Viewer’s guide for the US Open quarter-finals: Emma Navarro aims for the semi-finals; rematch of the Australian Open final

Follow live coverage of day nine of the 2024 US Open

The first quarterfinals are on the program on the ninth day of the US Open.

Americans Emma Navarro and Frances Tiafoe are just two wins away from a Grand Slam final at home, while their clash will be a repeat of January’s Australian Open final.

Here’s what to look out for in each game.

Arthur Ashe

Time Event: 12:00 p.m. ET, 9:00 a.m. PT
TV: ESPN, Tennis Channel

Paula Badosa (26) vs. Emma Navarro (13)

How different two tennis seasons can be before they end in the same place.

When Paula Badosa traveled to Indian Wells, California, for the WTA 1000 tournament in March, she was struggling with persistent back problems. She had to withdraw from her first-round match and doctors told her that treating the injury would make continuing her career “very complicated.” In desperation, doctors and Badosa decided to try cortisone injections. Four months later, at Wimbledon, she was crying on the grass, but also with joy because she was in the round of 16 for the first time in three years. Here in New York, she did even better.

For Emma Navarro, another season of smooth progress played out in a completely different league when she faced Coco Gauff at Wimbledon in July. After Aryna Sabalenka withdrew and Iga Swiatek’s early exit, Gauff was considered the favourite to win the title in London. However, Navarro exploited Gauff’s weaknesses, hitting her with a slice to her forehand and forcing her to generate pace by hitting her groundstrokes close to the baseline over and over again. She knocked Gauff out

On Sunday, she did it again, in the stadium where Gauff consolidated her position at the top of American tennis twelve months ago.

Navarro will move into the world’s top 10 after this tournament and has the potential to climb even higher. Solidity is the hallmark of her game, but her forehand is as devastating and beautiful as it gets. Badosa has the slightly more explosive power, but if Navarro can effectively redirect the pace of Badosa’s shots, she could well be on her way to her first Grand Slam semifinal.

Taylor Fritz (12) vs. Alexander Zverev (4)

Taylor Fritz has already revealed to everyone the crux of this duel.

“If one of us doesn’t serve well or the other one returns really well, that’s always going to make the difference in the end,” he said after beating No. 8 seed Casper Ruud on Sunday. Sure, and Alexander Zverev would probably agree with that assessment, but Fritz’s desire to insulate, as tennis players so often do, is telling.

The last time Fritz said he thought he could win the US Open, he promptly lost here in the first round. That was in 2022, when a qualifier named Brandon Holt beat him. Holt is best known for being the son of Tracy Austin, a two-time champion a few generations ago… and for beating Fritz in the first round of the 2022 US Open.

Zverev has lost two Grand Slam finals, with his worst defeat coming four years ago here in New York. From a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem, he lost two sets on his own strength and one due to nerves.

Alexander Zverev lost in the fourth round of Wimbledon earlier this year in five sets to Taylor Fritz (Henry Nicholls / AFP via Getty Images)

Then there is the needle factor.

Zverev congratulated Fritz on his five-set win at Wimbledon a few months ago, then pointed out that he played “on one leg.” He also mocked Fritz’s box and the people in it for being “not from the tennis world” after getting involved in an embarrassingly long argument at the net.

This match could be a turning point in the careers of both players. In which direction? We’ll have to wait and see.

Zheng Qinwen (7) vs. Aryna Sabalenka (2)

The Zheng Qinwen who overwhelmed Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open final in January was not the Zheng Qinwen Sabalenka will play later today. The Belarusian needed 76 minutes and 17 games to defend the title in Melbourne. “As soon as I stepped on the court, I felt like I was in control,” she said.

Sabalenka is now back in superb form. She has lost one of her last 19 sets and is currently hitting her forehand faster than anyone else – and we’re talking both the ATP Tour and the WTA version. Novak Djokovic (76 mph), Jannik Sinner (78 mph) and Carlos Alcaraz (79 mph) can’t beat her average speed of 80 mph so far in tournaments.

All in all, she is the clear favorite to win the women’s trophy next Saturday at the Arthur Ashe races.

Zheng has something going for her, though. Her run to Olympic gold last month in Paris, where she beat world No. 1 Iga Swiatek on a court where the Pole is basically invincible, combined ferocious serves and explosive forehands, particularly inside-out, with tactical dexterity. She can slice. She can play her forehand flat. She can moonball when necessary, hitting the ball in the air to make rallies grueling against players who can sweep her off the court but not dislodge her.

Sabalenka remains the favorite, but after 76 minutes and 17 games it may not be over yet.

Zheng Qinwen has had an excellent season and won Olympic gold, among other things (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

Grigor Dimitrov (9) vs. Frances Tiafoe (20)

Grigor Dimitrov went through the first three rounds in a flash, losing 24 games, six of them in one set against Rinky Hijikata. Then came Andrey Rublev.

Dimitrov won the first two sets while the Russian No. 6 went through some of the self-flagellating tantrums that have characterized his current season. Then Rublev decided he wanted to stay in the tournament. He won one set 6-1, then the fourth 6-3. Dimitrov’s mojo was gone. In another part of his career, he might have crashed out, as Rublev did for much of the match.

This Dimitrov, who is enjoying a late-career resurgence, is not like that. He was one of the most reliable players on the tour all year, reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open before being forced to retire in the round of 16 at Wimbledon due to injury.

Tiafoe is also making a comeback – just in a much shorter time frame. He recovered from a slump that began here in 2023, when he lost to Ben Shelton, by beating Carlos Alcaraz in five sets at Wimbledon. He then reached the final in Cincinnati, losing to Jannik Sinner there, before coming to New York to play the tournament he values ​​above all others.

GO DEEPER

‘One of the worst things’: How Grigor Dimitrov shook off the ‘Baby Fed’ label to find himself

A five-set comeback from a 2-1 deficit against Shelton to put himself back in the spotlight in the domestic league. A brave win against Alexei Popyrin after losing his bearings in the third set. What’s next? Only he can decide.

Required reading

(Top photo: Emma Navarro; Timothy A. Clary / AFP via Getty Images)