US Open Men's Quarter Finals Preview

Well, we have our final 8 remaining of the 128 who started to achieve one goal- to win the US open. Well, among the final 8, 4 of them were expected to reach here, whereas the other 4 were quite un-expected. Moreover, 3 of the 8 quarterfinalists are spaniards, thus clearly indicating their recent domination in world tennis. Also, a quite surprising fact is that all the 8 quarterfinalists are above 26 years of age, which clearly indicates dearth of young talent who can make it big. While the much anticipated Fedal clash will not happen, there is no dearth in possible high-voltage clash nevertheless. Here are the match-ups for the US Open men’s quarter finals.

David Ferrer vs Richard Gasquet :  Probably the only quarter wherein the expected seeded players made it to the semi finals, this is possibly going to be the match of the equals. Both of them are predominantly clay players, with the former is possibly the best clay-court player after Nadal and Djokovic. Nevertheless, this is a hard court surface, and definitely both are playing out of their comfort zone. While age and an outstanding backhand is in Gasquet side, agility and groundstrokes are definitely Ferrer’s strengths. It is hard to predict who will overcome whom, but I would put my money on Ferrer, who has more experience in handling big-match situations than Gasquet(it is his only the 2nd quarterfinal of his career).
My Take: Ferrer wins in 5 sets.

Rafael Nadal vs Tommy Robredo : Though the Federer today is nowhere near the Federer of mid-2000s, Robredo played exceptionally well to defeat him in straight sets in the 4th round. But he very well knows how strong is his opponent he his going to face in the quarter finals. The spanish juggernaut has been in roaring form this year, and is yet to be beaten in hard courts. Also, he has not lost serve for more than 70 service games( since the last month’s cincinnati open). Though he did drop a set against Kohlschriber, yet he recovered well. Practically, Robredo’s chances are very slim. But who knows? he might pull off another miracle!
My Take : Nadal wins in 3 sets.

Novak Djokovic vs Mikhail Youzhny : Two finals and one semi-final later, possibly Djokovic’s chance of getting his first major has come. Favoured by a relatively easier draw, Djokovic just breezed past his opponents. His form is evident from his 4th round performance, where he produced two bagel sets. His opponent, Youznhy, unlike Djokovic, had to work hard to get each and every set. His 4th round match against Hewitt is possibly one of the best matches of the tournament. Youzhny saved quite a few match points before somehow making his way to the quarterfinal. But a possible fatigue after a tiring 5-setter might lead to his downfall.
My Take : Djokovic wins in 3/4 sets

Andy Murray vs Stanilas Wawrinka : Andy Murray is having a modest time trying to defend his title. Dropping sets un-expectedly to much lower ranked players surely shows his inconsistency. Nevertheless, he is a big match player. But Wawrinka is in a rolling form. After being heavily criticised for inconsistent performances throughout the year, he has performed exceptionally well in this tournament, especially in the match against Berdych. He can hopefully produce a strong performance, and give Murray a run for his money.
My Take : Murray wins in 4 sets.