Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round of the 2023 US Open
Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round of the 2023 US Open | (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Tennis | US Open 2023 | Alcaraz and Medvedev look to overcome quarter-final tests ahead of potential semi-final showdown

By Tony Fairbairn

  • Carlos Alcaraz [1] v Alexander Zverev [12]
  • Marketa Vondrousova [9] v Madison Keys [17]
  • Daniil Medvedev [3] v Andrey Rublev [8]
  • Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Qinwen Zheng
NEW YORK, USA – Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev look to overcome quarter-final tests in a bid to set up a potential semi-final on day ten of the US Open.

 

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Carlos Alcaraz [1] v Alexander Zverev [12] | H2H & Match Fundamentals

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Carlos Alcaraz [1] v Alexander Zverev [12] H2H: Zverev leads 3-2
US Open 2023 New York, USA
Hard (O) Prize Money: $455,000
Last on Arthur Ashe Stadium, not before 8:30pm (1:30am Thursday, BST) Sky/Now TV Subscription Required

Another convincing victory for Carlos Alcaraz as the Spaniard’s title defence continues into the quarter-finals after a straight sets win over Italian Matteo Arnaldi. Alcaraz continues to show why he is the current world number one as his all-round athleticism, power and variety is levels about everyone else. Although Alcaraz will lose the world number one ranking to Novak Djokovic after the US Open, the Spaniard will hope to keep the momentum going as he looks to deny the Serb a 24th Grand Slam title.

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Next up for Alcaraz in his bid for more Grand Slam success is Alexander Zverev after the German reached a third consecutive US Open quarter-final with a five set win over Jannik Sinner. Zverev’s ability to grind down opponents and wear out the younger generation with consistent baseline play continues to be effective as he finds himself in another Grand Slam quarter-final after struggling with injuries. Now Zverev is hoping that he can now start to contend for Grand Slam titles as confidence is now on the German’s side.

Alcaraz will look to neutralise Zverev’s power with a mixture of depth and variety as he will look to time his aggression right. Meanwhile Zverev will look to extend the rallies and force tactical errors from Alcaraz with his backhand as he looks to win the war of attrition and stamina just like he did with Sinner. This should be a good match with previous history suggesting that Zverev may be Alcaraz’s kryptonite. However the Spaniard has more quality and experience this time around to get through a tricky quarter-final contest.

Prediction: Alcaraz in four sets.

 

Marketa Vondrousova [9] v Madison Keys [17] | H2H & Match Fundamentals

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Marketa Vondrousova [9] v Madison Keys [17] H2H: First Meeting
US Open 2023 New York, USA
Hard (O) Prize Money: $455,000
First night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium, not before 7pm (Midnight, Thursday BST) Sky/Now TV Subscription Required

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It has been a very impressive run from Marketa Vondrousova as she has successfully backed up her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. The ninth seed’s big serve and solid defensive consistency has seen her confidence rise as opponents have struggled to figure out a way to beat the Czech Republican. However Vondrousova enters this match with doubts as an elbow injury ruled her out of doubles with Barbora Strycova and now she faces a race against time to get fit.

Next for Vondrousova is former finalist Madison Keys who is in very good form and is seeing the ball like a football. The American thrashed world number three Jessica Pegula in just over an hour as she used the indoor conditions to her advantage, playing flawless tennis. When Keys’ serve and forehand is at its best then there isn’t anyone in the world who can stop the 17th seed. The question is can Keys remain consistent when it matters most to seal the biggest title of her career?

Vondrousova will look to use her mixture of variety and power to force Keys into playing high-risk shots, therefore producing unforced errors from the American. Meanwhile the former finalist will look to continue to control her aggression as she looks to make Vondrousova’s consistency look weak, dictating play from the baseline. This match depends on Vondrousova’s physical condition, if the Wimbledon champion is fully fit then she may have too much for Keys. However if she’s not on form then it should be the American who moves into the last four.

Prediction: Keys in three sets.

 

 

Daniil Medvedev [3] v Andrey Rublev [8] | H2H & Match Fundamentals

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Daniil Medvedev [3] v Andrey Rublev [8] H2H: Medvedev leads 5-2
US Open 2023 New York, USA
Hard (O) Prize Money: $455,000
Second on Arthur Ashe Stadium, not before 1:30pm (6:30pm BST) Sky/Now TV Subscription Required

Not many people are talking about Daniil Medvedev as a potential winner of this year’s US Open but maybe they should be. The former champion has quietly gone about his business in efficient circumstances as the third seed looks for his second Grand Slam title. Now Medvedev will look to go through another obstacle as he aims to set up a dream semi-final with Alcaraz.

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There is a big obstacle in Medvedev’s way though as he takes on eighth seed Andrey Rublev. Rublev is the master of reaching Grand Slam quarter-finals as he moved into his eighth Grand Slam quarter-final with a resilient four set victory over Jack Draper. Now Rublev will now look to overcome his semi-final curse at Grand Slams as he looks to win his first ever Grand Slam quarter-final.

Medvedev will look to frustrate Rublev by producing deep forehands close to the baseline as he looks to take time away from the eighth seed. Meanwhile, Rublev will look to use his forehand to dictate play as he looks to move Medvedev around the court, rushing the former champion into hitting shorter balls for Rublev to hit winners. This should be an epic between two contrasting yet confident styles but Medvedev’s slightly more consistent form should give him the edge here.

Prediction: Medvedev in five sets.

 

Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Qinwen Zheng | H2H & Match Fundamentals

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Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Qinwen Zheng H2H: First Meeting
US Open 2023 New York, USA
Hard (O) Prize Money: $455,000
First on Arthur Ashe Stadium, at 12pm (5pm BST) Sky/Now TV Subscription Required

New world number one Aryna Sabalenka was in no mood to celebrate her recent career milestone as she cruised into the quarter-finals with victory over Daria Kasatkina. Sabalenka’s relentless power has seen her reach new heights this season with the second seed becoming a reliable and consistent force on the tour. Now Sabalenka would love to finish the Grand Slam season just how she started by claiming the title and as a result her second Grand Slam title.

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Standing in Sabalenka’s way is talented Chinese player Qinwen Zheng who is a surprise quarter-finalist in New York. A sublime performance from Zheng saw her knock out last year’s finalist Ons Jabeur with some incredible counter-attacking play. The 20 year-old has all the potential in the world to succeed but will now be hoping that she can turn potential into reality as she aims to reach a maiden Grand Slam semi-final.

Sabalenka will look to use her experience control her nerves and use her serve to dictate the tempo of the match and rush Zheng into errors. Meanwhile Zheng will look to use her backhand to create depth as she looks to make the second seed run around the court as much as possible. This will be an awkward match for Sabalenka but one she should navigate through comfortably.

Prediction: Sabalenka in straight sets.

 

 

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