US Open Tennis 2021: TV Schedule and Wednesday’s Afternoon Draw Predictions

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Four singles players punched their tickets to the semifinals of the 2021 U.S. Open Tuesday. No. 2-seeded Daniil Medvedev and No. 12 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced on the men’s side, while No. 2-seeded Aryna Sabalenka and unseeded Leylah Fernandez progressed in the women’s tournament.

Fernandez is the most surprising of those four semifinalists. The 19-year-old has defeated No. 3 Naomi Osaka, No. 16 Angelique Kerber and No. 5 Elina Svitolina in the past three rounds, making her second appearance at the U.S. Open one to remember.

Before these four play their next match, four more semifinalists need to be decided. And that will happen Wednesday, when quarterfinal play concludes at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City.

Could there be more surprises on the way, or will the favorites prevail? 

U.S. Open coverage will air from noon-6 p.m. ET on ESPN on Wednesday, then will resume from 7-11 p.m. ET on ESPN. 

Here’s a closer look at the first two matches that will be taking place Wednesday afternoon at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

No. 11 Belinda Bencic vs. Emma Raducanu, noon ET

It’s possible the women’s singles semifinals could feature two unseeded participants, but Emma Raducanu will need to notch her biggest victory of the tournament to make it happen.

Belinda Bencic has been playing some of her best tennis of late, having won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and now reaching the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the third time in her career. And during this run, she’s won each of her first four matches in straight sets.

In the round of 16, the 24-year-old notched her most impressive victory in the tournament to this point, defeating No. 7 seed Iga Swiatek 7-6 (14-12), 6-3. She capitalized on the momentum she gained from winning that long first-set tiebreaker to take care of business in the second set.

“It was important. It was very important the first set,” the Swiss player said, per Steve Tignor of Tennis.com. “It’s mentally important because you know when you lose a set like this, it’s very frustrating.”

Fortunately for Bencic, she didn’t lose it. And now, she’ll take on Raducanu who also hasn’t dropped a set over her first four wins at the U.S. Open.

However, the 18-year-old British player has yet to face a seeded opponent. So she hasn’t quite faced the challenges that Bencic has to make it to this point. That could make a difference when the two go head-to-head.

While Raducanu has played well, it’s going to be tough for her to keep up with Bencic, especially when she is playing this well. Expect the Swiss star to control this match from the start and advance to the U.S. Open semifinals for the second time in three years.

Prediction: Bencic wins in straight sets

No. 4 Alexander Zverev vs. Lloyd Harris

Alexander Zverev is one of the few players who can likely prevent Novak Djokovic from winning this tournament. The 24-year-old made the U.S. Open finals last year (the first time he had made it that far at a Grand Slam), and he could be on his way back there this year.

Before looking too far down the line, the German must avoid an upset by Lloyd Harris, who is the only unseeded men’s singles player remaining in the tournament. If there’s going to be a huge surprise story, it’s going to have to come from the South African.

The 24-year-old has made an impressive run, with three of his first four wins coming against seeded opponents. He even defeated No. 7 Denis Shapovalov in straight sets in the third round. So he’s capable of pulling off upsets and has already made it further than he has at a major tournament before.

But Zverev is at a different level from the other players Harris has faced. Not only that, but he has been on a roll of late, having won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and then also winning the Western & Southern Open.

Currently on a 15-match winning streak, Zverev hasn’t lost since the fourth round at Wimbledon in June.

“My serve is kind of the key to my game. When it’s working, I’m playing great. When it’s not, I’m losing matches like I did at Wimbledon,” he said, per the ATP Tour. “I think it’s no secret that my serve is probably the most important shot in my game, and I’m happy with how it’s working.”

It’s likely Zverev’s serve will keep working against Harris, and that will lead him back to the semifinals of the U.S. Open.

Prediction: Zverev wins in straight sets