Elena Rybakina vs Emma Raducanu
(17:00 CET - Louis Armstrong Stadium / Eurosport 2)
Emma Raducanu has had a very easy road on her way to the third round of the US Open so far. She dispatched qualifiers Ena Shibahara and Janice Tjen with no mercy and has spent just 124 minutes on court so far. However, she faces a very different battle against Elena Rybakina early on Friday.
"She has been at the top for a long time and has been playing very dominantly. She has strong weapons, a very good serve and baseline shots," said the Brit about the Kazakh.
Raducanu won the 2021 US Open from a qualifying position, but then lost touch with the top players, and only this year has she played consistently and convincingly again. Her confidence was certainly boosted by a wonderful match against Aryna Sabalenka in Cincinnati, where she fell in a third-set tiebreaker.
Rybakina, even more so, looks in fine form on the American hardcourts this year. She beat the world number one, Sabalenka, in the same dress rehearsal event (Cincinnati) in two sets and will expect to go far in New York.
Marketa Vondrousova vs Jasmine Paolini
(19:00 CET - Grandstand / HBO Max)
Can Marketa Vondrousova stop a rampant Jasmine Paolini? The Italian made it all the way to the final in Cincinnati, where she was beaten by Iga Swiatek. Moreover, she managed the opening two rounds in Flushing Meadows against unpredictable opponents in two sets, just like her Czech opponent on Friday.
Vondrousova has been dealing with fitness issues since her Wimbledon triumph in 2023, but so far this year in New York, she looks very convincing, as evidenced by the scalp of the dangerous McCartney Kessler.
Vondrousova has been playing more aggressively in the tournament compared to Paolini - she has scored more winning shots and has a higher success rate of points won at the net. Paolini, on the other hand, holds her own serve better and makes fewer unforced errors.
Therefore, besides physical readiness - the Czech has run 1,300 more meters so far - the return game will play a significant role, where Vondrousova is much more successful after her opponent's second serve. The last time they played together was eight years ago - Vondrousova won that time.
Follow the wommen's singles tournament at the US Open here.
Ben Shelton vs Adrian Mannarino
(19:30 CET - Louis Armstrong Stadium / Eurosport 2)
Adrian Mannarino and Ben Shelton have already met three times, and the French veteran has the better record between them. It was only last time, a month ago in Toronto, that the young American was able to find a recipe for the experienced left-hander's awkward and slow game.
Mannarino has the softest serve of any player in the world and tries not to make mistakes, play consistently and with variety.
Shelton, on the other hand, relies on his serve. The stats show that despite his young age of 22, he has already hit 1,728 aces and has long been a solid first-serve hitter (65%). This too led him to the semi-finals of this Grand Slam the year before last.
This year, he would like to repeat that journey at least. After all, he is having the best season of his career, he is in the top 10 for the first time, and his confidence that he is capable of winning a major tournament was boosted by his triumph in Toronto.