonga could really use a deep run this fortnight. After all, the ninth seed is coming off early setbacks at the Olympics and in Cincinnati and he is still just 27-13 for the year. This is Tsonga’s fifth trip to the last 16 at the U.S. Open and he has been to the quarterfinals twice, whereas Sock had been to this stage of a major only once before (lost to Rafael Nadal at the 2015 French Open). Based on experience and how overpowering Tsonga has looked through three rounds, the favorite should be able to end Sock’s run.

Pick: Tsonga in 4

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

Topics: 10sballs.com, 2016 US Open, Atp World Tour, Flushing Meadows, Gael Monfils, jack sock, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Lucas Pouille, Marcos Baghdatis, Rafa Nadal, Ricky Dimon, Sports, Tennis News, US Open tennis

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loveyjergens says:

September 3, 2016 at 6:44 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: Ricky’s Picks For Day 7 At The #USOpen #Tennis – Nadal vs Pouille & Monfils vs Baghdatis
https://t.co/zPybzBv24W https://…