As we get deeper into this tournament, the intensity and level of play only continues to rise. With only four players and three matches remaining, we are almost ready to crown the 2022 Men’s US Open champion. Will it be one of Karen Khachanov (RUS), Casper Ruud (NOR), or Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)? Or will Frances Tiafoe be the first American-born player to win the tournament since Andy Roddick accomplished the feat in 2003?
The first of the two semifinal matches is a matchup between Karen Khachanov and Casper Ruud. Khachanov is the 27th ranked player in this tournament and has certainly taken advantage of the US Open missing some key participants such as Novak Djokovic, Alex Zverev, Reilly Opelka and Gael Monfils.
Khachanov played some of the best tennis of his career in his last match to beat Nick Kyrgios (AUS), who was heavily favored to win the tournament following his victory against world No. 1 Danil Medvedev, in a five-set thriller. This semifinal appearance is the best grand slam result of his career and propels Khachanov back inside the top-20 of the live ATP rankings. His combination of size and strength make it very difficult to defend against his serve, especially on hard courts, and this run has been a prime example of that. He had 30 aces while winning 77% of his first-serve points in the previous match against Kyrgios.
On the other hand, Casper Ruud took care of business in his last match without much trouble against Matteo Berrettini (ITA). There is a lot at stake for Ruud, who is in contention for the world No. 1 ranking following the loss of Medvedev. Typically, not known for his performance on hard courts, Ruud has fared well during the hard court season and is looking to keep it going. At only 23 years old, it is tough to find a more consistent player in the world than Casper Ruud and he is certainly deserving of contending for the No. 1 ranking.
Although it’s only his first semifinal slam appearance, Khachanov proved that the moment was not too big for him in his previous match. Ruud is as hungry and motivated as ever with not only the US Open championship on the line, but a chance at being the world’s top-ranked player. I expect Khachanov’s serve to create problems for Ruud and this should make for a highly-contested match that should go the distance. With that being said, I am confident this match will exceed 39.5 total games played.
My Pick: Karen Khachanov vs. Casper Ruud over 39.5 total games (-125 odds via Caesar’s Sportsbook)