Kenin, the No. 20 seed, has never been past the third round of the U.S. Open, but this year she beat Serena Williams to reached the fourth round at the French Open, won two titles in Mallorca and Hobart, and was a semifinalist in Toronto and Cincinnati before the U.S. Open. Such a good run would usually mean that a player would feel they have an advantage going into a matchup.
Unfortunately for Kenin, Keys, the No. 10 seed, knocked her out of Cincinnati and went on to win the tournament. Keys has had an up-and-down year, but has had great success at the Open. She was the runner-up in 2017 and reached the semifinals last year. Keys has won both of her matches this year in straight sets in slightly over an hour.
ASHE STADIUM, NIGHT MATCH
Novak Djokovic vs. Denis Kudla
Although Djokovic, the defending champion, has been playing well so far this tournament, there have been some concerns about his left shoulder. He said he was intense pain during his second-round match and it affected his serve and his backhand.
If nearly two days of rest helped alleviate the pain, Djokovic should have few problems moving on to the round of 16.
Kudla, a 27-year-old American ranked 111th, is playing in the third round of the Open for the first time. But he has achieved an unusual distinction: he has faced three Serbian players in a row at a tournament. Much like a gamer, he’s been leveling up. First he faced the unseeded Janko Tipsarevic; then he upset the No. 27th seed Dusan Lajovic. Now, he’s facing the big boss: Djokovic, the No. 1 seed.
ARMSTRONG STADIUM, 7 p.m.
Elina Svitolina vs. Dayana Yastremska
While two American women are playing on Ashe Stadium, two Ukrainian women will meet on Armstrong. The fifth-seeded Svitolina, who beat Venus Williams in the second round, was a semifinalist at this year’s Wimbledon, losing to the champion, Simona Halep. A year ago Yastremska was ranked just outside the top 100; now, at 19, she’s No. 32. She looked particularly convincing in her second-round win over Rebecca Peterson, with her dangerous crosscourt forehand being inescapable.
ARMSTRONG STADIUM, NIGHT MATCH
Feliciano López vs Daniil Medvedev
Medvedev has had an incredible summer, winning in Cincinnati and reaching the finals in Washington and Montreal. But all of his success may be a burden on the fifth-seeded Russian. He needed medical treatment in his first-round match and battled cramping and fatigue in his second-round win over Hugo Dellien on Thursday. Missing a day of rest because of Wednesday’s rainout may haunt him as he comes up against the veteran López.
