Third round of the US Open men's singles starts on Friday with some interesting match-up featuring title contenders from bottom half of the draw. Novak Djokovic, who needed four sets to overcome young American Svajda, faces experienced Cameron Norrie in a battle of champ experience versus British determination. Carlos Alcaraz, brilliant in form after dropping just four games against Bellucci, stands before probably more demanding test against Luciano Darderi. Ben Shelton will defend American hopes against veteran Adrian Mannarino, while Jiri Lehecka received an unexpected gift in the form of Ruud's sensational conqueror - Raphael Collignon.
Djokovic vs. Norrie
The Serbian champion is still searching for his best rhythm in New York. After a somewhat sluggish start against Learner Tien in the first round, Djokovic needed another slow beginning before ultimately dominating qualifier Svajda 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. Nole admitted after the match that he's frustrated with his own game and needs to work on improving his form from round to round. His 36-0 record in the first two rounds of the US Open, however, says everything about his mental strength at this stage of the tournament.
Cameron Norrie enters this clash after a four-hour battle with Francisco Comesana, which he won 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-7(0), 7-6(4). The Brit, a 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist, might have his chances against the 38-year-old Djokovic, especially if the Serb doesn't raise his level. The problem is that Norrie has lost all six previous meetings with Djokovic, and will need to break not just a physical barrier, but primarily a mental one. The latter can be strictly related with their two recent encounters on clay, when the multiple Grand Slam champion denied in the semifinals in Geneva, and eliminated him in the following major in Paris with a routine win by 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.
Norrie will need aggressive, brave play to extend points and force the Serb into additional effort. The key might be exploiting Djokovic's fatigue, as he himself admitted he tires more quickly than he used to. Fit and healthy Djokovic should have no issue with the Brit who had no key to make an upset against him so far. The not impressive form on hard courts is also a liability for Norrie, who did not win more than 2 matches in one tournament this year on that surface.
Alcaraz vs. Darderi
The Spaniard looks magnificent after two rounds, dropping just 10 games in victories over Opelka and Bellucci. His 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 domination of the Italian was a display of power and precision. Alcaraz didn't give his opponent a single break point chance and won 86% of points on his first serve. With a proper warm-up by winning ATP 1000 in Cincinnati before this Grand Slam, the Spaniard looks unstoppable in the early stages so far.
Luciano Darderi enters this match as a complete underdog, being most successful in ATP 250 level events on clay, but much less on hard courts (4 wins in 11 matches). The Italian dismantled Rinky Hijikata 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 in the first round, showing his ability to control exchanges with long, topspin shots. This will be their his first meeting with Alcaraz on tour and quite an unusual experience to play on such a huge venue against the top favorite.
The problem for Darderi will be Alcaraz's pace and aggression. The Spaniard excels against players who prefer long rallies from the baseline, accelerating play and forcing them into defensive positions. Darderi will need to use his abilities to extend rallies and wait for Alcaraz's errors, but given Spaniard's current form, this seems like mission impossible.
Shelton vs. Mannarino
The American 6th showed his dominance in the match against Pablo Carreno Busta, winning 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in under two hours. Shelton achieved six breaks and had a 42-18 advantage in winners. His athleticism and aggressive playing style make him one of the most exciting young players on tour. With a 2023 US Open semifinal behind him, Shelton feels comfortable on New York courts. The recent successes including the ATP 1000 title in Toronto, makes the 22 years-old home favorite a strong contender in this section of a draw.
Adrian Mannarino, the 37-year-old French veteran, is experiencing a second youth this season. After a poor start to the year he found form in the summer, reaching the final in Newport and scraped starting from qualifiers to the fourth round in Cincinnati, where he lost to Jannik Sinner. His flat, precise shots and tactical intelligence compensate for the lack of raw power.
Shelton is an obvious favorite, especially including their recent meeting in Toronto won by the American with a score 6-2, 6-3. The key for Shelton will be utilizing his powerful serve - in Toronto he won 90% of points on his first serve. Conditions in New York favor his aggressive game more than the slower courts in Canada. Mannarino will need to neutralize the American's serve with his excellent return, but his returning abilities have declined in the last 18 months.
Lehecka vs. Collignon
The Czech showed character in the second round, losing the first set to Etcheverry 3-6, only to dominate his opponent 6-0, 6-2, 6-4. Lehecka, seeded 20th, won the title in Brisbane earlier this year and is consistently building his position among the elite. His aggressive baseline style and solid serve make him dangerous on fast courts.
Raphael Collignon is the hero of the tournament's early days. The Belgian, ranked 107th, created one of the biggest upsets by eliminating Casper Ruud 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 after more than four hours of battle. The 23 years-old Belgian showed resilience, coming back from being 0-2 down in decisive set and survived against the favorized Ruud despite facing 47 pressure points on serve in compare to just 35 created - efficiency was on his side that day. These are his first main draw Grand Slam wins in his career. The 23-year-old won two Challenger titles this season and entered the top 100 for the first time.
Collignon proved against Ruud that he can play under pressure - he saved two break points with aces at 3-2 in the fourth set, which changed the course of the match. His forehand was working at full throttle, and his mental resilience surprised the experienced Norwegian. For Lehecka, this will be a test of concentration - he cannot afford to underestimate an opponent who has already proven he can cause surprises at this level.
Bonzi vs. Rinderknech
This French clash guarantees us a Tricolore representative in the tournament's second week. Bonzi showed incredible fighting spirit, turning around his match with Marcos Giron after losing the first two sets (2-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4). This is already Bonzi's second five-set triumph in this tournament, after sensationally eliminating Daniil Medvedev in the first round, which delivered some significant virals around the Internet after the famous "drama" caused by the incident with the photograph which interrupted the crucial moments in third set.
Rinderknech also had to show character, defeating 18th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3. His collaboration with Lucas Pouille is clearly bearing fruit - the Frenchman has recently defeated Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon and Casper Ruud in Cincinnati, among others. His confidence is really high again, despite dropping in ranks down to 82th.
The gentlemen know each other perfectly - Bonzi even attended Rinderknech's wedding. Their H2H record is 3-1 for Bonzi, but they haven't played each other for a long time. Both showed in the second round that they can endure five-set battles, so we can expect another marathon. Bonzi does also use the guidance of another well-known French player from the past - Nicolas Mahut, and is playing the most mature tennis of his career, but Rinderknech has the physical advantage and a slight better stats on serve - winning about 3.5% more service games and first serve points. Both are not especially lethal on return, but here is the Bonzi's advantage - 7% more return games won on hard court and 6% better performance on 2nd return points.
