US Open predictions & tennis betting tips: British heroine may meet her match

Free tennis tips, best bets and analysis for day ten of the US Open at Flushing Meadows in New York City.

Where to watch

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Best bets

Belinda Bencic to beat Emma Raducanu
2pts 4-6 general

Over 3.5 sets in Novak Djokovic v Matteo Berrettini
1pt Evs BoyleSports

Over 33.5 games in Alexander Zverev v Lloyd Harris
1pt 4-6 BoyleSports

Karolina Pliskova to beat Maria Sakkari
1pt 8-11 general

Emma Raducanu v Belinda Bencic

It's day two of the US Open quarter-finals and in the blink of a eye Emma Raducanu will become British number one if she upsets Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic in their last-eight rumble today.

Orpington-based 18-year-old Raducanu, who was born in Canada, has still not had a match point against her in a Grand Slam tournament – she retired early in her last-16 clash with Ajla Tomljanovic due to breathing difficulties – and says she is playing better in New York City than in London this summer.

It's phenomenal stuff from the British qualifier, who has carved her way into the last eight at Flushing Meadows without dropping a set in seven matches in total.

However, Bencic has also needed only eight main-draw sets to reach this stage and while Raducanu's chance is respected, the fact that the confident Bencic, who has long been one of the sport's finest talents, is now producing the best tennis of her career suggests that the Raducanu's remarkable run is set to come to an end.

Novak Djokovic v Matteo Berrettini

It feels like Novak Djokovic has been testing himself by losing the opening sets in his New York City outings against Kei Nishikori and Jenson Brooksby.

He also dropped a set in his opener against Holger Rune, so punters should be thinking twice before siding with the world number one to win in straight sets.

The top seed's next opponent is Matteo Berrettini, who Djokovic beat in four sets in the Wimbledon final in July.

And while Berrettini may not be playing at his absolute peak, the fact that he reached the semi-finals in Flushing Meadows in 2019 entitles him to respect, even against the best player in the sport's history.

And while Berrettini may not be performing at his peak, the same may be said of Djokovic so backing the clash to last for over 3.5 sets could be prudent.

Alexander Zverev v Lloyd Harris

Lloyd Harris has been playing some fine tennis and there are some who believe the South African could even go on to join the ranks of Slam champions this weekend.

He has fully deserved his fine run in the Big Apple, but in the last eight Harris meets the world's most in-form player in Alexander Zverev and punters face the difficult task of trying to work out how much damage the outsider could cause the favourite.

Zverev is a master at hammering lesser opponents, but Harris is no meek performer and may be capable of giving the fourth seed a decent test.

Jack Sock won a set against Zverev in round three and Jannik Sinner ensured the sets were close against the German, but Harris has already seen off Olympic silver medallist Karen Khachanov and Denis Shapovalov, the latter in straight sets.

Olympic gold medallist and Cincinnati Masters champion Zverev, unbeaten since Wimbledon in July, may finally be feeling the pace a little after his long winning run so the fresher Harris could help to push the total games tally over 33.5.

Karolina Pliskova v Maria Sakkari

Maria Sakkari's reward for overcoming Bianca Andreescu is a date with Karolina Pliskova but while the Greek battler continues to impress in the top ranks, she's up against an opponent who must surely be close to getting the WTA Tour's player of the year award.

It has been a constant stream of brilliance from Pliskova this year – in victory and in defeat – and while Sakkari tested the Czech, it may not be any tougher than the fourth seed's second-round outing, when she edged out Amanda Anisimova in one of the matches of the season.

Both women have posted some fine wins on the path to the quarter-finals, Pliskova over Caty McNally, Tomljanovic and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Sakkari against Marta Kostyuk, Katerina Siniakova and Petra Kvitova.

It's a shame that one will have to exit the singles stage, but Pliskova is difficult to defeat and the likelier one to have to make way is Sakkari.

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