US Open Tennis 2021: TV Schedule and Tuesday's Afternoon Draw Predictions

Two of the most unlikely quarterfinalists at the 2021 U.S. Open take to the court inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

Dutch qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp will be a heavy underdog against men's singles No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev. 

Van de Zandschulp delivered a surprising five-set win over No. 11 seed Diego Schwartzman in the round of 16, but Tuesday's task may be too much for him to handle.

The same can't be said about Leylah Fernandez, who faces women's No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina. 

The 19-year-old looked dominant in stages of her wins over No. 3 seed Naomi Osaka and No. 16 seed Angelique Kerber. 

The teenage phenom will not breeze through the matchup with Svitolina, but she stands a better chance of springing an upset than Van de Zandschulp. 

Tuesday's play on Arthur Ashe Stadium begins at noon ET, and both matches can be viewed on ESPN. 

Predictions

No. 2 Daniil Medvedev over Botic van de Zandschulp

Tuesday's opener on Ashe should produce an easy win for Medvedev. 

The second-seeded Russian has not lost a set during his four rounds in New York and is on the right end of a significant mismatch.

Medvedev won at least two sets in each of his matches by three games or more. He cruised past No. 24 seed Dan Evans in the fourth round.

The 25-year-old has motivation to get through Tuesday's match as quick as possible to stay fresh for the battle he could have with Novak Djokovic or Alexander Zverev in the final.

The two-time Grand Slam finalist is the favorite to reach the championship match from the bottom half of the bracket. He would face the winner of No. 12 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime versus Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals. 

Van de Zandschulp deserves credit for reaching this stage, but his run should fizzle out fast on Tuesday. 

The 25-year-old is at a disadvantage in talent since Medvedev is one of the best hard-court players on the men's circuit. 

The qualifier is also on the wrong side of the fitness battle, as he is coming off a four-hour showdown with Schwartzman. He played two four-set matches and a five-setter in the first round. 

All of those edges should come to light in a straight-set win for Medvedev, who has his eyes on his first Grand Slam title. 

No. 5 Elina Svitolina over Leylah Fernandez

The second match on Ashe will be a more competitive affair. 

Svitolina has an edge over Fernandez because of how consistent she was in the opening week of the tournament. The No. 5 seed won four consecutive matches in straight sets, including a 6-3, 6-3 victory over No. 12 seed Simona Halep in the round of 16.

The 26-year-old will be playing in her eighth Grand Slam quarterfinal match. She has two semifinal appearances from Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2019.

The experience could give Svitolina the advantage needed to take down Fernandez, who has shown no fear against some of the top women's players. 

The teenager dealt with the pressure of playing on Ashe during the Osaka match, so that should not faze her, but the form of her Ukrainian opponent could be too much to handle. 

Fernandez had to battle through a pair of three-set matches against Osaka and Kerber just to get to the final eight, while Svitolina did not face any trouble in the first week, which should help her fitness if three sets are needed. 

There is always a chance Fernandez pulls off another upset, but Svitolina is in fantastic form and should fend off whatever challenges come her way.