Sports Blog 06/09/2016: US Open Preview – Quarter-Finals, Tuesday 6th to Wednesday 7th September 2016

With the finals less than a week away can usual suspects Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Serena Williams reach the semi-finals of the US Open 2016?

Men’s Singles
While Cilic, Raonic and Nadal are all out, most of the big boys still in contention for the 2016 title. First up sees Novak Djokovic take on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, with the former barely having to raise his racket to reach the quarters. After being taken to 4 sets in the his opener against Jerzy Kanowicz the Serb then breezed through the 2nd and 3rd rounds as Jiri Vesely and Mikhail Youzhny pulled out injured, before beating Britain’s Kyle Edmund in the 4th. Djokovic, then, is at an Outright Index spread of 40.5-43.5 to Tsonga’s 12-13.5, and should triumph on Tuesday with a Match Supremacy spread of 15-18.



Yet Djokovic won’t want to get too complacent, especially considering the kind of form Andy Murray is in. The Scot is coming off his Wimbledon and Olympic wins, most recently demolishing Grigor Dimitrov in the 4th round where he lost a mere 5 games. That leaves Murray just behind his Serbian rival at an Outright Index spread of 37-40, far higher than his quarter-final opponent Kei Nishikori’s 12.5-15.5.

Beyond Murray and Djokovic there are a few new faces, with the most novel quarter-final being an all-French affair between Nadal-beater Lucas Pouille and Gael Monfils. Despite his impressive 5 set victory over the out-of-form Spaniard Pouille’s more experienced countryman (who is yet to drop a set) is expected to triumph, Spreadex offering a Monfils/Pouille Match Supremacy spread of 13.5-16.5.

The final men’s quarter-finals is a doozy, Stan Wawrinka taking on wild-card, and Olympic silver-medallist, Juan Martin del Potro. The Swiss star has had a few wobbles in New York, including a 5-setter against Britain’s Daniel Evans; del Potro, meanwhile, is yet to drop a set, though admittedly Dominic Thiem did retire in the 4th round. It will likely be the tightest of the four quarters, something reflected in their respective Outright Index spreads, with del Potro at 19-22 to Wawrinka’s 16.5-18.5.

Women’s Singles
Like in the men’s side of the competition most of the star attractions in New York are still in the women’s draw, leaving, of course, Serena Williams as favourite for the title, at an Outright Index spread of 40.5-43.5 alongside fixed odds of 8/11. The 6 time US champion faces Simona Halep, who is at an Outright Index spread of 16.5-19.5, in her quarter-final; Halep reached the semis last year, only to lose to eventual winner Flavia Pennetta, but faces an even tougher task this time around.



Chasing her 2nd title of 2016 after winning in Oz, Angelique Kerber will be wary of Roberta Vinci when they meet on Tuesday. The Italian caused one of the biggest upset in recent years when she beat Serena Williams in their US Open semi-final in 2015, ending the American’s chance of capturing a calendar Grand Slam. Regardless Kerber will fancy her chances, and sits at an Outright Index spread of 32.5-35.5 to Vinci’s 12-15, alongside a Match Supremacy spread of 11.5-14.5.

Beating Agnieszka Radwanska and Venus Williams respectively, Ana Konjuh and Karolina Pliskova are arguably both surprise quarter-finalists. Pliskova is perhaps less of an eye-raiser given that she entered the competition as the 10th seed; Konjuh, on the other hand, was unseeded, with the 18 year old reaching her first her Grand Slam QF. The gulf in experience likely gives Pliskova the advantage, at an Outright Index spread of 19.5-21.5 to Konjuh’s 13-15.

Finally, one of the hardest quarters to call sees Caroline Wozniacki take on Anastasija Sevastova. Neither player was seeded when they entered the competition, yet between them they have been responsible for some of this year’s biggest shocks. Sevatova perhaps pulled off the single biggest upset when she defeated Muguruza in the 2nd round, while Wozniacki knocked out Madison Keys in the 4th. This is the furthest Sevatova has ever gotten in a Grand Slam tournament, something that arguably gives Wozniacki the edge at a Match Supremacy spread of 7-10.