U.S. Open tourney: Day 10 Matchup Odds and Picks
By Charles Bricker
(9) Caroline Wozniacki (-243) vs. Melanie Oudin (+221)
Can the little 17-year-old American climb yet another notch? She's taken down three top players in a row, including Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova, by coming from a set down to win and has now come back from a set down in 10 of her last 20 victories.
I love this kid, but I've got to go with Wozniacki, who in her first major quarterfinal as well, should be as loose as Oudin.
Neither player has a big serve, but the 5-foot-10 Dane hits a lot harder off the ground. For Wozniacki, she has to attack, attack, attack Oudin's second serves and limit her usual moderately high unforced errors.
Oudin needs to just keep playing her game and maybe, just maybe, it would be a good idea to lose the first set. First-time meeting. Oudin guaranteed to jump from No. 70 to about No. 43 or 44 if she loses.
Pick: Wozniacki
Yanina Wickmayer (+140) vs. Kateryna Bondarenko (-151)
Two more unseeded players into the quarters and one, of course, will reach the semis. That would be Bondarenko, who leads the head to head 2-1 with a victory at Toronto a couple weeks ago.
Both players will take major jump in the rankings - into the low 30s at least (about 20 spots better).
Bondarenko is fresh from a love and love win in the round of 16. She'll be fresher.
Pick: Bondarenko
(4) Novak Djokovic (-224) vs. (10) Fernando Verdasco (+205)
If you've looked up Djokovic's record against lefties - just 27-17 lifetime and 4-5 this year - don't read anything into it. Four of those losses this year and 14 in his career are to Rafael Nadal, so don't believe that Verdasco has a special edge in this match.
In fact, Nole should make this four straight over the Spaniard after the show he put on Monday night against Radek Stepanek. That was classic Djokovic work as he was broken only once and was particularly effective with his second serve.
Verdasco enters this match on a high note with smart, hard-working win over John Isner, holding him to 13 aces and breaking his big serve four times. Verdasco is going to take some very risky shots in this match. That's his game. But Djokovic will handle it with his court quickness and defense.
Pick: Djokovic
Yesterday's record: 3-0 (pending Nadal-Monfils result)
Tourney record: 21-9