Major upsets alert! Both Osaka and Tsitsipas going down to 18 year old Canadians, these are the games that just make you fall in love with tennis all over again. We haven’t even mentioned the best thing about the third round, Tiafoe was good enough to upset the fifth seed and move into the Round of 16.
With so many key players out, it will be interesting to see who can make it into the quarter finals and who will miss out. There are a lot of Americans left, as well as many unseeded players, so watch out for more upsets! You just never really know what’s going to happen in tennis.
What will the next round at the US Open bring? Only time will tell! Enjoy our free tennis picks and predictions for each round of the 2021 US Open tournament.
Round of 16 Tennis Picks For The US Open: Men’s
Frances Tiafoe vs Felix Auger-Aliassime (12)
We all love a good underdog story, but combine that with the fact that Frances Tiafoe is the home favorite, and you’ve got a recipe for success! Tiafoe has successfully made it to the Round of 16 where he will take on Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. Tiafoe dropped one set in his opening round, won the second round match in straight sets, then in the third round managed a massive upset of the fifth seed, Rublev, in five sets. Auger-Aliassime has had a very interesting run to the Round of 16. In his first round clash three of the four sets went to tie breakers, he cruised through in the second round, but was up against it in the third round when he faced 18th seed, Bautista Agut, but managed to get the job done in five sets.
The American, who is currently ranked 50th in the world, has had a bit of an inconsistent season so far, winning 30 of his total 51 matches this year. He lost in the second round in Cincinnati and in the third round in Toronto. But you can’t knock his form and confidence so far in the US Open. When it comes to the hard court form, so far this year his win-loss record stands at 17-11.
Frances Tiafoe beats 5th seed Andrey Rublev 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-1 to reach the last 16 at the #USOpen.
2.15am in NYC. pic.twitter.com/V3Zt35fK9w
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) September 4, 2021
Auger-Aliassime is ranked a career high of 15th in the world and comes into this round after some very tough fought victories. His record so far for the season is 31-18, and on hard courts his win-loss is currently, 17-8. Auger-Aliassime made it to the quarter finals at Cincinnati, where he went down to Tsitsipas, and he lost in the second round in Toronto. Coming into this clash, the pair have never played before, so it will be all the more interesting to see how this one shakes out.
As the unseeded player, Tiafoe will come into this clash as the underdog, but we think that’s where he likes to be. Tiafoe will feed off the crowd, who will quickly get on his side and give him the lift he needs to stay in the fight. Tiafoe has also spent considerably less time on the court compared to Auger-Aliassime, meaning he could indeed take advantage of fresh legs on the court. Both players are incredible fighters and will not give up until the very last point. So, we are thinking this match could very well go the distance.
Tennis Pick: Total Sets – Over 3.5 (-220)
Dan Evans (24) vs Daniil Medvedev (2)
Brit Dan Evans continues his good form at the US Open, but will face off against a tough opponent in Daniil Medvedev. Evans has not had an easy ride into the Round of 16, as he wasn’t able to win any of his first three matches in straight sets. He won his first match in four sets, his second also in four and his third in five sets (where he came back from a 0-2 deficit to win). Daniil Medvedev on the other hand, hasn’t dropped a single set on his way to the Round of 16, and now with Tsitsipas cleared out of the way, has a real chance of winning the US Open.
Currently ranked 27th in the world, Evans has been as high as 25th, and has spent almost double the amount on court compared to Medvedev. He has had a fairly inconsistent season so far, with his win loss record sitting at 22-17, and on hard courts that record is, 10-8. He also lost in the first round in Cincinnati as well as Toronto. In his last Grand Slam appearance, at Wimbledon, he managed to get through to the third round. This time he goes one step further, but will face an almighty challenge from Medvedev.
Medvedev is in career best form and this is also reflected in his career high ranking of number two in the world, and the fact that he has won 43 matches so far this season while only losing 10. Despite this, he is still yet to win a Grand Slam, but now his odds have improved, with seemingly only Djokovic who will stand in his way. He won in Toronto and made it all the way to the semis in Cincinnati, but lost against Rublev (who is now out of the US Open thanks to Tiafoe). The pair have never played each other, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Evans is putting on a great show for all that come to watch, but we think this is just going to be a bridge to far for the 24th seed. Medvedev is on a roll and he doesn’t look like slowing down anytime soon, like we picked in Medvedev’s previous match, we think the Russian will get the job done again in the Round of 16 in straight sets.
Tennis Pick: Set Betting – Daniil Medvedev 3-0 (-200)
Novak Djokovic (1) vs Jenson Brooksby
The world number one, Novak Djokovic, is taking on American Jenson Brooksby in the Round of 16, with a spot in the final eight up for grabs! Djokovic isn’t having the smoothest ride through to the Round of 16, having dropped two sets so far this tournament, one in the first round and another in the third round against Nishikori. Brooksby hasn’t played a three set match so far this touranment, with his first round clash going to four sets, and a mammoth five sets in his second and third round clash.
The Serb has spent around seven and a half hours on the court so far, and him dropping two sets so far this tournament just shows that he is having dips in his performance and concentration. Djokovic has lost just five games so far this season, and has won 42. When it comes to Djokovic’s record on hard courts, he has won 17 and only lost two. Djokovic is still the clear favorite, and his odds to win the US Open continue to get shorter and shorter as his progresses through the rounds.
🐺🗣 let’s goooooooo #USOpen pic.twitter.com/LMG2pca51R
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) September 4, 2021
Brooksby is one of three American’s left in the men’s side of the draw, and he has played 12 hours on the court so far, and is got to be feeling it in the legs by now. There is a considerable step up when taking on the world number one. So far this season, his win loss record sits at an impressive 41-9, with his record on the hard court, 25-6. The unseeded American made it all the way to the semi final in Washington, but was out in the first round in Toronto.
We love an underdog story, but we think this is going to be a bridge too far for Brooksby. Djokovic is the better player and has the skills plus the experience to win against the number 99th in the world. Djokovic will be able to hit Brooksby all around the court and will look to dominate from the get-go. The Serb to win in straight sets.
Tennis Pick: Set Betting – Novak Djokovic 3-0 (-270)
Round of 16 Tennis Picks For The US Open: Women’s
Barbora Krejčíková (8) vs Garbiñe Muguruza (9)
The eighth seed, Barbora Krejčíková, will face off against Garbiñe Muguruza, the ninth seed, in the Round of 16, with a coveted spot in the quarter finals up for grabs. Krejčíková has had it as easy as you like in the first three rounds, and hasn’t dropped a set yet, in fact, she has only dropped 14 games in total on her way to the Round of 16. Muguruza won in the first round in two tiebreaker sets, in the second round in straight sets, but in the third round she went up against Azarenka, and she needed three sets to get the job done there.
Krejčíková, who is currently at a career high 9th in the world, is having a year to remember. There are so many highlights for Krejčíková in the 2021 season, but the cherry on top must be her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. She has won a mammoth 42 games so far in 2021, and only lost 12. Krejčíková’s record on the hard court surface shows that she is not just a clay court specialist, winning 24-8 of her matches on the hard court. She also managed to make it to the quarter finals in Cincinnati, but she ended up going down to Barty.
The former world number one is currently in some pretty decent form, but she has been on the court for about double the amount of time compared to Krejčíková, so we will have to wait and see, once again, if fatigue comes in and plays a factor. Overall, Muguruza has had a decent 2021 season so far, with her win-loss record sitting at 34-13, and her record on hard courts, 27-8. She managed only to make it to the second and third round of Montreal and Cincinnati, respectively. Muguruza has so far won two Grand Slam title in her career and would dearly love to add another to her collection.
The pair have actually played each other twice before, with the head-to-head currently sitting at 1-1. Their first encounter, in March this year, was won by Muguruza in straight sets (on a hard court). In their second encounter, in August this year, Krejčíková managed to level the head-to-head in a three set match, which was also played on a hard court. This is going to be a tricky one, and we can easily make a case for either player. We think both women are on a similar level and this game may very well go the distance.
Tennis Pick: Total Sets – Over 2.5 (+110)
Elise Mertens (15) vs Aryna Sabalenka (2)
Elise Mertens will face her next big challenge when she steps on the court to try and end the run of the second seed, in Aryna Sabalenka. Mertens got off to a shaky start, going to three sets in the first round, and having to win sets two and three in tiebreaks. After the first round it has been a bit more smooth sailing for Mertens, as she didn’t drop a set. Sabalenka also got off to a difficult start, and needed three sets to get the job done in the first round, but managed to find her feet after that, and hasn’t dropped a set since.
Mertens has been ranked as high as 12th in the world before, and certainly does have the skill and experience to perform on the big stage. So far this season, her win loss record stands at 30-15, and her record on the hard court surface is at 19-7. But leading into this Grand Slam, she was struggling a bit for form, going out in the first and second round of Montreal and Cincinnati, respectively. Mertens has also spent almost two more hours on the court compared to Sabalenka, so that will be interesting to see if fatigue starts to play a factor.
Women’s No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka see off Danielle Collins with a 6-3 6-3 win.
The Belarusian will face Elise Mertens in the fourth round. Mertens earlier defeated Ons Jabeur 6-3 7-5.#5SN #USOpen #Tennis pic.twitter.com/ndQHqhWCyn
— #USOpen 🎾 (5 Sports Network) (@5SportsNet) September 4, 2021
Sabalenka is currently ranked number two in the world, despite not actually winning a Grand Slam yet, but now with Osaka out, her odds have improved, with realistically Barty the only women standing between her and a Grand Slam trophy. Her season record so far for 2021 sits at an impressive 41-14, with her win-loss record on the hard court surface at 21-8. Sabalenka managed to make it to the semi final in Montreal, were she eventually lost to Pliskova, but was out in the second round in Cincinnati.
The two women have faced off against each other seven times previously, with Sabalenka comfortably winning that tally, 5-2. They played each other earlier this year in May, with Sabalenka 6-1, 4-0 up when Mertens retired. Before that, they played each other in late 2020, and Sabalenka was successful in straight sets. Sabalenka has a strong style of play with the ability to push players all around the court and she will look to dictate from the get-go. We are worried about her lapses in concentration though, which was on display in the first round, and we think that Mertens is certainly good enough to capitalize when available. This match has got over 2.5 sets written all over it.
Tennis Pick: Total Sets – Over 2.5 (+134)
Shelby Rogers vs Emma Raducanu
The last American left in the women’s draw, Shelby Rogers, will take on another unseeded player in Emma Raducanu. Hasn’t the American been having the tournament of her life? Nothing is better then knocking out the world number one! Rogers got through her first two rounds in straight sets. She was able to take the first set of the world number one, but then Barty hit her stride, winning the next set, and was serving for the match in the final set 5-2. Rogers showed extreme fight to take the third set to a tie break, in which she would eventually win. The unseeded Brit successfully navigated through the qualifiers, and through to the Round of 16 without even dropping a set! Raducanu is also yet to face a seeded player in the main draw at the US Open.
Rogers has spend just over four and a half hours on the court, and is currently ranked 43rd in the world. Her season record so far this year shows there has been some inconsistency, sitting at 23-19, and her record on the hard court is as 14-9. Nothing was really pointing to a great performance at the Grand Slam, in a number of the lead up tournaments she only managed to make it as far as the second round, and majority of the time actually getting knocked out in the first round.
Qualifier Raducanu is currently ranked 150th in the world, and is having a break out performance. The 18 year old will be looking to make it through to the quarter finals and continue her fantastic run. Not to take anything away from the young Brit, however end as she enters her Round of 16 clash, she has not faced a seeded player. Still, she is putting her opponents in their place, and has won all of her matches so far in straight sets. The pair have never played each other before, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Rogers is the true giant killer and she will be coming into this clash as the favorite, and considering she is ranked 43rd compared to the 150th of Raducanu, the favorite is well deserved. Rogers has a good chance of making to through to the quarter finals and even further now, considering that both Barty and Osaka are out of the tournament. We think that the nerves are going to be high, but that Rogers, with the crowd on her side, and the knowledge she just beat the world number one, will get over the line and progress into the next round.
Tennis Pick: Match Winner – Shelby Rogers (+128)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
