The men’s draw is out! Unlike previous years, where the juiciest of matchups would happen in the later rounds, it seems as though this US Open will have some of the best matchups in the third, fourth and quarterfinals of the tournament. The reason is due to there being some heavy hitters such as Cilic and Raonic who are lurking in the draw as low seeds. This is not good news for higher seeds that will have to encounter them early on. Here are the four of the most exciting potential matchups at the Open this year.

Quarters: (5) Zverev vs (4) Tsitsipas: this will be a battle for next gen supremacy. Expect both these players to make it through into the quarters. However, once in the quarters, these two tall and lanky guys, whom many predict will be the future of men’s tennis, will come at each other with everything they got. I expect a five-set thriller. Zverev will have to get through some tough early round matches though, like Kevin Anderson in the first round, something he seems to struggle with at every Grand Slam.

Fourth Round: (1) Djokovic vs (16) Isner: Djokovic will come into this match as a heavy favorite. Isner will not care and will serve lights out. Expect most sets to end in a tiebreak. If Isner can hold serve and get a few points on Djokovic during the tie breaks, he’s got a good chance to knock him out. If he serves below exceptional, Isner will go home in three straight sets. I expect Isner to put up a big fight on home ground.

Third Round: (31) Marin Cilic vs. (2) Dominic Thiem: Thiem has a tendency to bow out early in hard courts. With the exception of the Australian Open this year, his record on hard courts is pretty dismal. In the second round of the Cincinnati Masters, he was pretty much humiliated by journeyman Serb, Krajinovic, 6-2, 6-1. That is not the kind of preparation he was looking for as he heads to the US Open. To add insult to injury, he now faces a potential third round match up with former 2014 US Open Champion Marin Cilic, who will give Dominic everything he can handle. Expect a tough hard-hitting battle, with Thiem coming out on top.

Third Round: (8) Bautista Agut vs. (25) Milos Raonic: Even if Thiem gets through a tough potential matchup with Marin Cilic, the two most impressive players in Cincinnati this week may await. Raonic and Bautista Agut have put on a tennis clinic at Cincinnati thus far, and if their form continues into the US Open, there’s no reason why the winner of this potential matchup is not in the US Open Final. Many people have already seen the draw and predict a Raonic vs. Djokovic final. If Raonic is to make the final, he’ll need to go through a tough Bautista Agut.

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