US Open predictions & tennis betting tips: Evans faces tough examination

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

Where to watch

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Best bets

Alexei Popyrin +1.5 sets v Dan Evans
2pts 3-4 Coral, Ladbrokes

Garbine Muguruza to beat Victoria Azarenka
1pt Evs general

Peter Gojowczyk +1.5 sets v Henri Laaksonen
1pt 8-13 Coral, Ladbrokes

Preview

With so many seeds having bitten the dust early in New York City, the bottom half of the US Open men's singles draw is looking rather threadbare and seeds Daniel Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Diego Schwartzman could enjoy routine passage through to the second week at Flushing Meadows.

Of that trio, Tsitsipas, a first-round victor over Andy Murray, could be tested most by Spanish starlet Carlos Alcaraz, although the Greek is likely to have ideas of how to stop the fast-improving 18-year-old.

The lower half of the women's singles draw looks to be going pretty much to plan with most seeds having survived. Seeds Aryna Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina and Simona Halep could all have to dig deep to progress against talented opponents.

Alexei Popyrin v Dan Evans

British hopes in the men's singles rest with Dan Evans and the Birmingham bulldog has certainly turned up in New York in a more positive frame of mind than many of his fellow seeds.

Evans, seeded 24th, always held the upper hand against Alexei Popyrin, who he meets for a place in the last 16 in New York, when the pair met at the Queen's Club on grass this summer.

However, it may pay to give Popyrin another chance - this time they're competing on a hard court - because he's learned a lot since that London effort and he's a more progressive performer than Evans.

There was a lot to like about the way Popyrin bided his time - a new facet of his game - in his Flushing Meadows victories over Radu Albot and 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov.

Evans has done little wrong in silencing Thiago Monteiro and Marcus Giron in four-set outings, but his last-32 assignment is potentially tougher.

Punters can consider backing Popyrin to upset the Brit, but the fact that he's a nice price with a handicap start of 1.5 sets makes things especially palatable given that it's unlikely to be long before the Australian becomes the superior performer.

Victoria Azarenka v Garbine Muguruza

Last year's losing finalist Victoria Azarenka may be starting to up her level in the US Open, but unless the Belarusian is holding something back for her clash with Garbine Muguruza the Spaniard looks to hold the edge form-wise going into their third-round rumble.

Azarenka made heavy weather of defeating Jasmina Paolini 6-3 7-6 in round two at Flushing Meadows, whereas Muguruza's 6-4 6-2 triumph over Andrea Petkovic, winner in Cluj-Napoca last month, was an excellent result to go with her first-round edging of Donna Vekic.

It's 2-2 in their personal series - and that's one win apiece on hard and clay courts - but Muguruza looks to be playing better and, aged 27, is still open to more improvement than her opponent.

It's also possible that Azarenka may be past her best aged 32, while there's also a feeling that, like Novak Djokovic, she may have played better tennis in the Australian Open, where she won two singles titles, than the US Open, where she is a three-time finalist.

Henri Laaksonen v Peter Gojowczyk

This must be some of the best big-tournament tennis Henri Laaksonen has played in his career and after posting two fine upset wins over John Millman and 16th-seed Cristian Garin, the Swiss is not opposed lightly in his third-round clash with fellow qualifier Peter Gojowczyk.

Laaksonen is stepping up to the plate admirably with Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka missing the final Grand Slam of the season, but Gojowczyk is well respected for being a seriously handy performer when he hits form.

And considering the pair are of similar aptitude, it would not be a surprise to see the more experienced Gojowczyk dragging Laaksonen into a long, drawn-out affair.

It could be a close, tit-for-tat tussle and while Gojowczyk's chance is respected anyway, the fact the German, who has seen off 23rd-seed Ugo Humbert and Dusan Lajovic in the main draw, can be backed with a handicap start of 1.5 sets makes things even more appealing.

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