Fourth round action in the bottom half of the men’s draw on Monday on Day Eight of the 2013 U.S. Open will feature five of the top 10 seeds, led by former world number ones and the two winningest active Grand Slam singles champions, number two Rafael Nadal and number seven Roger Federer. So far, Mother Nature has yet to throw a curveball at the schedule as most matches have gone off without a hitch, but Monday could be the day that bullet is no longer dodged as scattered thunderstorms and temps in the mid- to upper-70s are forecast throughout the day.
Federer brings in a 10-0 lifetime record against Spain’s Tommy Robredo, as the two will face off in afternoon action at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Federer is bidding to reach his 41st Grand Slam quarterfinal and tie Jimmy Connors for the most career Grand Slam quarterfinals appearances in the Open Era. Under the lights at Ashe, it will be the second-seeded Nadal facing Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber. Kohlschreiber is attempting reach the quarters of a Grand Slam for the second time, with 2012 Wimbledon as his first appearance, and is looking become the first German since Tommy Haas in 2007 to reach the Open quarters. Nadal holds a commanding 9-1 head-to-head record against Kohlschreiber.
Opening play on Ashe at 11:00 a.m. EST will be American upstart Alison Riske facing Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova for a trip to the women’s singles quarterfinals. Hantuchova has won the pair’s previous two meetings, the second of which came during her title run in Birmingham in June. Also on Ashe, it will be the second-seeded Victoria Azarenka facing the number 13 seed, Ana Ivanovic of Serbia. Azarenka leads the head-to-head 4-2 and has won their last three encounters.
Simona Halep is seeking a trip to the quarters, as the 21 seed faces Italy’s Flavia Pennetta at 11:00 a.m. EST at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Monday. Kicking things off at Grandstand will be an all-Italian matchup featuring Camila Giorgi, who knocked off Caroline Wozniacki Saturday, as she faces the number 10 seed, Roberta Vinci.
Back at Louis Armstrong, the eighth-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet faces the 10th-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic. Gasquet is 1-15 lifetime in fourth round Grand Slam matches (0-4 at the U.S. Open) and the 22-year-old Raonic is the youngest player remaining in the men’s singles draw. Raonic is attempting to become the first Canadian man to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal since Mike Belkin at the Australian Championships in 1968. Raonic leads Gasquet 1-0 lifetime.
Also on tap for a trip to the quarters, the 18-seed Janko Tipsarevic will face the number four seed, David Ferrer of Spain at Grandstand. Ferrer has a 4-1 lifetime record against Tipsarevic in five career matches as he is looking to reach his eighth consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals. The last time Ferrer failed to reach the last eight at a Grand Slam was at the 2011 U.S. Open when he lost to Andy Roddick in round four.
In the last match on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the world number one men’s doubles team of Bob & Mike Bryan are in quarterfinals action against the British number 12 seeds, Colin Fleming & Jonathan Marray. The Bryans are trying to become the first team since Aussies Ken McGregor & Frank Sedgman in 1951 to win a calendar Grand Slam. The Bryans have won 32 straight matches since capturing the Gold Medal at the London Olympics last summer and the last four Grand Slam titles. The Bryans have won the most titles as team with 92, including an ATP World Tour-high 10 this season.
Of local note, play begins for the U.S. Open juniors, as locals Noah Rubin of Rockville Centre, N.Y. and Ossining, N.Y.’s Jamie Loeb begin first round action in the boys and girls singles draws, while Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Daniel Kerznerman is in boys doubles action. Rubin will be in action on Court 13 as he faces Germany’s Hannes Wagner, while Loeb kicks things off at 11:00 a.m. EST on Court 10 against Ivana Jorovic of Serbia. Kerznerman will be joined by partner and fellow American Jared Donaldson as they face the Korean team of Seong-Chan Hong & Young Seok Kim on Court 16.
