Three to See, US Open Day 9: Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe face Top 10 players in the Quarterfinals

Alexander Zverev vs. Taylor Fritz

This is a bit of a Groundhog Day situation for Fritz—he’s in a familiar round, and playing a familiar opponent. The American has been to the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam four times before, but has yet to advance farther. This will be his 10th meeting with Zverev, and his second in as many majors.

Fritz, who lost in the quarters at the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, is impatient for a breakthrough.

“I’m a little bit sick of just making it to the quarterfinals, and I definitely want to go further,” he said after his fourth-round win over Casper Ruud on Sunday.

Zverev will be a difficult obstacle for him to get around, but not an impossible one. The German leads their head-to-head 5-4, but Fritz won their most recent meeting, in the fourth round at Wimbledon this year, after dropping the first two sets.

“We kind of go back and forth,” Fritz says. “I feel like the last five or six times we’ve played it’s literally been I win one, he wins one, and so on.”

“I feel like we play close matches. It can go either way. A lot of it depends on the serve. If one of us doesn't serve well or the other one returns really well, wins the big points, that’s always going to be the difference-maker in the end.”

Does Fritz’s Wimbledon victory mean that Zverev is due to win their first meeting at the Open? There are a couple reasons to like Fritz’s chances. He’s very much in form. He played lights out to beat Matteo Berrettini in straights, then turned it on mid-match to knock off Ruud for the first time on Sunday.

Zverev, who had a knee issue in their Wimbledon match, will be another step up. He and Fritz both know there’s a huge opportunity this week, with Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz out of the tournament. After losing in five sets in the Roland Garros final, Zverev also must feel as if he’s overdue for his first Slam title. He has learned to take a punch in best-of-five, and grind it out over the long haul.

The question may be: Can Fritz, with the crowd’s backing, find a way to knock him out before that happens? Winner: Fritz

Aryna Sabalenka vs. Qinwen Zheng

Could the rematch of this year’s Australian Open final also determine the winner of the US Open? Sabalenka and Zheng were two of the WTA’s most in-form players coming to New York; the former won Cincinnati, the latter won Olympic gold, and both beat WTA No. 1 Iga Swiatek along the way.

Sabalenka leads their head-to-head 2-0, and neither match has been close. She won 6-1, 6-4 at the US Open last year, and 6-3, 6-2 in the Aussie Open final early this season. Zheng hits as hard or harder than most of her opponents, but not Sabalenka, who forces her to react and defend.

Zheng is too good for that to remain true forever. Her loss in Melbourne was also due to inexperience and a natural streakiness to her play. Since then, she has improved in both of those areas. Her Olympic win in particular should raise her own sense of what’s possible for her.

Still, Sabalenka has a look about her at this tournament. Last year, she lost to Coco Gauff in a final that she probably feels she should have won. She seems to be on a mission to finish the job this year. Winner: Sabalenka

Grigor Dimitrov vs. Frances Tiafoe

As with Fritz and Zverev in Tuesday’s other quarterfinal, Tiafoe and Dimitrov must feel like this is the chance of a lifetime. Two more wins and they’re into their first-ever Grand Slam final, with no Djokovic or Alcaraz in sight.

The American and the Bulgarian are two of the game’s most popular players—including with Serena Williams. She helped each of them get through their fourth-round matches on Sunday, but she’ll have to pick a side this time.

Dimitrov leads their head to head 3-1, and he rolled through their last match, at Wimbledon in 2023, in three quick sets. Other than that one meeting, though, they haven’t played since 2019.

But if we don’t have a lot of evidence about who will have the edge, we do know they’ll offer a little something for every type of tennis fan, young and old. Dimitrov carries on the tradition of the one-handed backhand and the shot-making flair and variety that comes with it. Tiafoe brings new-school athleticism and pace, but also has a touch side to his game.

Tiafoe has ridden the Open crowd to this point, and they’ll do their best to get him back to the semifinals for a second time. But Dimitrov seems sharp enough right now to weather the Ashe storm. Winner: Dimitrov