Ricky’s picks for Day 3 of the U.S. Open, including Fritz vs. Berrettini

It was a marathon order of play at the U.S. Open on Tuesday, complete with the longest match in tournament history. But there is no rest for the weary, and we do it all again as second-round action begins on Wednesday. The schedule includes a showdown between Taylor Fritz and Matteo Berrettini.

Here are my previews and picks for two of Wednesday’s best matchups.

Matteo Berrettini vs. (12) Taylor Fritz

Nobody wants to run into Berrettini in the early rounds. However, someone was always going to get bad news from the U.S. Open draw and on Wednesday that someone is Fritz. Due in part to an ankle injury last summer at the U.S. Open that kept Berrettini out for the remainder of the year, he is down at 44th in the world and therefore unseeded in NYC. That makes him the most dangerous “unseeded floater” in the bracket. Berrettini, a former semifinalist in Flushing Meadows, recently went on a 10-match winning streak during which he secured back-to-back clay-court titles in Gstaad and Kitzbuhel. He played only one hard-court warmup tournament and lost in the Cincinnati opening round to Holger Rune, but the Italian crushed Albert Ramos-Vinolas on Monday.

This is, of course, also a rough draw for Berrettini. After all, Fritz is No. 12 in the world and boasts a 39-16 match record in 2024 after posting a 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 win over Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the first round. Moreover, the American is 3-0 all time in the head-to-head series against Berrettini, getting the job done once on indoor hard courts (2019 Davis Cup) and twice outdoors (2021 Indian Wells, 2023 United Cup) while losing just one set in the process. This should be a fun one, but Fritz can be expected to have the edge.

Pick: Fritz in 5

(8) Casper Ruud vs. Gael Monfils

Ruud and Monfils will be facing each other for the third time in their careers. They split their first two encounters and each one required a final set. Monfils came out on top 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 on the red clay of Quito in 2018 before Ruud prevailed 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 at the 2024 Indian Wells Masters.

That recent result is actually an encouraging one for Monfils, since Indian Wells plays almost like clay. On a relatively fast surface in NYC, an in-form Monfils has a real chance to score an upset. The 37-year-old has played well at the USO throughout his career and he pulled off a stunner against Carlos Alcaraz just two weeks ago at the Cincinnati Masters. Meanwhile, Ruud has cooled off since a hot start to his season. Monfils looked good in a four-set victory over Diego Schwartzman on Monday; don’t be surprised if the Frenchman continues to make a run.

Pick: Monfils in 4

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.