The two best days in tennis are by far are Super Saturday at the United States Open with the two men's semifinals and the women's final and Big Monday at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. On this day, all of the gentlemen's and ladies' 4th Round matches. 8 matches are played on the gentlemen's side, 8 on the ladies. It is a tennis fan's dream, with great matches taking place everywhere in the complex. After the jump, we'll look at four matches on each side to watch. We'll also have predictions at the end of the article.
Gentlemen's Singles Round of 16 Matches to Watch
Rafael Nadal vs. Juan Martin del Potro
This one is the blockbuster fourth round at the Championships. Del Potro is the only player not named Nadal, Federer, or Djokovic to win a major since 2005 when he demolished Nadal in the semifinals then defeated Federer in the final. His injury woes have been well documented, but this is by far the biggest match of the second act of his career. His game matches up well with Nadal, but Nadal's tenacity is the equalizing factor. This is a match worthy of a semifinal or a major, and it should be very fun to watch.
Mardy Fish vs. Tomas Berdych
Tomas Berdych had one good tournament and one amazing tournament last year. He lost to Robin Soderling in the French Open semifinals and then in his best performance ever, beat Roger Federer and then Novak Djokovic in the 2010 Wimbledon Championships. He then lost to Rafael Nadal in a lackluster performance. After those two tournaments his results dropped sharply, and hasn't been the same since. He plays Mardy Fish, who is having a two year resurgence and is now at his highest ranking. Put simply, this is Fish's best chance to reach a quarterfinals. Berdych hits very hard, but his movement is rather weak for a top level player. Fitness and defense are Fish's calling card, and it's a good match-up for him. He's also been known for coming up short in big matches, so it will be very interesting to see what happens.
Andy Murray vs. Richard Gasquet
In terms of comparing records and accomplishments, this one shouldn't be close. Murray has had far more success than Gasquet has had during their respective careers. However, Gasquet is playing great tennis right now, and on his best day can give any top player a tough time. The pressure is a big equalizer though. Murray is Great Britain's only hope, and the fans' fanatic support of Murray can be a huge help but also can be stifling. The last time these two met here, Murray came back down from two sets to none down to win in an epic. This is a different and much improved Murray however.
David Ferrer vs. Jo Wilfried Tsonga
Ferrer had a career best performance at the 2011 Australian Open, defeating Nadal in the quarterfinals. His results have been decent since that, but in this match he's running up against arguably the hottest player in this tournament, Tsonga. Tsonga's serve and forehand have been on fire this tournament, and he has the game to hit through Ferrer. Ferrer, for his part, has not quite had the same success this tournament, being taken to five sets by Ryan Harrison, the young American. This should be a high quality affair, and there's no way he'll give up.
Ladies Singles Round of 16 Matches to Watch
Caroline Wozniacki vs. Dominika Cibulkova
No one is talking about Wozniacki, and that's the best thing to happen to Wozniacki. All of the attention is on the Williams sisters, and this has allowed Wozniacki to walk through her relatively easy draw without a three setter. This will be a tough test for her, as Cibulkova hits hard and can pose a challenge to the world's number one.
Marion Bartoli vs. Serena Williams
This is Serena's second tournament since last year's Championships, and the fact that she is in the Round of 16 is nothing short of amazing. Each match she has shown improvement and more comfort, and that should strike fear in her opponents. Bartoli, herself a finalist in 2007, has quite the story of her own. Struggling in the last match, she told her parents to leave the court, and she went on the win. She has a huge task now in Serena, but if Serena has an off day, there's a real chance Bartoli can win. However, if Serena is playing well, her attacking style poses challenges for Bartoli, who relies on defense.
Petra Kvitova vs. Yanina Wickmayer
Kvitova has long been talked about as a potential major winner, and her lefty, attacking style seems to be a perfect fit for the grass. She will take a huge step in facing Wickmayer, a tough Belgian. Wickmayer has shown the ability to pull off shocking upsets, and this certainly would be shocking, but Kvitova still needs to show that she can actually win a major, and this'll be a test.
Venus Williams vs. Tsvetana Pironkova
Pironkova is the closest tennis will get to a true grass court specialist, as she only does well at Wimbledon. This is a rematch of last year's quarterfinals, where Pironkova pulled off the stunning upset, and it wasn't close at all. She won 2 and 3 going away, and Venus, having been injured most of this year, seems ripe for an upset. She is still Venus Williams though, and she still loves the grass. This is by far the most intriguing 4th Round match on the ladies' side, mainly because of the rematch factor.
Predictions for the Gentlemen's 4th Round Matches to Watch
Andrew: Nadal, Fish, Murray, Tsonga
Brandon: Nadal, Fish, Murray, Ferrer
For the Ladies' 4th Round Matches to Watch
Andrew: Wozniacki, Serena, Kvitova, Venus
Brandon: Wozniacki, Serena, Kvitova, Venus
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