US Open Tennis 2017: TV Schedule, Picks for Friday Afternoon Draw
Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza will continue her quest to earn back-to-back Grand Slam titles on Friday as she faces Magdalena Rybarikova in Round 3 of the U.S. Open.
It's been straightforward for the Spaniard so far, dropping a meagre seven games in here opening two matches. Rybarikova, who made it to the semi-finals at Wimbledon this year and lost to Muguruza, should provide a much sterner test.
The player conquered by Muguruza in the final at SW19 was Venus Williams, and she'll be in action against Maria Sakkari in the afternoon. In the men's draw, fifth seed Marin Cilic is the big attraction in the early slot.
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Read on for the afternoon schedule, details on where to catch the action and a preview of what should be another absorbing day's play at Flushing Meadows.
Selected Friday Schedule
Arthur Ashe Stadium
(13) Petra Kvitova* vs. (18) Caroline Garcia
Denis Shapovalov vs. Kyle Edmund*
Maria Sakkari vs. (9) Venus Williams*
Louis Armstrong Stadium
Nicolas Mahut vs. (12) Pablo Carreno Busta*
Ashleigh Barty* vs. Sloane Stephens
(31) Magdalena Rybarikova vs. (3) Garbine Muguruza*
(17) Sam Querrey* vs. Radu Albot
Grandstand
Diego Schwartzman vs. (5) Marin Cilic*
(28) Kevin Anderson vs. Borna Coric*
(16) Anastasija Sevastova* vs. Donna Vekic
*Picks to win
TV Info: ESPN (U.S.), Eurosport (UK)
For the order of play in full for Thursday, visit the U.S. Open website.
Friday Preview
Having struggled to find her best form throughout much of 2017, there's clearly a swagger about Muguruza since her triumph at SW19.
The Spaniard, now a two-time Grand Slam champion, seems to be saving her best for these big tournaments. Her early opponents at the U.S. Open, Varvara Lepchenko and Ying-Ying Duan, both found that out, as they were each fed a bagel by Muguruza in their respective clashes.
As noted by Jose Morgado of Record, in the most recent set she played the 23-year-old was practically imperious:
While another big trophy will be the ultimate ambition for Muguruza here, she can also thrust herself to the top of the world rankings with a strong showing at the tournament.
Per the WTA Insider Twitter account, a win on Friday would enrich Muguruza's chances of becoming world No. 1:
"All I want is to win matches, and the ranking sooner or later will come," she said, per the WTA website. "I try to focus on more winning matches here and try to go forward rather than the ranking because is the first step, to win matches, getting far in tournament, and we see after."
It's tough to see her momentum being halted on Friday. While Rybarikova is a dependable player, there was a chasm in class been the two when they last met at a Grand Slam, as Muguruza romped to a 6-1, 6-1 victory.
Williams could also end up as the world No. 1 by the end of the tournament, though a first major win since 2008 will be at the forefront of her mind. Sakkari is potentially a tricky opponent, though the veteran should have far too much.
In the men's bracket, Cilic will want to continue his steady progress towards another Grand Slam final. As noted by tennis writer Nick Nemeroff, the draw does seem to have opened up for the 2014 champion:
Matches against Schwartzman are never straightforward encounters, though, as the Argentinian boasts a dynamic game to trouble most players when he's at his best.
There'll be a couple of home hopes for the crowd the cheer on in the afternoon, too. After a run to the semi-finals at Wimbledon, Querrey is playing with confidence at Flushing Meadows. Stephens will also get the backing of the spectators when she faces Barty.
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