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Day 5 of the 2024 US Open will feature the third rounds of the men's and women's singles draws.
While most of the men's seeds have advanced through the opening rounds, there have been some notable upsets. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, Alexander Bublik, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Alejandro Tabilo were all eliminated in the first round, while Hubert Hurkacz, Sebastian Korda, Ugo Humbert, Sebastian Baez, and Francisco Cerundolo fell in the second round.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic, meanwhile breezed into the third round along with top seed Jannik Sinner. Others to have made it through include Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, and Andrey Rublev.
Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and Brandon Nakashima, meanwhile, lead a strong American contingent into round three.
On that note, here's a look at the predictions for a few of the men's singles matches on Day 5 of the 2024 US Open.
#3 Andrey Rublev vs Jiri Lehecka
Sixth seed Andrey Rublev will lock horns with 32nd seed Jiri Lehecka in a mouth-watering third-round clash on Friday, August 30. They will be up third on Grandstand, after Victoria Azarenka and Wang Yafan's encounter.
Rublev kicked off his US Open campaign with a tricky 6-3, 7-6 (3), 7-5 win over Thiago Seyboth-Wild in the first round. He was presented with a much tougher test by Arthur Rinderknech in the following round. The Frenchman took the first two sets, but Rublev showed incredible grit and tenacity to mount an impressive comeback and seal an emphatic 4-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win.
Lehecka started slow in his opener against the experienced Marton Fucsovics but eventually found his rhythm. He was leading 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 3-0 when the Hungarian was forced to retire. Like Rublev, Lehecka too marvelously overturned a two-set deficit against home favorite Mitchell Krueger to script a famous 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 victory.
Rublev and Lehecka split their head-to-head evenly at 2-2 currently. Lehecka, however, won their previous encounter 6-4, 6-4, in Indian Wells earlier this year. He also leads their hard-court head-to-head 2-1.
Rublev's superior form on the American hardcourts and his impressive physical endurance in the New York heat this year could give him a slight edge. Lehecka might have begun the year impressively on the surface but has played very little tennis on it after returning from his injury. This is also the furthest he's reached in New York.
We can, however, expect an incredibly tight contest between the pair, just like their encounters in the past. The hardcourts are both their best surfaces and we are likely to see a brutal battle from the baseline. It could simply boil down to who does the basics better and attacks more.
Pick: Rublev in five sets.
#2 Grigor Dimitrov vs Tallon Griekspoor
Ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov will take on Tallon Griekspoor in the third round on Friday, August 30. They will play the third match of the day on Court 17 after Donna Vekic and Peyton Stearns's match-up.
Dimitrov opened his campaign with a dominant 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Kyrian Jacquet in the first round. He put up another fine display against Rinky Hijikata in the second round, navigating through a tight third-set tie-breaker onto what was otherwise a rather straightforward 6-1, 6-1, 7-6 (4) win.
Griekspoor also cruised through his opener against Sumit Nagal, winning 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (6). In the second round, he was leading 6-1, 2-0 against 20th seed Sebastian Baez when the Argentine was forced to retire due to a foot injury.
Dimitrov has been in impressive form in New York so far. His serve has been his standout weapon, as he has averaged 88.5% points won on his first serve and notched 26 aces across his opening two matches. The Bulgarian hasn't been afraid to attack the net either and won 86% of points doing so in his previous encounter, in which, he also hit 36 winners.
Griekspoor has also been superb on serve, averaging 89% of points won on his first serve across his first two matches. Just like Dimitrov, he's been great at the net too and has enjoyed success on the returns, winning 55% of return points in his last encounter.
Dimitrov enters this match as the favorite due to his superior form and record in New York. He has reached the semifinals in the past, while Griekspoor is making his third-round debut. Dimitrov also comfortably leads the Dutchman in hardcourt wins this season, having also won the title in Brisbane. If he maintains his current level of play, he could secure another straightforward victory.
Pick: Dimitrov in three sets.
#1 Brandon Nakashima vs Lorenzo Musetti
Home favorite Brandon Nakashima will square off against 18th seed Lorenzo Musetti in a highly anticipated third-round clash on Friday, August 30. They will play the last match of the day on court 17 after Grigor Dimitrov and Tallon Griekspoor's encounter.
Nakashima began his US Open campaign by outclassing 15th seed Holger Rune 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. He continued his dominant form in the second round, defeating Arthur Cazaux 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
Meanwhile, Musetti overcame a minor challenge from Reilly Opelka in his opener, securing a 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory. He was taken the distance by Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round, displaying remarkable mental fortitude to eventually seal a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 victory.
Musetti edges Nakashima 1-0 in their head-to-head, winning their only encounter 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at the Queen's Club earlier this year.
Nakashima, however, boasts a better win percentage on hard courts so far this year and will enter this match as the slight favorite, given his recent results. Musetti has had most of his success on clay and grass courts and has struggled to replicate that form on hard courts, despite managing to advance through his matches in New York this week.
Neither of them has made it past the third round in New York and plenty is on the line for both of them. An interesting match is on the cards, with Nakashima likely to come through with the support of the home crowd.
Pick: Nakashima in five sets.
