It doesn’t feel right seeing the Semi Finals of a major not featuring Nadal, Djokovic or Federer, but with a bunch of fresh new faces who will advance to the Final for their chance of recording their first Grand Slam title?
Karen Khachanov v Casper Ruud
The Norwegian’s Quarter Final against Matteo Berrettini was the perfect blueprint for his Semi Final with Karen Khachanov, and although Nick Kyrgios struggled to break the Russian’s serve, it should come easier to Casper Ruud.
Incredibly Ruud could be the number one player in the world off the back of this tournament, and his weapon of a forehand will put Khachanov’s defence under immediate pressure.
The Norwegian’s hard-court form in 2022 stacks up despite many pigeon-holing Ruud as a clay courter. Against top-50 opposition on hard court this year, Ruud is ranked fifth for percentage of total points won (52.3%) and sixth in set percentage won (64.3%).
If Khachanov is going to win he’s going to have to do something he hasn’t done since August 2019: beat a top 10 player. Khachanov has lost his last 14 matches against top-10 opposition including going 0-7 in 2022. The Kyrgios win was enormous, but the patience of Ruud could be his undoing – the Norwegian in 4.
Carlos Alcaraz v Frances Tiafoe
How will two marathon matches affect tournament favourite Carlos Alcaraz? The 19-year-old comes off a 5+ hour marathon against Jannik Sinner, where he saved a match point in the fourth set and came back from a break in the fifth to win an epic US Open Quarter Final. The match prior, it was another five-set win in the Round of 16 against Marin Cilic resulting in consecutive 3am finishes for the Spaniard.
Frances Tiafoe on the other hand is extremely well rested and playing the best tennis of his life. The American will have the support of the Arthur Ashe crowd, only dropping one set on his way to his first Grand Slam Semi Final after completely dismantling the in-form Andrey Rublev.
Of all players inside the top-50 this year, Tiafoe is ranked seventh for games per set at 9.47 and eighth for tiebreakers per set at 24.8%. Of the American’s 16 sets this tournament, six have gone to tiebreaks with another going to 7-5, which emphasises that if we see both players win a set this 39.5 total games line will be covered.
Daily H2H Multi
Ruud / Alcaraz v Tiafoe Over 39.5 Total Games = $2.69
