US Open quarters: Swiss sensations Federer and Wawrinka in action
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Flushing Meadows is all set for the business end of another US Open with elite men and women tennis pros taking centre stage in ‘The Big Apple’.
New York highlights on Wednesday night/Thursday morning UK time are Swiss pair Roger Federer (2/1 tournament second-favourite with Coral) and reigning French Open champ Stan Wawrinka (8/1 to add a third Grand Slam to his collection) playing Richard Gasquet and Kevin Anderson respectively.
All-time Grand Slam great Federer has lost just two matches to French foe Gasquet, both on clay, and holds a 100 per cent record at the majors, so it’s little wonder he’s overwhelmingly odds-on 1/9 favourite for another victory here.
It’s tough to make a case for Gasquet, a rank 11/2 match outsider, especially as he’s had trouble reaching the quarters. Nearly slumping to a first round exit against Thanasi Kokkinakis, he also came from a set down to beat both Robin Haase and Tomas Berdych in the last 64 and 16. A straight sets result in Federer’s favour enhances his price to 4/6, and looks a sure-fire bet.
Worryingly for late-blooming Swiss number two Wawrinka, a moniker that grates on him, he has lost each of the last four fixtures against Anderson, who knocked Andy Murray out in round four. This makes the rangy South African well worth considering at 11/10 for another win here.
It is their first-ever Grand Slam meeting, however, and Wawrinka has certainly performed better on the grandest stages in tennis. Nonetheless, an odds-on 8/11 price for victory does seem a little short given his recent inability to defeat thorny foe Anderson.
This encounter is set up to potentially be a classic with five of the last six sets played by this pair going to a tiebreak, which makes odds of 6/4 for the opener to go all the way very tempting indeed, as each of the last four have ended this way with Anderson taking two first sets at this year’s US Open in such fashion already.
Coral’s top tip: Back Anderson at a fabulous 5/1 to edge Wawrinka with a 3-2 win.
