Ben Shelton will get night-session treatment in Arthur Ashe Stadium for the second time on Friday, when he faces Denis Shapovalov in the third round. Jiri Lehecka and Stefanos Tsitsipas also headline a jam-packed order of play.
(8) Ben Shelton vs. Denis Shapovalov
Shelton and Shapovalov will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers when they clash in round three of the U.S. Open on Friday night. All four of their previous meetings have gone Shelton’s way; in five sets at Wimbledon in 2024, by default a few weeks later in Washington, D.C. (Shelton was one point away from a straight-set victory when Shapovalov cursed at a fan), in straight sets that fall in Shanghai, and in a third-set tiebreaker earlier this year on the indoor hard courts of Dallas.
There is no reason to think that Shapovalov is about to turn the tide in what amounts to a home match for his opponent. Shelton has become a mainstay in Arthur Ashe Stadium and thrives on the crowd support and the general atmosphere. A 2023 U.S. Open semifinalist, the ninth-ranked American looks well on his way to another strong result at Flushing Meadows with wins so far at the expense of Tallon Griekspoor and Hubert Hurkacz. Shapovalov did well to defeat Miomir Kecmanovic and Luca Van Asshe earlier this week, but the Canadian lefty looked shaky at best while trying to close out Van Assche from two breaks up in the third set on Wednesday. Although Shapovalov is playing well enough to snag a set (like Griekspoor and Hurkacz), Shelton’s dominance over him should continue.
Pick: Shelton in 4
(18) Jiri Lehecka vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas
Even when Tsitsipas was playing the best tennis of his career, he never did anything at the U.S. Open. Now that he is far below his level of old, the 53rd-ranked Greek is suddenly poised for his best-ever result in New York — that is if he wins one more match on Friday. Tsitsipas is rounding into form nicely this summer, with a title on the red clay of Gstaad and victories this fortnight over Arthur Fils and Lloyd Harris. The 28-year-old has now advanced at least one round in seven of his last eight tournaments.
Up next for Tsitsipas is fifth showdown against Lehecka, with the head-to-head series all tied up 2-2 — and 1-1 on outdoor hard courts. They have not faced each other since 2024, when Lehecka prevailed in Indian Wells and Antwerp. Tsitsipas dominated their only previous Grand Slam meeting 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-4 at the 2023 Australian Open. And that is where you can find the biggest difference between these two competitors. Tsitsipas has reached at least the quarters of eight Grand Slams; Lehecka has made it to the quarters twice and has never passed that stage. The 19th-ranked Czech opened with routine defeats of Pablo Carreno Busta and Toby Samuel, but he now runs into a more dangerous opponent who is finally playing with some confidence again.
Pick: Tsitsipas in 5