U.S. Open Day Nine Preview: Four Women Seek Trip to Flushing Meadows Semis

Day Nine of the 2014 U.S. Open features a number of key matchups, as all the draws begin to narrow as the end of the event draws near. Two women’s singles quarterfinals matches highlight the draw, beginning with a match of two unseeded players as Belinda Bencic of Switzerland squares off against China’s Shuai Peng in the second match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Bencic, currently ranked 58th in the world, is making her quarterfinals debut in only her fourth Grand Slam appearance. Her previous best effort at a major was a third round appearance at this year's Wimbledon. Bencic at 17 years and 168 days, is the youngest quarterfinalist at any Grand Slam since Nicole Vaidisova reached the semifinals at the 2006 French Open when she was 17 years and 48 days, and the youngest at the U.S. Open since Martina Hingis won the title in 1997 at the age of 16 years and 342 days. Shuai, in her 10th main draw appearance at the U.S. Open, becomes the third Chinese player to achieve a Grand Slam quarterfinals appearance, after two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na and Zheng Jie. Shuai has achieved her first quarterfinals in her 37th appearance at a Grand Slam–tied for third-longest wait before reaching the quarters in the Open Era. Tuesday’s match between Bencic and Shuai marks the first ever meeting between the two.

Under the lights Tuesday evening at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the 10th-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark faces the 13 seed, Italy’s Sara Errani for a trip to the semifinals. Wozniacki has two wins in three career meetings with Errani, the last being a win for Wozniacki back in 2010 in Beijing. Wozniacki, a finalist at the 2009 U.S. Open, is playing her first Grand Slam quarterfinals since 2012 at the Australian Open. She has a 4-2 record in Grand Slam quarterfinals matches, and is trying to make her first semifinals appearance at a Grand Slam in three years, since the 2011 U.S. Open. Errani is through to quarters at the U.S. Open for the second time, having advanced to the semis in 2012. At all Grand Slams, she owns a 3-1 record in quarterfinals matches. Errani has reached the second week of a Grand Slam twice in a season for the first time since 2012.

Fourth round action in the bottom half of the men’s singles draw Tuesday is headlined by the number two seed and five-time U.S. Open champion Roger Federer, number six Tomas Berdych and number seven Grigor Dimitrov, who is one of three players in the Round of 16 for the first time.

At Arthur Ashe Stadium seeking a trip to the quarterfinals, the seventh-seeded Dimitrov from Bulgaria will face the number 20 seed, Frenchman Gael Monfils. The two have met twice in their careers, each taking a victory. Their first meeting was at the 2011 U.S. Open in the opening round, won my Monfils in straight sets. Dimitrov, who is the youngest player at 23-years-old in the top 10 ATP Men’s Singles Rankings at number eight, came into this season with an 8-13 match record in Grand Slams, never getting past the third round. He is one win away from reaching his third major quarterfinals of the season (12-3 record). Monfils has a 5-4 career record in fourth round matches and is trying to reach his second U.S. Open quarterfinals, having made the quarters in 2010. Monfils is also attempting to reach his second major quarterfinals (Roland Garros) in the same season for the first time in his career.

Under the lights at Ashe, the second-seeded Roger Federer of Switzerland faces Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, the 17 seed, for the first time. Federer has a 24-1 record at night in Arthur Ashe Stadium. On Sunday, Federer became the seventh player in tournament history to win 70 U.S. Open singles matches, and if he wins Tuesday, he will tie former greats Pete Sampras and Bill Tilden for fifth place. Federer is trying to reach his 10th U.S. Open quarterfinals in 11 years and 43rd overall in a major. Bautista Agut is one of the most improved players on the ATP World Tour this season, making the biggest jump into the top 20 from last season (59th to 19th). He is a two-time ATP World Tour winner, and in January, he advanced to fourth round at the Australian Open, his best result in a major.

At Louis Armstrong Stadium, it will be the number 14 seed Marin Cilic of Croatia taking on number 26 Gilles Simon of France. Simon has a 4-0 record lifetime against Cilic, including a five-set second round match at the Australian Open in January. Cilic is attempting to reach the quarters in Flushing Meadows for the third time, having been there in 2009 and again in 2012, and the second in a major (Wimbledon) this season. Cilic is 4-7 lifetime in round four major matches. Simon is looking to advance to the second Grand Slam quarterfinals of his career, having accomplished the feat at the 2009 Australian Open. He is 1-5 in his career in fourth round major matches, having lost the last five.

In their first career meeting, the number six seed Tomas Berdych will face the unseeded Dominic Thiem at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Berdych, who reached the semifinals of the 2012 U.S. Open, is 1-4 lifetime in fourth round matches at Flushing Meadows. Berdych is attempting to reach his 11th major quarterfinals. Thiem, who is the lowest-ranked player remaining at 45th, is trying to become the first Austrian to reach a major quarterfinal since Jurgen Melzer did so at Roland Garros in 2010. Melzer is also the last Austrian to reach the fourth round at the U.S. Open in 2010.

Of local interest and kicking things off at 11:00 a.m. at Arthur Ashe Stadium, it will be the unseeded men’s doubles duo of Merrick, N.Y.’s Scott Lipsky & Rajeev Ram facing the 12th-seeded team of American Eric Butorac & South Africa’s Raven Klaasen. Lipsky & Ram advanced to the quarters on Sunday with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over third-seeded Daniel Nestor of Canada & Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia. Lipsky was a three-time All-American at Stanford and was part of its last NCAA title team in 2000. Lipsky and Butorac are former doubles partners and remain close, as Butorac served as a groomsman at Lipsky's wedding.

Also in the men’s doubles draw, the top-seeded American duo of Bob & Mike Bryan will face the seventh-seeded team of Spaniards David Marrero & Fernando Verdasco for a shot at the semifinals. The Bryans hold a 5-1 head-to-head advantage over Marrero & Verdasco. The Bryans, who have captured a record 15 Grand Slam crowns, including four U.S. Opens, are in pursuit of their 100th career doubles title together. They are also looking to extend their Grand Slam title streak to a record 10 consecutive years.

Off her win Monday to propel her to the women’s quarterfinals, Serena Williams will team with her sister Venus to face the fourth-seeded Russian duo of Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina.

Click here for the complete Day Nine schedule of action at the 2014 U.S. Open.