The 2024 U.S. Open, Day 8: Chopping them down. With Jessica Pegula, Alex de Minaur, Iga Swiatek, and Jannik Sinner .

Iga Swiatek over Liudmila Samsonova
Is it possible that the Russian Samsonova will play fantastically and stun over No. 1 Swiatek? Probably not, but Samsonova can sit inside the box and rally forever. She won the Netherlands this year, but other than that, she did not go deep enough. Samsonova is somewhat consistent, but she can also miss the ball too much.
Swiatek has lost here and there, but she also wins a huge amount. She is so strong, and she can also attach all the time. She knows when to put it away and rarely backs off. Swiatek is feeling very good and will win it in two easy sets.
Alex de Minaur over Jordan Thompson
The Aussies haven’t played each other since 2022, on the hardcourts in Miami, and de Minaur won it in two sets. He has beaten him four times, and he only lost one, so clearly, de Minaur is a better player. Veteran Thompson has won some fine matches, especially on the hardcourts, but he has yet to be ranked in the top 25. Maybe he will, or maybe not.
De Minaur had a solid season in 2024, and he beat some very good people, chopping them down. He is motivated and likes to rally until he can try to explode and put it away. He will do it when de Minaur takes it in four long sets.
Jannik Sinner over Tommy Paul
This is somewhat fascinating, as the No. 1 Sinner has beaten him twice, on the clay and the hardcourts, and Paul beat him on the grass. While they haven’t played each other so much, knowing which way to go was very important. They both can rally in the back and hit it down the line or crosscourt. They can also mix it up and try to fool them. Their first serves are quite good, but the Italians can throw it with big aces. The American Paul has improved so much over the past two years, but so has Sinner, who won the 2024 Aussie Open. Plus, he just won Cincinnati. Sinner is almost on the top to win another gigantic tournament. However, this week, he still has a long way to take it. Regardless, Sinner will win it in five wild sets.
Jessica Pegula over Diana Shnaider
The American is still going, not pushing around, but trying to be more aggressive and nail it in the lines. Over the past six weeks, Pegula began to find out where to go and bring it back. She truly knows where she can drive it, very deep. Pegula has never won a Grand Slam yet, but she has come into the quarterfinals to beat most people. However, that doesn’t mean she can fold during the critical matches.
Shnaider is super young, only 20 years old, so clearly, she is rising fast. She likes to try to bash the ball, especially with her terrific backhand, as she is also darn fast. Yes, the Russian has won several matches, winning three titles in 2024, taking Thailand, France, and Germany. Not the biggest ones, but important ones. It will take her a couple of years to understand what she does, but she is currently ranked No. 20, so she is already phenomenal. However, they did play each other, and Pegula beat Shnaider 6-3, 6-4 in the semis in Toronto on the hardcourts. Pegula will do it again; this time, she will grab it in three terrific sets.