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US Open Tennis 2019: Women's, Men's Finals TV, Live-Stream Schedule

Sep 7, 2019

Yet more Grand Slam honours are at stake for Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams in the finals of the 2019 U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows in New York City.

Williams has her eyes fixed firmly on a 24th Grand Slam title on Saturday, but she'll know Bianca Andreescu won't be easy to overcome. The 19-year-old has wowed the crowds and vanquished some big names en route to the final, including Elise Mertens and Caroline Wozniacki.

Sunday will be Nadal's turn to try to win a Grand Slam prize for the 19th time when the Spaniard takes on Daniil Medvedev.

The latter warmed up for the U.S. Open by beating Novak Djokovic on his way to claiming the Cincinnati Masters title, and the Russian has continued his fine form, beating Stan Wawrinka and Grigor Dimitrov to set up a showdown with Nadal.

      

2019 U.S. Open Finals Schedule

Women's Final

  • Date: Saturday, September 7
  • Time: 4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. BST
  • TV Info: ESPN
  • Live Stream: WatchESPN, Amazon Prime

Men's Final

  • Date: Sunday, September 8
  • Time: 4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. BST
  • TV Info: ESPN
  • Live Stream: WatchESPN, Amazon Prime

      

Williams has lost just one set while advancing to the final. She was near-flawless during a straight-sets win over Svitolina in the last four on Thursday.

At 37, Williams has still maintained a relentless pace during her matches and has been able to conserve energy ahead of the final, per Mark Preston of the tournament's official website: "Williams dropped a combined total of five games in her quarterfinal and semifinal wins. The first of those took 44 minutes to complete; the second, 70. Two late-stage major matches won in under two total hours."

Williams' ability to set and control the pace will prove decisive against a much younger opponent:

While Williams can be relied on to beat Andreescu and make amends for losing last year's final to Naomi Osaka, the issue isn't as clear cut in the men's draw. Medvedev is a player gaining confidence, one who has been making a habit of defeating marquee opponents.

Subduing Nadal on the hard courts in New York will be his toughest challenge yet, though. The Spaniard has won this tournament three times previously and has dominated this year with the same controlled game.

Nadal won 17 points at the net and converted a quartet of break points during Friday's semi-final win over Matteo Berrettini. No player is mixing up shots as successfully and intelligently as Nadal.

Said variety can help the 33-year-old wreck Medvedev's powerful service game. The Russian boomed 10 aces against Dimitrov, and his 88 overall trail only John Isner during this year's competition.

Medvedev is a talent on the rise, but Nadal will have enough savvy to edge a tense final.  

US Open Tennis 2019: Updated Men's Bracket and Final Predictions

Sep 7, 2019
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 06: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates his straight sets victory to the crowd after his Men's Singles semi-final match against Matteo Berrettini of Italy on day twelve of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 06, 2019 in Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 06: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates his straight sets victory to the crowd after his Men's Singles semi-final match against Matteo Berrettini of Italy on day twelve of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 06, 2019 in Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Only Daniil Medvedev stands between Rafael Nadal and a 19th Grand Slam title after the Spaniard beat Italy's Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-1 in the semi-finals of the 2019 U.S. Open on Friday.

Nadal had to save two set points in the opener, but after prevailing in the first-set tiebreak, he cruised to victory in two hours, 35 minutes.

Earlier in the day, Medvedev downed Grigor Dimitrov in similar fashion to reach his fourth final in succession:

https://twitter.com/TennisPodcast/status/1170108644710670337

The Russian is in supreme form, but he will have to produce the performance of a lifetime if he is to prevent Nadal from taking one step closer to Roger Federer in the record books.

The Swiss legend has 20 Grand Slams to his name, moving four titles clear of Nadal when he won the Australian Open back in 2018.

But Nadal is now close to matching his old rival, and he is well set to win his fourth U.S. Open title, having dropped just a single set in New York this year.

When Nadal, 33, steps on to the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, it will be the 27th time he has appeared in a Grand Slam final:

The 23-year-old Medvedev, meanwhile, will be in uncharted territory. Before the 2019 U.S. Open, the No. 5 seed had never got past the fourth round in a Grand Slam.

His form since this year's Wimbledon, though, has been remarkable. In July in London, Medvedev was knocked out in the third round by David Goffin. In the tournaments since, he has only been beaten in finals.

Nick Kyrgios prevailed at the Washington Open and Nadal bettered Medvedev at the Rogers Cup, but in the lead-up to the last Grand Slam of the year at Flushing Meadows, the Russian won the Cincinnati Masters title.

He has played some masterful tennis at the U.S. Open as well, but Nadal is the strong favourite for Sunday's final.

As such, there will be little pressure on Medvedev, which should give him the freedom to perform to his best, and he has the game to trouble Nadal.

But there is a difference between troubling Nadal and beating him.

In Grand Slam finals, the Spaniard has only ever lost to Federer, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka, and it would be a huge shock if Medvedev added himself to that list on Sunday.

             

Prediction: Nadal to win in four sets.  

Rafael Nadal Advances to 2019 US Open Final with Win vs. Matteo Berrettini

Sep 6, 2019

No. 2 Rafael Nadal will have a chance to win his 19th major title after defeating No. 24 Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-1 in the U.S. Open semifinals on Friday.

Nadal's serve proved dominant all night, as he won 90 percent of his first-serve points and 74 percent of his second-serve points. He also committed just 18 unforced errors versus Berrettini's 44.

His power was on full display, with this forehand winner just one example:

Nadal also pulled off a magical third-set shot to help close out the match:

Berrettini hung tough for the first set and even led Nadal 4-0 in a tiebreaker. However, the 33-year-old Spaniard held off two Berrettini set points before eventually winning the tiebreak 8-6.

That tiebreak win gave Nadal all the momentum he needed. He forced Berrettini to three break points before finally winning one to take a 4-3 edge in the second set. Nadal then held serve the rest of the set for the 6-4 win.

Jose Morgado of Diario Record put Nadal's performance in perspective:

The left-hander then cruised down the stretch, breaking Berrettini three times and only losing one point while serving.

Berrettini's tournament is over, but the arrow is trending up for the 23-year-old Italian after a fourth-round finish at Wimbledon before his semifinal showing in the U.S. Open. He had not reached the fourth round in any major before this year.

Nadal will now face No. 5 Daniil Medvedev in the men's final. The 23-year-old Russian has only lost four sets during the U.S. Open and is coming off a dominant semifinal showing where he beat Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets.

Nadal beat Medvedev 6-3, 6-0 in their only matchup, which occurred at the 2019 Rogers Cup finals in August. However, Medvedev comes into this match on a torrid pace, as Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times noted:

ESPN will televise the matchup on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.

US Open Tennis 2019 Men's Final: TV Schedule, Start Time and Live Stream

Sep 6, 2019
Rafael Nadal of Spain gestures after a point against Matteo Berrettini of Italy during their Singles Men's Semi-finals match at the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 6, 2019. (Photo by Don Emmert / AFP) (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal of Spain gestures after a point against Matteo Berrettini of Italy during their Singles Men's Semi-finals match at the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 6, 2019. (Photo by Don Emmert / AFP) (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)

The stage has been set for the 2019 U.S. Open men's final.

On Friday, the field was whittled down from four to two. Daniil Medvedev secured the first spot in the championship round by prevailing against Grigor Dimitrov, while Rafael Nadal defeated Matteo Berrettini in the nightcap.

The winner will take home $3.85 million, while the runner-up will receive $1.9 million.

                 

2019 U.S. Open Final Schedule

Matchup: No. 2 Rafael Nadal vs. No. 5 Daniil Medvedev

Date: Sunday, Sept. 8

Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

                

Rafael Nadal vs. Daniil Medvedev

Sunday offers Nadal an opportunity to claim his second U.S. Open title in three years.

The Spaniard took care of business against Berrettini in straight sets to secure his third Grand Slam final berth of the year.

He was the runner-up at the Australian Open in January before winning the French Open in June. He failed to reach the final at Wimbledon, bowing out in the semifinals.

Nadal has 18 Grand Slam titles on his resume, three of which came at Flushing Meadows. He is 3-1 in his career in U.S. Open finals, with his lone loss coming to Novak Djokovic in 2011.

A win Sunday would move him to within one of rival Roger Federer (20) for the most men's singles Grand Slam titles of all time.

Meanwhile, Medvedev continued his winning ways in 2019 with a hard-fought victory over Dimitrov. Though he won in straight sets, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-3, it was anything but an easy triumph.

Dimitrov gave Medvedev all he could handle, but Medvedev was on top of his service game. He won 75 percent of the points (41 of 55) on his first serves while piling up 10 aces.

It marked the Russian's first straight-sets victory since the first round. 

Medvedev has made a habit of deep tournament runs in 2019:

This, however, will be uncommon ground for the 23-year-old. It will be his first career Grand Slam final appearance. According to ATP Media Info, he is the first Russian man to reach a major tournament final since 2005 and the first to make it to the U.S. Open championship match since 2000.

Nadal is 1-0 against Medvedev, with their lone meeting coming in the ATP Masters 1000 Canada final on Aug. 11. The 18-time Grand Slam winner won that match in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0.

US Open Tennis 2019 Results: Friday Winners, Scores, Stats, Singles Draw Update

Sep 6, 2019
Rafael Nadal, of Spain, celebrates after defeating Matteo Berrettini, of Italy, in the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Friday, Sept. 6, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Rafael Nadal, of Spain, celebrates after defeating Matteo Berrettini, of Italy, in the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Friday, Sept. 6, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

A champion will soon be crowned at the 2019 U.S. Open, as Friday's action featured a pair of semifinals matches. 

The first showdown of the day saw Daniil Medvedev and Grigor Dimitrov go head-to-head, with the former advancing with a competitive three-set victory. Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal kept his quest for a 19th career Grand Slam title alive in the nightcap against Matteo Berrettini.

Below is a look at the latest action from Flushing, New York.

   

2019 U.S. Open Results — Semifinals

No. 5 Daniil Medvedev def. Grigor Dimitrov, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-3

No. 2 Rafael Nadal def. No. 24 Matteo Berrettini, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-1

2019 U.S. Open Schedule — Final

Sunday, Sept. 8 at 4 p.m. ET

No. 5 Daniil Medvedev vs. No. 2 Rafael Nadal

*Full draw available on the tournament's official website

No. 5 Daniil Medvedev def. Grigor Dimitrov, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-3

It was a hard-fought battle right from the start. Medvedev jumped out to an early lead by taking the first two games, but Dimitrov responded by winning three straight.

And that set the tone for the match.

Neither competitor could gain the edge early on, as the first set required a tiebreaker. Ultimately, though it was Medvedev who outlasted Dimitrov, 7-6 (5).

Medvedev took the first set despite committing more unforced errors (19-15) and double faults (6-1). He did, however, win 79 percent (15 of 19) of his first-serve points while recording three aces.

It was more of the same in the second set, as Dimitrov continued to give Medvedev all he could handle. But after 10 games, Medvedev managed to grab a commanding 2-0 lead in the match:

The key to the set for Medvedev was all about the first serves. He won the point on 71 percent (17 of 24) of his first serves in the second set, piling up six aces in the process. On the flip side, Dimitrov won just 46 percent (12 of 26) of his first serves for the set while also committing 19 unforced errors.

Dimitrov gave a valiant effort for the first two sets, but as the match surpassed the two-hour mark, he appeared to run out of steam. Medvedev won the third set fairly convincingly as he took four of the first five games.

With the victory, Medvedev's impressive 2019 continues:

He has now won 50 matches this year.

This will mark the first career Grand Slam final appearance for the 23-year-old—and he becomes the first Russian to reach this stage at a major tournament in more than a decade:

He had never advanced beyond the fourth round at a major tournament prior to this run, and last year's third-round finish was his previous best at the U.S. Open.

No. 2 Rafael Nadal def. No. 24 Matteo Berrettini, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-1

Berrettini proved to be a formidable foe in the first set, but ultimately, he was no match for Nadal.

The two went back and forth throughout the opening set, one that took a whopping 73 minutes. While it appeared as though Berrettini may be on the verge of stealing the first set, Nadal managed to prevail:

And from that point on, the momentum was clearly in his favor.

Nadal needed just 82 minutes to capture the final two sets. That was made possible due to his dominance on serves. Though Berrettini held the edge in aces (9-4), Nadal took the point on an incredible 90 percent (37 of 41) of his first serves.

Not to be overshadowed, he also won 74 percent (25 of 34) of his second-serve points.

As a result, the 33-year-old is on to his 27th career Grand Slam final.

It marks his third major final of the year, with the lone exception coming at Wimbledon. He was the runner-up at the Australian Open in January and won the French Open in June. 

Nadal has 18 Grand Slam titles on his resume. A win on Sunday would move him to within one of Roger Federer (20) for the most men's singles Grand Slam titles of all time.

He is 3-1 in his career in U.S. Open finals, with his lone loss coming to Novak Djokovic in 2011.

US Open Tennis 2019: Men's Semifinal TV Schedule, Start Times and Picks

Sep 6, 2019
Rafael Nadal, of Spain, celebrates after defeating Diego Schwartzman, of Argentina, during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis tournament early Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Rafael Nadal, of Spain, celebrates after defeating Diego Schwartzman, of Argentina, during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis tournament early Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Daniil Medvedev and Grigor Dimitrov will contest the first men's semi-final of the 2019 US Open on Friday before Rafael Nadal takes on Matteo Berrettini at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The first semi-final will not start before 4 p.m. ET (9 p.m. BST), with the men's doubles final taking place first. Nadal and Berrettini won't take the court before 5:30 p.m. ET (10:30 p.m. BST).

ESPN will cover both semi-finals in the U.S., while British viewers can tune in via Amazon Prime.

Nadal earned his spot in the semi-finals with a straight-set win over Diego Schwartzman:

The 33-year-old is a three-time champion at Flushing Meadows, and with all that experience, he has to be considered the favourite for the title this year.

He faces a tricky challenge in the semi-finals, however, in the form of rising star Berrettini. The latest next-gen talent to make his mark on the biggest stage, the 23-year-old is in the midst of a breakout season after previously making it to the fourth round at Wimbledon.

An aggressive server who is comfortable advancing to the net, he presents something of a matchup nightmare for Nadal, who is at his best when he controls long rallies.

Even in those rallies, Berrettini can do damage:

He'll have to avoid getting drawn into lengthy exchanges with the veteran, who is nearly unbeatable when matches devolve into defensive battles. Berrettini has shown a willingness to take plenty of chances by advancing to the net early, and it will likely be his best chance of winning on Friday.

The in-form Medvedev and Dimitrov have met twice, splitting their meetings, and Saturday's first semi-final is expected to be closer than the second.

The Russian had a sensational summer and is carrying incredible form into this semi-final clash:

Both are gifted shot-makers with bags of creativity in their Arsenal, but Medvedev is the less-conventional player, which has worked to his advantage all tournament long.

Dimitrov is coming off a morale-boosting upset of Roger Federer, however, his first in eight attempts, and carries plenty of momentum into the semi-finals.

Picks: Nadal, Medvedev advance to the final.

US Open Tennis 2019: TV Schedule and Men's Semifinal Predictions

Sep 6, 2019

Rafael Nadal has won three U.S. Open titles in his career, while the other three men remaining in the men's draw have never won a Grand Slam. 

However, if the men's draw has shown anything so far this year in New York City, it's that anybody can win. 

Nadal is the only competitor remaining of men's tennis' "Big Three" comprised of himself, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. No. 3 Federer was upset in five sets by Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals, while top-seeded Djokovic retired due to a nagging left shoulder injury in his round-of-16 match against No. 23 Stan Wawrinka. 

Wawrinka was then handled in four sets by No. 5 Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. In the same round, No. 24 Matteo Berrettini outlasted No. 13 Gael Monfils in an exhausting five-set affair. 

That has set up a semifinal slate pitting Nadal against Berrettini and Medvedev against Dimitrov.

       

Friday's Men's Semifinals Schedule

Arthur Ashe Stadium

(5) Daniil Medvedev* vs. Grigor Dimitrov, 4 p.m. ET 

(2) Rafael Nadal* vs. (24) Matteo Berrettini, 6 p.m. ET

*Picks to win

The men's singles semifinal action will be available to watch in the United States on ESPN or WatchESPN. Viewers in the U.K. can watch on Amazon Prime's live stream. 

       

Predictions

Daniil Medvedev vs. Grigor Dimitrov

Medvedev has claimed the role of villain to this point of the U.S. Open, and the 23-year-old is thriving off of controversy.

In the third round, Medvedev thanked the crowd for their hostility during his win over Feliciano Lopez, per CBS Sports: 

"Thank you all, guys, because your energy tonight give me the win. Because if you were not here, guys, I would probably lose the match because I was so tired. I was cramping yesterday. It was so tough on me to play. So I want all of you to know, when you sleep tonight, I won because of you.

"The only thing I can say that the energy you're giving me right now, guys, I think it will be enough for my five next matches. I mean, the more you do this, the more I will win, for you guys." 

In his next match against Dominik Koepfer, Medvedev quite literally basked in the boos:

All of which is to say, it will take something special for Dimitrov to shake Medvedev off his game. However, after surviving a heavily pro-Federer crowd, Dimitrov will find himself in a much more favorable position as a crowd favorite. 

From a tennis perspective, the two have met twice in the past, and both instances came in 2017. Dimitrov beat Medvedev in the quarterfinals of the Queen's Club Championships, and Medvedev evened their head-to-head series in Washington D.C. during the round of 16 at the Citi Open.

Medvedev is the first Russian man to advance to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since 2010, and his arrival to this stage hasn't happened in a vacuum. Over the last six weeks, he has gone 19-2, and he has a circuit-best 49 won matches in 2019, according to ATP Tour. 

On the flip side, Dimitrov had lost six of seven matches dating back to June heading into Flushing Meadows. Notably, because Medvedev is fresh off beating Wawrinka, Dimitrov has fallen to the Swiss in all three of their matchups in 2019.

Even more notable, Dimitrov has been dealing with a restrictive shoulder injury since last December. 

If Dimitrov wants to counter Medvedev's momentum, he will have to look more like his former world No. 3 ranking than his current No. 78.

He looked more like the former against Federer: 

Given that quarterfinal match went three hours and 12 minutes, Dimitrov's shoulder will be worth keeping an eye on. 

        

Rafael Nadal vs. Matteo Berrettini

The expectation is for Nadal to cruise through the remainder of the men's draw to earn his 19th Grand Slam title and first at the U.S. Open since 2017. 

Nadal is the most decorated man left in the competition, by far, and he has bolstered his case with absurd athleticism like this:

If the net can't keep Nadal down, how will Berrettini? Friday will be the first meeting between the two and the Italian's first career U.S. Open semifinals appearance.

Berrettini showed plenty of fight across his three-hour, 56-minute contest with Monfils. After dropping the first set, he won the next two and outlasted Monfils 7-6 (5) in the deciding fifth set:

Having to face Nadal after such a grueling match—and his most impressive Grand Slam win to date—will be daunting, but Berrettini does hold some advantages. Throughout this year's tournament, the 23-year-old edges Nadal in aces (66-26), break points (60-48), forehand winners (111-55) and backhand winners (33-18), per ATP Tour. 

"For sure, my forehand is my best weapon," Berrettini told ATP Tour's Andrew Eichenholz.

However, Nadal has only committed 122 unforced errors compared to Berrettini's 248, which illustrates the 33-year-old Spaniard's overwhelming poise. Ultimately, it's that poise earned over 18 years of experience since turning pro that figures to be too much for Berrettini to overcome.   

Rafael Nadal Defeats Diego Schwartzman to Advance to 2019 US Open Semifinals

Sep 5, 2019
Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts to a point while playing Diego Schwartzman of Argentina during their Quarter-finals Men's Singles match at the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 4, 2019. (Photo by Don Emmert / AFP) (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts to a point while playing Diego Schwartzman of Argentina during their Quarter-finals Men's Singles match at the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 4, 2019. (Photo by Don Emmert / AFP) (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)

No. 2 Rafael Nadal advanced to the U.S. Open semifinals with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 win over No. 20 Diego Schwartzman in New York on Wednesday.

Nadal took advantage of his break-point opportunities, winning 7-of-13 compared to Schwartzman's 4-of-10. He also won 70 percent of his first-serve points versus Schwartzman's 58 percent.

A dominant performance at the net served Nadal well, as he outscored Schwartzman 15-8 there.

The match proved far tougher for Nadal than the score might suggest, as Schwartzman showed incredible resolve in the first two sets.

The Argentinian was down a double break in both sets but overcame a four-game deficit each time to tie the set. A 4-0 score became 4-4 in the first, and a 5-1 edge quickly turned to 5-5 in the second.

This second-set point symbolized Schwartzman's fight throughout the match, and he also won over some fans in the process:

The 5'7", 141-pound Schwartzman also hit the ball hard for someone his size, as tennis commentator David Law tweeted:

https://twitter.com/DavidLawTennis/status/1169459834628034562

Jose Margado of the Diario Record noted that Schwartzman's body language wasn't reminiscent of someone whose tournament fate hung in the balance:

Nadal broke Schwartzman in the first set to win 6-4 and then did so again in the second set for a 7-5 advantage.

The Spaniard cruised from that point forward, as he broke Schwartzman twice in the third set for a 6-2 win.

Nadal moved to 8-0 lifetime against Schwartzman, who has only taken two sets off the left-hander in their matchups.

The 27-year-old Schwartzman has now reached the quarterfinal of a major in three consecutive years, having done so at the 2017 U.S. Open and 2018 French Open.

Nadal, the draw's top-ranked player remaining, will now face No. 24 Matteo Berrettini in the semifinals on Friday. The 23-year-old Berrettini won a five-set thriller over No. 13 Gael Monfils to reach his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal.

The 33-year-old Nadal, who is searching for his 19th major title and fourth U.S. Open, has never faced Berrettini.

No. 5 Daniil Medvedev will take on unseeded Grigor Dimitrov in the other half of the bracket.

The semifinal matches will begin at 4 p.m. ET on Friday, and the final will be held Sunday at 4 p.m.

US Open Tennis 2019 Men's Semifinal: TV Schedule, Start Time, Live Stream

Sep 5, 2019

The 2019 U.S. Open continued Wednesday, with two more players securing spots in the semifinals.

Grigor Dimitrov and Daniil Medvedev had already advanced with quarterfinal victories Tuesday. On Wednesday, Matteo Berrettini and Rafael Nadal joined them in the final four.

Below is a look at everything you need to know for the semifinals.

     

2019 U.S. Open Semifinals Schedule—Friday

Grigor Dimitrov and No. 5 Daniil Medvedev

Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

     

No. 24 Matteo Berrettini vs. No. 2 Rafael Nadal

Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

     

Grigor Dimitrov and No. 5 Daniil Medvedev

Dimitrov may have gotten his first-ever victory over Roger Federer on Tuesday, but his work in Flushing Meadows, New York, is far from done.

After having gone 0-7 against Federer in their previous meetings, Dimitrov managed to fight back from being a set down on two separate occasions to upset the five-time U.S. Open champ in five sets.

Medvedev, on the other hand, is coming off a four-set victory over No. 23 Stan Wawrinka. Through the first five rounds of the tournament, the 23-year-old has not dropped more than one set to any opponent.

This marks the furthest either has made it in a major tournament. Dimitrov will be appearing in the semifinals of a major tournament for the third time in his career, previously doing so at Wimbledon in 2014 and at the Australian Open in 2017. Medvedev, meanwhile, has never reached this stage in any of the four Grand Slams.

Dimitrov and Medvedev have split their only two meetings, with both matches coming in 2017.

     

No. 24 Matteo Berrettini vs. No. 2 Rafael Nadal

Nadal's bid for a fourth U.S. Open title and a 19th major title is still alive.

The 33-year-old took care of business in three sets against No. 20 Diego Schwartzman in the quarterfinals. Entering the match, he had dropped just a single set all tournament.

Nadal will now attempt to reach his third Grand Slam final of the year. The only major tournament he has not reached the championship match this year was Wimbledon, which saw him bow out in the semifinals.

Berrettini is coming off a hard-fought victory against Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals. He won two of the first three sets, but Monfils managed to force a winner-take-all fifth set. The fifth set required a tiebreaker, with Berrettini eventually prevailing, 7-5.

After a nearly four-hour match, the 23-year-old victor couldn't help but fall to the ground following the clinching point:

He will now have two days to try to recover before he faces off against an 18-time Grand Slam champ. Berrettini will be playing for his first-ever spot in a major championship match.

This will be the first meeting between Nadal and Berrettini.

US Open Tennis 2019: Wednesday Night Draw TV Schedule, Start Times and Picks

Sep 4, 2019
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 02: Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a shot during his fourth round Men's Singles match against Marin Cilic of Croatia on day eightof the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 02, 2019 in Queens borough in New York City. (Photo by Chaz Niell/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 02: Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a shot during his fourth round Men's Singles match against Marin Cilic of Croatia on day eightof the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 02, 2019 in Queens borough in New York City. (Photo by Chaz Niell/Getty Images)

Rafael Nadal can book a place in the last four of the 2019 U.S. Open by beating Diego Schwartzman in the quarter-final at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City on Wednesday night.

Nadal is arguably the leading contender to win the men's title after reigning champion Novak Djokovic was forced to withdraw on Monday thanks to a shoulder injury.

The women's bracket will see 15th seed Bianca Andreescu take on Belgium's Elise Mertens in the last eight. Belinda Bencic awaits the winner in the semi-final after beating Donna Vekic 7-6(5), 6-3 on Wednesday, with Serena Williams set to face Elina Svitolina in the other side of the draw.

Wednesday Night Draw and Picks

Men's Singles

  • (20) Diego Schwartzman vs. (2) Rafael Nadal: 7 p.m. ET/12 a.m. BST (Thursday) (Nadal)

Women's Singles

  • (15) Bianca Andreescu vs. (25) Elise Mertens: 7 p.m. ET/12 a.m. BST (Thursday) (Mertens)

Visit the U.S. Open website to see the draw in full

TV Schedule

  • 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET/12 a.m. to 4 a.m. BST: ESPN

Visit the U.S. Open website for a full TV schedule.

The 2019 U.S. Open will not be broadcast on television in the United Kingdom, although Amazon Prime will provide live-stream coverage of the tournament.

Djokovic retiring from the tournament isn't the only reason to back Nadal to take the big prize. Roger Federer has also been sent packing, after the world No. 3 was beaten by Grigor Dimitrov on Tuesday.

Federer lost in five sets, clearing the path for Nadal to boss the rest of the bracket. The Spaniard has won 61 times in this competition over the years, with his latest a four-set beatdown of Marin Cilic:

Another factor in Nadal's favour is the relative strength of the draw compared to the 33-year-old. Beating Schwartzman will set up a semi-final match against either Gael Monfils or Italian Matteo Berrettini.

The winner would meet either Dimitrov or Daniil Medvedev in the final. It's not a foregone conclusion, but Nadal's Grand Slam experience and natural talent should see him through to a fourth title.

Andreescu will be many people's pick to get past Mertens. The Canadian has been in exceptional form, beating Taylor Townsend and Caroline Wozniacki in the last two rounds.

A powerful and varied return game has defined Andreescu's progress:

Still just 19, Andreescu has been building momentum. She's also been learning how to stay focused and hold her nerve when the crowd is against her:

However, as good as Andreescu has been, Mertens is yet to lose a set. She hasn't faced a seed up until now, though, so Andreescu could end the run.

Even so, Mertens is capable of disrupting Andreescu's power game. It will require continuing to boss the breaks.

Mertens has converted 10 break points in her last two matches, and if she wrecks the Andreescu serve early, the Belgian will reach a first singles grand slam semi-final since the 2018 Australian Open.

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