Federer, Nadal, Del Potro Headline Day Six

US OPEN DAY SIX HIGHLIGHTS
• Three former US Open champions are in third round action on Saturday with five-time titleholder Roger Federer, two-time winner Rafael Nadal and 2009 champ Juan Martin del Potro leading the way  Also on the schedule are No. 6 seed Dominic Thiem, No. 9 seed David Goffin and No. 11 seed Roberto Bautista Agut.

• Nadal brings a 3-0 head-to-head record against lucky loser Leonardo Mayer of Argentina in the last match of the day session on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Nadal leads the ATP World Tour with 51 wins on the season and he’s trying to reach the 4R at the US Open for the 9th time. He is 8-2 in 3R matches. Mayer, who took the place of Milos Raonic in the main draw, is the first lucky loser to reach the 3R in Flushing Meadows since Flavio Cipolla in 2008. Mayer, who won the Hamburg title on July 30 as a lucky loser, is 1-24 lifetime against Top 10 opponents (0-13 on hard courts and 0-8 in Grand Slam play).

• In the night session, Federer takes a 12-0 record against No. 31 seed Feliciano Lopez.  Federer has survived two five-set matches to advance to the 3R in Flushing Meadows for the 17th time. He is 15-1 in 3R matches with his only loss coming in his 2000 debut (l. to Ferrero).  Federer is 32-1 in night matches at the US Open, the best record since 1980. Lopez, who will turn 36 on Sept. 20, is playing in his 16th straight US Open and 63rd Grand Slam tournament in a row. Federer is the all-time leader in men’s tennis with 65 consecutive Slam tournaments played, which ended at Roland Garros last year. Lopez was a quarter-finalist here in 2015.

• On Louis Armstrong Stadium, No. 30 seed Adrian Mannarino plays Thiem, who has won all five previous meetings against the Frenchman. Mannarino is 3-22 lifetime against Top 10 opponents (0-9 in Grand Slam play) and he is trying to reach the 4R here for the first time. He advanced to the 4R at Wimbledon twice (2013, 2017). Thiem, who reached the semi-finals for the second year in a row at Roland Garros in June, is aiming to reach the 4R here for the 3rd time in 4 years.  In the next match, Goffin and last year’s US Open semi-finalist No. 18 seed Gael Monfils square off for the 3rd time (tied 1-1). They split both of last year’s hard court meetings.

• On Grandstand, unseeded Viktor Troicki brings a 2-1 head-to-head record against Alexandr Dolgopolov, who last reached the 4R at the US Open in 2011. Troicki is trying to reach the 4R for the first time. In the next match on, Bautista Agut and del Potro meet for the third time (tied 1-1). Bautista Agut, who won the Winston-Salem title, is trying to reach his 10th Grand Slam 4R, his best result. The Argentine is 20-5 this season against opponents ranked outside the Top 6 (0-6 vs. Top 6).

• On Court 5, Damir Dzumhur plays NextGenATP Russian teenager Andrey Rublev, who is coming off his first career Top 10 win over Dimitrov. Both players are trying to reach their first 4R in a Grand Slam event. On Court 17, No. 33 seed Philipp Kohlschreiber looks for his second win in as many meetings against John Millman.