U.S. Open Tennis: Day 11 Matchup Odds and Picks
By Charles Bricker
(3) Rafael Nadal (-288) vs. (11) Fernando Gonzalez (+261)
This is a great matchup for Nadal . . . if he's not troubled by the minor abdominal pull he picked up earlier in the week. Gonzo is largely an impatient player who is going for the early strike and Nadal has a way of frustrating those kinds of players, as he did with Gael Monfils in the last round. Nadal leads the head to head by 6-3 with five wins in a row, and that translates, also, into winning 17 consecutive sets. After a shaky start vs. Monfils, Nadal has really pulled his game together. The last three sets of the Monfils match were his best tennis since returning from knee rehab.
Pick: Nadal
(6) Juan Martin Del Potro (-374) vs. (16) Marin Cilic (+334)
This promises to be a very close match, but I'll take Del Potro primarily because he's going to get a lot more first serves in. Breaks are going to come at a premium and I doubt you'll see more than one, or two if they reach a tiebreak, in a set. Cilic's fast-rising game is about where Del Potro was a year ago. He's only 20, but Del Potro has plenty of big-time Grand Slam experience. They've played once before, in the round of 16 at this year's Aussie Open, with Del Potro winning in four after dropping the opening set.
Pick: Del Potro
Yesterday's record: 2-1
Tourney record: 24-10