By the time most will read this, the Women's Final at the US Open will have been confirmed as the Semi Finals are both completed in the evening on Thursday.
On Friday it is the turn of the Men with the two Semi Finals both scheduled to be played at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Three of the four players remaining are more than capable of becoming the latest US Open Champion, but all four will have full belief in their tennis and they should produce two solid matches on the day.
The second Semi Final looks the better of the two matches, but both should be good to watch as the US Open comes down to the final three days.
Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 games v Felix Auger-Aliassime: If you want to know how much these two players have grown since their one and only professional match, you just have to note that Daniil Medvedev was a Qualifier and Felix Auger-Aliassime was a Wild Card entrant when they met in Canada in August 2018. On that occasion it was a very narrow win for Daniil Medvedev, but both of these players are much improved since then as they look to reach the US Open Final.
This is a position that Daniil Medvedev has been in before and he is a previous Runner Up at both the US Open and Australian Open, although the Russian is looking to move a step further this time around. He is rightly set as the favourite when you have a look at the numbers Daniil Medvedev has produced on the hard courts over the last couple of years, while he is playing at a strong level in this tournament off the back of a Masters success this summer.
Felix Auger-Aliassime will be feeling good about his own chances having reached the Wimbledon Quarter Final and now setting a new benchmark for his tennis at Grand Slam level. This is the first time the young Canadian will be playing in a Semi Final at a Grand Slam and it is a little surprising that Felix Auger-Aliassime has struggled to really produce his best tennis at the Masters level with a single Quarter Final since March 2019.
He is still having something of an inconsistent time bringing his best tennis together and that is where Felix Auger-Aliassime may come up short against someone as solid as Daniil Medvedev.
This has been a very good tournament for Felix Auger-Aliassime, but you can't ignore the fact that the numbers have been pretty steady and at a lower mark than the other three players left in the draw. His serve is a huge weapon, but the Canadian has been having some issues with the return which has been a feature of his young career and I do think a player like Daniil Medvedev can put him under an immense amount of pressure.
Daniil Medvedev has a serve that is very effective on the hard courts, but his main strength may be the return and an ability to draw opponents into rallies where he can grind them down. The Russian has broken serve at least five times in each match at the US Open and his hard court numbers in 2021 shows a player that has broken in 31% of return games played on this surface.
That should give Daniil Medvedev a big advantage in this match and it is one that should see him reach the US Open for a second time. I do think Felix Auger-Aliassime has to be respected for the way he can serve when at his best, although there will be a pressure on him to produce that monster serving for three hours if he is going to earn the upset.
It feels like a big ask of Felix Auger-Aliassime, and I do think Daniil Medvedev will begin to pull clear of this opponent once the first two sets have been tightly contested. With the returning at the level it has been operating at, Daniil Medvedev can find the breaks of serve to cover this handicap mark.
Novak Djokovic-Alexander Zverev over 38.5 games: Two more wins will place Novak Djokovic alongside some of the biggest names of the sport as he looks to complete the calendar Grand Slam, but the matches left for him should present some problems. It would be foolish for the World Number 1 to think about anything but this Semi Final as he takes on Alexander Zverev, the Olympic Champion who crushed Djokovic in the Semi Final in Tokyo and ended any hopes for the Golden Slam to be completed.
These two players also met in the Australian Open Quarter Final, but on that occasion it was Novak Djokovic who worked his way through in four sets. However, the match was an incredibly close one and Alexander Zverev will feel he had enough chances to at least find himself in a fifth set and eventually earn his place in the Semi Final at the expense of the World Number 1.
The first two matches between these players on the hard courts were dominated by Novak Djokovic, but since then they have been much more competitive and Djokovic only leads 3-2. In a couple of those defeats, Alexander Zverev will feel he had the better of the tennis on the day and was guilty of missing his opportunities to win those matches.
We have to expect something similar here and much is going to depend on how clinical Alexander Zverev can be when the big points are played. That has let him down against Novak Djokovic in some of their big matches, but the win in Tokyo should give Alexander Zverev plenty of confidence ahead of this big Semi Final.
Both players have been serving really well in this tournament, but Novak Djokovic has to be given a slight edge with his returning numbers and I do think that is where the difference will be made on the day. There is very little between their hard court numbers in 2021, but it is Novak Djokovic who has been able to get a bit more out of his serve and I do think the World Number 1 is going to find a way to earn a shot at history by playing for the calendar Grand Slam on Sunday.
Novak Djokovic has been dropping sets in this tournament and I do think it would be a massive surprise if either of these players are able to win this Semi Final in straight sets. With both serving effectively in the conditions, we should see four competitive sets and I think the two players will combine to cover the total games line set in this match.
Their match at the Australian Open saw the two players combine for 44 games and I do think this is a Semi Final that could go long too. Even a four set match should be enough to surpass the total games line, but I would not be surprised if we need a decider this time between two players in confident form and producing some very strong tennis in New York City.
MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)
Novak Djokovic-Alexander Zverev Over 38.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)
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