Day 3 of the US Open brought more Serena magic as the soon-to-be 41-year-old rose to the occasion to knock off World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit in true GOAT-like fashion. After finally showing her age in recent weeks, Williams seems to be pulling it all together for one final farewell, and tennis fans are eating it up.
Other women’s highlights of the day saw Coco Gauff cruise to the third round in straight sets, while last year’s finalist, Leylah Fernandez, fell to 23-year-old Russian Liudmila Samsonova.
The men’s side saw World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev march on in straight sets against France’s Arthur Rinderkneck, continuing his bid to repeat. Meanwhile, Andy Murray and Nick Kyrgios advanced after taking care of their opponents in four sets each.
Let’s take a look at some of today’s best matches, odds, and picks.
U.S. Open Day 4 Betting Odds and Picks for Sept. 1
Head to any of the leading NY sports betting apps to place your wagers on exciting Day 4 action.
Iga Swiatek vs. Sloane Stephens – 12 p.m. ET
- FanDuel NY (Swiatek -650, Stephens +460)
- DraftKings NY (Swiatek -575, Stephens +425)
- BetMGM NY (Swiatek -455, Stephens +320)
- Caesars NY (Swiatek -700, Stephens +450)
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek wasted little time dismantling Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-0 in just over an hour in round one on Monday. She should be well-rested for what should be a more challenging contest against American Sloane Stephens, who advanced after taking care of Greet Minnen 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Stephens is looking to advance to the third round in the US Open in back-to-back years after beating Coco Gauff in the second round last September. She’ll have her hands full with Swiatek, who had 37 straight victories earlier this season, including a French Open championship.
Swiatek has come back down to earth as of late (5-4 in her last nine matches), but the Polish phenom looked sharp in the opening round and will look to build on that in round two. On the other side, Stephens has seven career titles, including a US Open championship in 2017. With Stephens’ pedigree and Swiatek’s recent “struggles,” there is some value in taking Stephens on the moneyline here.
If a moneyline isn’t your style, FanDuel has a few other interesting options that might be more intriguing.
- Swiatek wins 2-0: (-200)
- Both Players to win a Set: Yes (+194), No (-270)
- 6-0 set in Match: Yes (+500), No (-950)
Fabio Fognini vs. Rafael Nadal – 7 p.m. ET
- FanDuel NY (Fognini +980, Nadal -1800)
- DraftKings NY (Fognini +800, Nadal -1600)
- BetMGM NY (Fognini +575, Nadal -1000)
- Caesars NY (Fognini +900, Nadal -2000)
It was a shaky start for Rafael Nadal in round one, but who can blame him? The 22-time Grand Slam champion has only played one match since withdrawing from Wimbledon with a torn abdominal muscle and is playing in his first US Open in three years.
Still, the Spaniard took care of business with a four-set victory over unseeded Rinky Hijikata. The competition will stiffen in the second round as Nadal gets set to take on Italian Fabio Fognini. Nadal and Fognini are no strangers, having faced 17 times throughout their careers, with Rafa owning the series 13-4.
However, it’s worth noting that Fognini rallied from two sets down to oust Nadal at the 2015 US Open. Nadal is deservedly the heavy favorite here, but this match could be tighter than advertised.
Here are a few more options from FanDuel to get some skin in the game.
- Total Match Games 29.5: Over (-130), Under (-125)
- Match and both players to win a Set: Fognini (+820), Nadal (+170)
- 6-0 set in Match: Yes (+300), No (-450)
Other Top Matches for US Open Day 4 Odds
If you’d prefer to bet on a match with more competitive odds, there are a few contests that could be right up your alley. American Brandon Nakashima will be squaring off against 19th-ranked Grigor Dimitrov in what should be a fantastic outing.
Both players are coming off straight-set victories in the first round, so confidence should be high on both ends. Nakashima exited in the second round of the 2020 and 2021 US Open. Is the third time a charm to advance to round three?
On the women’s side, Danielle Collins gutted out a two-set victory against US Open legend Naomi Osaka. The 28-year-old Floridian reached the Australian Open final earlier this year and will look to make quick work of the 119th-ranked Bucsa. The -280 is bordering on lock, and the straight-set bet seems inviting.
Finally, 4th-seed Spaniard Paula Badosa will lock horns with Petra Martic of Croatia. Badosa looked shaky at times in the first round but prevailed in three sets against Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko.
Meanwhile, Martic took just two sets to take care of 22-year-old Russian Varvara Gracheva. This one could go the distance, and the value bet lies with Martic.
Odds from Caesars sportsbook:
- Grigor Dimitrov (-145) vs. Brandon Nakashima (+115)
- Cristina Bucsa (+210) vs. Danielle Collins (-280)
- Paula Badosa (-230) vs. Petra Martic (+175)
Yesterday’s Biggest Upsets
It feels weird to say it, but one of yesterday’s biggest upsets came at the hands of Serena Williams. Williams was a +205 underdog against Kontaveit but took care of the second-ranked player 7-6, 2-6, 6-2. Just another reminder to never bet against the Queen.
Meanwhile, on the men’s side, sixth-ranked Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime (-280) was toppled by upstart Brit Jack Draper (+220). It was a disappointing loss for the Canuck, who was looking to improve on last year’s semi-final finish. Draper has been rising through the ranks quickly and could be a good option for a dark horse this year.
AP Photo/John Minchillo
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