Top 5 matches and storylines to watch on Day 6 of the 2024 US Open
You might still be recovering from a fabulously frenetic Friday at Flushing Meadows, but Grand Slams don’t sit still. Saturday offers up another scintillating schedule at the 2024 US Open.
USOpen.org previews Day 6 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, with Round of 16 tickets within reach.
Medvedev back to the 'restaurant'
There is no one quite like the mercurial
Daniil Medvedev. During his on-court interview following a clinical straight-sets victory over
Fabian Marozsan in Round 2, the No. 5 had quite the take on the unique US Open atmosphere.
“I felt like I was in an Italian restaurant. The food is great. The aftertaste is great. But your head is like this," he said, miming an exploding head. "It was a fun feeling."
The 2021 US Open champion has a reservation in the third round to take on Italian
Flavio Cobolli, one of the most improved players on tour in 2024. The rapid, daring 22-year-old hasn't taken on Medvedev yet, but has taken down the likes of Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul on this American hard-court swing.
Whatever is on the menu, this match is going to be an absolute feast in Arthur Ashe Stadium as the night session's closer.
Top seeds seeking sweet 16
When 2022 US Open champion
Iga Swiatek reaches top gear, the Pole is simply unplayable. Just ask
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova–who was swatted aside 6-0, 6-0 in their lone meeting in Rome last year. That's some scoreline against a player who has been a Grand Slam runner-up, at Roland Garros in 2021.
Pavlyuchenkova may not be at the peak of her powers—however, as a former quarterfinalist in New York (2011), she'll be able to pounce on any let up from the world No. 1 under the lights.
Over to fellow top seed
Jannik Sinner: With title rivals
Carlos Alcaraz and
Novak Djokovic out of the picture, how will the world No.1 react facing
Christopher O'Connell?
The Australian can cause trouble, having claimed their first head-to-head meeting 7-6(7), 6-4 in Atlanta three years ago. But as recently as March, Sinner defeated O’Connell 6-4, 6-3 at the Miami Masters.
Can Botic back it up?
Rewind to Roland-Garros in May and Botic van de Zandschulp considered quitting tennis having endured a nasty combination of injuries and a drain of confidence. But in New York? What a turnaround.
The Dutchman, a breakout quarterfinalist at the 2021 US Open, soared back into the spotlight with a second round 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 victory over
Carlos Alcaraz–who had won the past two majors.
Van de Zandschulp will seek to replicate that remarkable level in a clash with British youngster
Jack Draper. The world No. 25 is enjoying his finest Grand Slam to date, so something has to give on Grandstand and this promises to be an intriguing arm wrestle.
Paolini on the march
Scuttling from line to line, competing with a cheek-to-cheek smile, it’s a joy to witness
Jasmine Paolini wield her racquet. The No. 5 seed has transformed into a Grand Slam contender with runner-up spots at Roland Garros and Wimbledon this season.
On Saturday, the Italian will need to be proactive facing the unrelenting defense and defiance of
Yulia Putintseva. The Kazakh stunned Swiatek from a set down at Wimbledon and also overcame
Coco Gauff a fortnight ago 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in Cincinnati.
Match Preview
- Putintseva is ranked No. 32, and Paolini is the current world No.5.
- Paolini's slightly more powerful serve, reaching speeds of up to 108 MPH compared to Putintseva's 98 MPH, could give her an edge.
- Putintseva's ability to convert break points, winning 50% compared to Paolini's 44%, could give her the advantage.
Young to wave goodbye?
This year's US Open is the final tournament for American
Donald Young. The left-hander reached a career-high world No. 38 and reached the last 16 in Queens in both 2011 and 2015.
What a way to bow out: After a Round 1 win on Friday win mixed doubles alongside fellow American
Taylor Townsend, Court 7 will be packed, and ardently cheering on the USA duo in a match with
Hugo Nys and
Nadiia Kichenok.
WHAT HAPPENED: No. 4 seed
Alexander Zverev lost the first set of his late-night match in Louis Armstrong Stadium, but staged a spirited comeback to dismiss unseeded
Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-3 in three hours and 36 minutes to advance to Round 4 of the 2024 US Open.
The Round 3 match finished at 2:35 a.m., making it the second latest finish in US Open history—behind only the 2:50 a.m. finish between
Carlos Alcaraz and
Alexander Zverev in 2022.
After dropping the opening set in 62 minutes, Zverev fell behind 2-4 in the second set, but the German found the range on his ground strokes and then began disrupting Etcheverry’s rhythm by coming to the net.
Zverev won four of the next five games to take a 6-5 lead. He then got through an intense 14-minute game and secured a critical service break in the 12th game to win the set in 63 minutes and level the match at one set all.
With the momentum in his favor, Zverev cut down on his unforced errors and took command of the third set as he broke Etcheverry in the second, fourth and sixth games to take a 5-1 lead. Zverev wrapped up the set in the next game with a service hold as Etcheverry’s cross-court slice backhand landed past the baseline on set point.
One of the key moments of the fourth set was in the sixth game when Zverev came back from 0-40 to hold and stay on serve at 3-3. He broke Etcheverry in the next game and then held serve for a 5-3 advantage. The Argentine served to try to stay in the match, but Zverev finished it with a booming overhead smash winner on match point.
“It was a great atmosphere. It was so much fun to play. Tomas played an incredible match. He had me on the ropes for the first two sets,” Zverev said. “I’m just glad that I came through and won. He played extremely well. I feel I had to make the match very physical and make it as long as possible.”
WHAT IT MEANS: Playing in his ninth-career US Open main draw, Zverev advances to Round 4 of the US Open for the fifth straight year. The 2020 US Open runner-up will face unseeded American
Brandon Nakashima, a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) third-round winner over No. 18 seed
Lorenzo Musetti of Italy. Zverev holds a 2-0 edge over Nakashima in career head-to-head meetings.
With his third-round win over Etcheverry, the 27-year-old Zverev now leads the Argentine 2-0 in career head-to-head meetings. In their first encounter, Zverev defeated Etcheverry, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2023.
MATCH POINT: Tonight's US Open Round 3 win in Louis Armstrong Stadium was a significant one for Zverev. In addition to improving his career US Open record to 25-8, the No. 4 ranked Zverev became the first male player born in 1990 or later to earn 100 Grand Slam match wins. His overall record in Grand Slam matches now stands at 100-34.
