U.S.Open 2011 Preview: Fourth Round - Ninth Day

It almost looks like America versus the rest of the world on the ninth day at U.S.Open except for the tie between Rafael Nadal and Gilles Muller in the fourth round. 

Rafael Nadal will play Gilles Muller for a place in the quarter-finals. Gilles Muller boasts of a victory over Nadal at Wimbledon in 2005 when Nadal was fresh from his first Grand Slam title at French Open. A lot of water has flown down the Thames since then. Earlier this year, Nadal bested Muller in straight sets at the same Wimbledon, though Muller can take credit for extending Nadal to tie breaks in the first two sets. Muller has a good serve and Nadal is not the best returner in the game. Muller is tall enough to negate the extra bounce on the top spin ball, but he will find it difficult to deny Nadal an entry into quarter-finals unless Nadal is still down with the press conference cramps.

 

When Donald Young defeated Andy Murray in the Indian Wells earlier this year, Murray served below 50% and his second serves were so easy for Young that Murray won only 28% of points on his second serves. Murray’s service deserts him in tight situations. American crowd support for Young can damage Murray’s psyche. When Murray is down, he almost suffers from Downs Syndrome and turns himself into a retrieving mode. This succeeds against those who are prone to unforced errors but fails against safe hitters like Novak Djokovic. Young does not have the hitting power of Djokovic, but he will thrive on the support from the stands. It will be interesting to see how Murray negotiates Young. Long rallies will be the order of the day.

John Isner has the capacity to topple Gilles Simon. Both have confidence coming into this round. Simon had an improbable victory against Juan Martin Del Potro in the previous round and Isner has stepped into U.S. Open with a victory at the ATP event at Winston Salem a week before.  If Isner serves as well as he is capable of, Simon can find his consistency and returning power eroded. He will also have to contend with the crowd support for the local lad.

If Andy Roddick can tame the Spanish bull dog David Ferrer, no place would be better than the Flushing Meadows. He has to avenge his defeat in the Davis Cup played earlier this year in the United States. Ferrer goes on coming back and back and refuses to go away. He is not that susceptible to the crowd pressure too. Roddick does not boast of a great net game and it might be suicidal to engage Ferrer in long rallies. Tie breakers will favour Roddick. It should be Roddick’s endeavour to serve well enough to take his games on serve and hope to take the set to the tie break.

On this day, ENT specialists will have a field day since three Americans figure in the four matches to be played and each of them is an underdog.