US Open Tennis 2015: TV Schedule and Wednesday's Afternoon Draw Predictions
Roger Federer and his 17 career major titles serve as the entree of a loaded Wednesday schedule at the 2015 U.S. Open, but like any good entree, there are intriguing appetizers to set the stage.
Simona Halep, otherwise known as the highest-seeded woman not named Serena Williams in the field, takes on a dangerous Victoria Azarenka, while French Open champion Stan Wawrinka squares off with Kevin Anderson, who is fresh off an upset win over Andy Murray.
With that in mind, here is a look at Wednesday’s broadcast schedule, predictions for the afternoon matches and the top showdown to watch.
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Wednesday TV Schedule
| 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Quarterfinals | ESPN |
| 8 p.m.-11 p.m. | Quarterfinals | ESPN 2 |
Afternoon Draw Predictions
| (5) Petra Kvitova vs. (26) Flavia Pennetta | Kvitova |
| (2) Simona Halep vs. (20) Victoria Azarenka | Halep |
| (5) Stan Wawrinka vs. (15) Kevin Anderson | Wawrinka |
Afternoon Match to Watch: No. 5 Stan Wawrinka vs. No. 15 Kevin Anderson
The winner of this match will likely get a shot at Federer in the semifinals, but Wawrinka and Anderson cannot afford to overlook this quarterfinals showdown.
It represents another stiff test for Anderson immediately after he disposed of Murray in a physically grueling four-set clash. Anderson prevailed 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (0) in a match that lasted more than four hours and included three tiebreakers. The reward was his first-ever quarterfinals appearance at a major tournament.
Anderson’s greatest weapon is his power, which is no surprise considering he checks in at 6’8” and does not hold back on his first serve. It was on full display against Murray, and he finished with 25 aces and won 79 percent of his first-service points.
Murray himself recognized Anderson’s serving ability in the aftermath, per Kevin Mitchell of the Guardian: “Tonight he served extremely well. The service game I played at 4-1 down [in the second set], I was up 40-love, got broken. That was around the time when I was starting to get the momentum a bit back on my side.”
However, Wawrinka cannot simply focus on countering Anderson’s serve while preparing for Wednesday’s meeting. Anderson demonstrated some versatility in the victory over Murray by frequently playing at the net, per Christopher Clarey of the New York Times:
As for Wawrinka, he only counts one dropped set on his 2015 U.S. Open resume, and it came in his last outing against Donald Young. He bounced back and took the next two sets on the way to the straightforward win and should be well-rested entering the quarterfinals.
Like Anderson, Wawrinka has controlled his matches with the serve, which is evidenced by 55 total aces and the fact he won at least 75 percent of his first-service points in all four contests.
Wawrinka is accustomed to playing this deep into tournaments in 2015. He has three titles on the season, including the French Open, compared to one for Anderson, which came in the Winston-Salem Open where the highest-seeded player he faced was No. 35 Borna Coric in the quarterfinals.
Wawrinka also reached the semifinals of the Australian Open but ultimately bowed out to Novak Djokovic. Success at Grand Slams is nothing new for the Swiss star, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:
Despite Wawrinka’s status as a major winner, Anderson holds the narrow advantage in seven head-to-head matches with four victories. In fact, Anderson won the past four showdowns with Wawrinka, according to ATPWorldTour.com.
That series momentum will come to an end Wednesday.
This will be the 10th match in 16 days for Anderson, which is concerning since he is coming off a marathon meeting with Murray in the previous round. Anderson simply won’t have enough to outlast Wawrinka in the latter stages of Wednesday’s contest, especially in the high-pressure moments.
Wawrinka is accustomed to the bright lights that come with being in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament. He won the French Open over Djokovic earlier this year and the Australian Open over Rafael Nadal in 2014, and he is a regular in the quarterfinals and beyond at the U.S. Open.
Prepare for a semifinals Switzerland showdown between Wawrinka and Federer.
Prediction: Wawrinka in four sets
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