Second-round competition at the U.S. Open continues on Thursday, and the schedule includes a showdown between Learner Tien and Gael Monfils. Felix Auger-Aliassime also has a tough matchup on his hands against Karen Khachanov.
(WC) Gael Monfils vs. (14) Learner Tien
Vintage Gael Monfils was on display in the first round of what is his final U.S. Open. Celebrating his 40th birthday, Monfils recovered from a slow start against Adolfo Daniel Vallejo to dominate the last three sets and prevail 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. It was just the Frenchman’s second win of the hard-court summer, having previously lost in the Montreal second round and the Cincinnati first round.
It will be a rematch of that Montreal loss when Monfils once again runs into Tien on Thursday. Their first meeting was high on entertainment, with Tien surviving a roller-coaster ride 6-3, 0-6, 6-3. The 20-year-old American has been outstanding pretty much this entire season while climbing to No. 15 in the world, and he destroyed an in-form Nuno Borges 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 on Monday. This could be the most fun match of the entire second round, but it just feels Monfils emptied the tank on his 40th birthday for one last memorable U.S. Open win. Now he faces an on-fire opponent who is going to run him all over the court with precision groundstrokes. Look for Tien to get through a couple of wildly entertaining sets before pulling away.
Pick: Tien in 3
(3) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Karen Khachanov
Auger-Aliassime and Khachanov will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers on Thursday. The head-to-head series could not be more competitive, as it is all tied up 2-2 overall — including 1-1 on hard courts and 1-1 on grass. Three of their first four contests required a final set, and the only one that didn’t was a close 7-6(5), 6-4 decision in the Canadian’s favor at the 2022 ‘s-Hertogenbosch tournament. The bottom line is that not once have they ever played a lopsided match against each other.
This one figures to be no different. Auger-Aliassime is a clear favorite because he is the No. 4 player in the world and Khachanov has struggled this year, but the Russian — who destroyed Roman Andres Burruchaga in round one — cannot be discounted in New York. He is a former semifinalist (2022) and also made history by playing the tournament’s longest-ever match against Dan Evans in 2024 (five hours and 35 minutes). Playing just his fourth match of the hard-court summer, Auger-Aliassime battled past Rinky Hijikata 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Monday night. The third seed should be expected to emerge victorious in another hard-fought scrap.
Pick: Auger-Aliassime in 4