Svetlana Kuznetsova (1.29) v Dominika Cibulkova (4.8) 16:10

Cibulkova beat Kuznetsova when they met at the start of the year but the Russian has won their other three meetings – all by six or more games – and was in terrible form for the first six months of this year.

Moreover, Kuznetsova is a two-time grand Slam champion including one title here, as well as being a finalist on another occasion. She’s won all of her 14 matches here since 2006 against non-seeds, with the last 13 of those wins coming by six or more games. Since 2009, she’s won 20 of 24 matches against players now ranked 26-50, and since Wimbledon she’s won all seven of her matches when shorter than 1.5 to win with six victories by five or more games.

Cibulkova is yet to face a seed and survived five match points against her in the second round. Moreover, she’s lost her last 11 matches against players currently in the top 25, including eight defeats by five or more games.

9-16 seeds have won 28/49 completed third and fourth round matches against non-seeds by five or more games here since 1997, including 24 of 36 when the unseeded player hadn’t had to beat a seed in the previous round.

Recommendation: Kuznetsova to win -4.5 games at 1.80, Betfair

Kaia Kanepi (1.73) v Yanina Wickmayer (2.25) 18:00

Kanepi leads the head-to-head by two wins to one, although Wickmayer won their most recent meeting in April.

Wickmayer won from match point down in a good quality match against the in-form Schnyder in the previous round. The Belgian has won half her 10 matches against players ranked 11-50 since Wimbledon and since 2009 she’s won six of eight hard-court matches when 2.0-2.5 to win, although half those matches have gone to a third set. Furthermore, should it come down to a tie-break again Wickmayer should have plenty of confidence as she’s won her last nine.

Kanepi is having a superb year but her match in the wind with Jankovic featured a huge number of unforced errors and she will surely need to improve in this match. She’s lost seven of her last 10 matches against players ranked 11-25 including three of four on hard courts this year, although half the last six on all surfaces have gone to a third set.

Since 2001, there have been 36 US Open matches between a 9-16 seed and a 17-32 seed with the higher ranked player winning 24 times, although 15 of the 35 completed matches went to a third set.

Recommendation: Split stake – Wickmayer to win at 2.34, Betfair
                                                           Three sets at 2.6, Sporting Bet

Richard Gasquet (1.76) v Gael Monfils (2.1) 16:10

These two have met four times before with two wins apiece and both have impressed in the first week here. Monfils has been serving superbly and took out Roddick’s conqueror Janko Tipsarevic in the previous round. He’s also shown some decent form since Wimbledon as he reached the final in Stuttgart on clay and beat Ferrer in Davis Cup. He’s also won 16 of his 20 completed matches against his compatriots since 2008, although he was the favourite in all of those wins. Moreover, Monfils has won 22 of 25 completed matches on hard courts since 2008 when playing people currently ranked 26-50, including winning all three when the underdog.

Gasquet is yet to drop a set here, but has lost six of his previous seven Grand Slam last-16 matches. While his form has generally been good this year Gasquet has lost six of nine matches against opponents ranked 11-25, including the last three when the favourite. However like Monfils, Gasquet also has a good record against his fellow Frenchmen.

Recommendation: No Bet

Novak Djokovic (1.36) v Mardy Fish (3.75) 17:30

Djokovic takes a W5-L0 record into this match, although the American has taken a set in four of their encounters.

After surviving a tense five-setter in the first round Djokovic has not dropped another set and the Serb has made at least the quarters in 12 of his last 14 Slams. However, he’s lost four of his 13 matches against players ranked 11-25 this year, including in all three majors. Furthermore, he’s won just three of those matches in straight sets and those were at Wimbledon against clay-courter Montanes and recently in Davis Cup against the woefully out of form duo Ljubicic and Cilic. Moreover, Djokovic has won just half his 14 matches this year when 1.2-1.5 to win with only two straight set wins outside of those two Davis Cup successes.

Fish has had two five-set matches so far but due to the pace of those matches should not be too tired. His record since Wimbledon is exceptional as he’s won 19 of 21 matches. Before losing to Federer 2-1 in the final of Cincinnati Fish had won six consecutive matches against current top 10 players and he’s taken at least a set in all eight such matches this year.

Recommendation: Split stake – Fish to win at 4.0, Betfair
                                                            Fish +5.5 games at 1.76, Betfair

Caroline Wozniacki (1.9) v Maria Sharapova (2) 19:30

Sharapova has won all four of their previous meetings without dropping a single set. However, the Dane is in great form after back-to-back titles in Montreal and New Haven and has dropped just three games in her first three matches.

There remains a question mark over Wozniacki’s abilities to beat the best with her defensive game but she’s now won six of her last 13 completed matches against current top 10 players, including her last two both in straight sets. Furthermore, she has a formidable record when 1.8-2.1 to win with nine wins in 10 such matches since 2007, including nine out of nine on hard courts.

Sharapova’s form is similarly impressive with consecutive finals coming into this tournament and she didn’t concede a single game in her third round match. Moreover, the Russian is a former champion here and has won nine of her last 10 matches against current top 10 players on hard courts (all since August 2009). Furthermore, she’s won six of her eight career hard-court matches when 1.8-2.2 to win.

Recommendation: No Bet

Vera Zvonareva (1.29) v Andrea Petkovic (4.5) 00:00

Zvonareva will be playing her third US open fourth round match and has reached this stage in four of her last five Slams. Back to Wimbledon she’s won 15 of 19 matches, including a hard-court win over Clijsters. Moreover, she’s won 12 of 13 matches this year against players ranked 26-50, including all eight on hard courts by at least five clear games. Furthermore, she’s won all 17 of her matches this year when 1.2-1.5 to win, with just four dropped sets and all but three won by five or more games.

Petkovic has had two tight three-setters and a walk-over to reach this point and this is the first time she’s been past the second round of a Slam. The German had lost her last four matches against players in the top 100 coming into this tournament and she’s lost seven of 10 matches this year against players who were inside the top 20 with four defeats by five or more games.

5-8 seeds have beaten non-seeds in 10/11 US Open matches from the fourth round onwards, with eight wins by five or more games.

Recommendation: Zvonareva to win -4.5 games at 1.84, Betfair

Robin Soderling (1.08) v Albert Montanes (10) 18:10

The Spaniard’s only win over Soderling came via retirement on clay in 2007 while the Swede has won 3-1 in their other two meetings, here a year ago and at this year’s French Open.

Soderling has improved as this tournament has progressed and has won 31 of his last 34 matches when shorter than 1.2 to win, including W17-L1 in such best-of-five set matches since 2009. However, he’s won by nine or more games in just seven of the 17 completed best-of-five set matches with a further two matches won by exactly eight.

Montanes has been enjoying a superb year, with two titles, and he does have a win over Federer in 2010. However, he’s lost his other 16 completed matches against current top 10 players since 2007 and while he took a set off Soderling here a year ago he ended up losing by nine games.

Recommendation: No Bet

Roger Federer (1.06) v Jurgen Melzer (13) 01:40

These two met for the first time in their careers at Wimbledon, with Federer emerging as an easy winner as the Austrian managed to win just eight games.

Federer has been in great form since his Wimbledon disappointment and since 2007 he’s won all 12 of his Grand Slam matches against players currently ranked 11-25, including seven 3-0 wins with nine by at least seven games and five by eight or more. Moreover, he’s won 55 of 56 matches since 2009 when shorter than 1.1 to win, including all 27 Grand Slam matches with 22 by seven or more games and 18 by at least eight.

Melzer turned his recent form around in his previous match as he thrashed Ferrero. However, he’s lost all seven of his completed hard-court matches against current top 10 players since 2009 including five straight set defeats.

Since 2005, Federer has won six of eight US Open matches against 9-32 seeds by eight or more games (W8-L0).

Recommendation: Federer to win -7.0 games at 1.9, Sporting Bet