What to watch on day three of the US Open

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Day 3 of the US Open means… round two! Here’s what we’ll be watching as the round of 64 begins on a warm Wednesday in New York…

Defender of the Night

Coco Gauff And Novak DjokovicHer defending champion this year in Queens, she will play the night session on the Arthur Ashe course. Gauff was shaky beforehand but began her US Open with an impressive win over France’s Varvara Gracheva. Tonight she will face German veteran Tatjana Maria and the 17-year age difference between the two will be greater than the talent difference in this competition. But Maria has never got past the second round in NY, while Gauff is on an eight-match winning streak in Flushing.

Djokovic, still reeling from his gold medal performance in Paris, will play the night match. The 37-year-old, 24-time major champion will face fellow countryman Laslo Djere in a rematch of the pair’s third-round clash last year, which Djokovic won but not before Djere won the first two sets.

In fact, the two previous encounters between the two went the full distance, with Djokovid defeating Djere in a third-set tiebreak in their other meeting in 2022 in Belgrade.

Berrettini vs. Fritz over Armstrong

Speaking of nightcaps, we turn our attention to what is shaping up to be a hot battle between the best American Taylor Fritz and Italy Matteo Berrettini on Armstrong.

Fritz, who was a quarter-finalist in Flushing last year, obviously likes the match – he has a 3-0 overall record against the former Wimbledon finalist. But Berrettini and his 17-6 overall record at the Open cannot be overlooked. They will face Armstrong in the final, but the sweltering temperatures in New York could still play a role on the hottest day of the first week.

Key question: How will Berrettini, who is sometimes physically vulnerable, fare in the heat?

Secured and loaded on the grandstand

The grandstand ticket offers plenty of variety on Wednesday. Fans should get there early and secure a spot in the shade to watch a lineup that includes two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova (vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse) and Olympic women’s singles gold medalist Zheng Qinwen (vs Erika Andreeva).

Then things heat up in the men’s singles. It will be exciting when the 2023 semi-finalist, Ben Shelton, meets Roberto Bautista Agut. This is followed by an exciting duel between the 2022 runner-up, Casper Ruud, and the 37-year-old crowd favorite and shot wizard Gael Monfils.