Pedro Martinez will always remember this moment. The 21-year-old Spaniard turned in the clutch performance of the week at US Open qualifying, rallying to defeat Christian Harrison 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 in two hours and 42 minutes. 

Trailing by a set and a break and facing three match points at 4-5 0/40, Martinez mounted a stunning comeback. Making just his second Grand Slam qualifying appearance and first in New York, he would reel off eight of the next 12 games to set a final-round date with fellow #NextGenATP Hubert Hurkacz. The Spaniard collapsed to the court as he celebrated with friends and family.

“The truth is that I was very nervous and when I was down 0/40, I was a long way from winning,” Martinez told ATPWorldTour.com following the match. “I had a foot fault on that first match point, but I played an incredible point on my second serve. It was one of the best of the match. Then, the match changed a lot. I escaped. And the support of the fans was amazing. It was a pleasure to play in front of them. It’s the best tournament of my life.”

It was an impressive performance for Martinez, who is competing in just his second hard-court tournament since February. At No. 182 in the ATP Rankings, he recently lifted his maiden ATP Challenger Tour trophy in Bastad, Sweden, last month.

Martinez’s victory wasn’t the only match point-saving win of Day 3. American Mitchell Krueger also denied three, surviving with his back against the wall against countryman Thai-Son Kwiatkowski. The Texas native advanced 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 in two hours and 36 minutes. Victory in Friday’s final round against Calvin Hemery would see him reach the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time.

Krueger is joined by JC Aragone, Collin Altamirano and Donald Young as the lone Americans to feature on Day 4. While Aragone is bidding to complete back-to-back qualifying runs at Flushing Meadows, Altamirano is hoping to appear in the main draw for the first time since 2013, when he earned a wild card as a junior. The 22-year-old scored the biggest win of his young career in upsetting Ivo Karlovic 7-5, 6-4 on Court 13.

“I was cracking up because earlier in the week I was practising with Reilly Opelka and then the draw came out,” said Altamirano. “My coach wanted me to see the bigger serves, so I guess that paid off. Ivo’s made a living off that shot, but I guess I did the right things out there. Things fell my way. Just one shot here and there made the difference.”

Qualifying Reports: Day 1 | Day 2

Meanwhile, the #NextGenATP contingent will be well represented with main draw berths at stake on Friday. Not only are Hubert Hurkacz and Casper Ruud – No. 9 and No. 10 in the ATP Race To Milan – in action, but Martinez, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Ugo Humbert, Marc Polmans and Lloyd Harris are all bidding to make their Grand Slam debuts. Humbert and Polmans will square off in a blockbuster match-up.

South Africa’s Harris has arguably been the most dominant player in qualifying, routing Sebastian Ofner 6-2, 6-1 after dismissing Roberto Quiroz in straight sets. The 21-year-old is on a tear after winning his first Challenger title in Lexington and finishing runner-up the following week in Aptos. He is 15-3 since mid-July.

“I came out of the blocks pretty fast and got on the front foot from there,” said Harris. “I was trying to get him out of position and strike on the first ball. I thought I was solid throughout the match. I didn’t allow him to do too much and I was just pumped and excited for the match. I’ve alwayed liked to play here since juniors. It’s the people, the fans and I’m happy to have friends around too.”

Finally, a pair of veterans will duel when Tommy Robredo and Nicolas Mahut meet. In five previous FedEx ATP Head2Head encounters, Robredo leads 3-2, with their most recent meeting coming in Winston-Salem in 2014. The 36-year-olds have competed in the US Open main draw a combined 26 times.

One year ago, Brit Kyle Edmund ended Steve Johnson’s Winston-Salem Open and his US Open. Not this year.

The American routed Edmund 6-1, 6-2 on Thursday to reach his second Winston-Salem Open semi-final (2015, l. Herbert). The 28-year-old Johnson needed only 64 minutes to beat Edmund, winning 80 per cent (35/44) of his service points and saving all four break points.

“I think it was my best serving day in a long time so that’s always helpful, and when you get early breaks in both sets that definitely helps your case. Your confidence builds and maybe the doubt in their game maybe creeps up a bit more,” he said.

Johnson, a champion at Houston and Newport this year, will try to reach his third final of 2018 when he meets second seed Pablo Carreno Busta. The 2016 champion broke four times and advanced past South Korean Hyeon Chung 6-3, 6-4.

“Playing like this I am going to win a lot of matches. I think my opponent today played very good,” Carreno Busta said.

The Spaniard leads his Fedex ATP Head2Head series with Johnson 2-1, including a straight-sets win earlier this year on the Miami hard courts.

Russian Daniil Medvedev and Japan’s Taro Daniel will face off in Friday’s other semi-final. Medvedev beat American Ryan Harrison 7-6(4), 6-4, and Daniel came back from a set and a break down to knock out Chile’s Nicolas Jarry 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. The Japanese right-hander played two full matches on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals.

“Another really tough one. [Medvedev] has been accumulating a lot of experience on the tour,” Daniel said.

Medvedev reached his fourth ATP World Tour semi-final and his first since January when he won his maiden title at the Sydney International. “It was a great match for me. I played quite good tennis I think. You can always do something better but I think it was a solid match,” he said.

Get the popcorn ready. There are plenty of must-see first-round matches at the US Open.

[8] Grigor Dimitrov vs. Stan Wawrinka (SUI)
Yes, again. Just two months after Dimitrov and Wawrinka clashed in the opening round at The Championships, the stars will meet again in the match to watch in the first round of the US Open. And this time, somehow, there might be even more anticipation.

Wawrinka, on the comeback from two left knee surgeries last year, beat Dimitrov at Wimbledon on his least favourite surface. And while the Swiss is No. 101 in the ATP Rankings, the 2016 US Open champion is playing at a much higher level than that. Wawrinka won a combined five matches at the Rogers Cup and the Western & Southern Open, all against opponents currently inside the Top 40, with his two losses coming in tight defeats against Rafael Nadal in Toronto and Roger Federer in Cincinnati.

Dimitrov, the reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion, has himself shown progress during this hard-court swing, reaching his first quarter-final since April in Canada and pushing eventual winner Djokovic in a three-set Cincinnati loss. The Bulgarian will be eager to avenge his loss from SW19 in New York, which would extend his FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead against Wawrinka to 5-3.

It will be interesting to see who will be able to control points in Flushing Meadows. Dimitrov is at his best when he is serving well and using his athleticism to take the ball early and move into net. But Wawrinka, who is moving closer to his best tennis, can hit groundstrokes with anyone in the world, especially with his impressive one-handed backhand. The winner will face a qualifier in the second round.

[1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. David Ferrer (ESP)
Could this be good-bye for Ferrer, who is playing his 16th (consecutive) and final US Open? The Spaniard will look to pull off a stunning upset against World No. 1 Nadal, who leads their rivalry 24-6.

While Nadal has dominated the former World No. 3 over the years, the compatriots are even on hard courts, each winning four of their meetings. And interestingly enough, Ferrer has won both of their Grand Slam matches on the surface, including a clash at the 2007 US Open.

Nadal is in far better form, though, fresh off his victory at the Rogers Cup. Ferrer, who spent 13 consecutive years in the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings until he fell out of the group in July, is now down to No. 148. The 36-year-old is 9-17 at tour-level this campaign.

But against Nadal, expect Ferrer to summon everything he has at a tournament where he has enjoyed plenty of success, including trips to the semi-finals in 2007 and 2012. Ferrer will need to not only chase down all of Nadal’s aggressive shots, as has become the Valencia-resident’s trademark over the years, but he will also need to take it to the top seed if he hopes to keep Nadal from gaining a rhythm. 

[31] Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs. Feliciano Lopez (ESP)
Do you know where these two left-handed Spaniards last met? If you guessed the 2017 US Open, you’re right. Lopez, who was ironically the No. 31 seed at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center a year ago, swept by Verdasco in four sets before falling to Federer in the third round.

Both players will be especially hungry at the year’s final Grand Slam, as they earned a total of one match win at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati. It is Verdasco’s 16th consecutive US Open and Lopez’s record 67th straight major main draw appearance.

But this matchup is not only interesting based on their history, but their styles. Verdasco has long been one of the most dangerous baseliners in the world, and he is facing an opponent who comes to net as much as possible. Verdasco is likely to try to control his service games with his serve and a big forehand, while Lopez will serve and volley to pressure the 34-year-old.

Neither guy shies away from the doubles court, either, meaning that fans are almost guaranteed to see some sensational play at the net. Whoever prevails will face former World No. 1 Andy Murray or Aussie James Duckworth.

[29] Adrian Mannarino (FRA) vs. Frances Tiafoe (USA)
Who could forget #NextGenATP American Tiafoe’s effort in the first round of the 2017 US Open, pushing Federer to five sets as he tried to send the Swiss out in the opening round of a Grand Slam for the first time since Roland Garros in 2003? Tiafoe showed his propensity for the big moment, and he’ll have another shot against No. 29 seed Mannarino.

The Frenchman beat his 20-year-old opponent the last time they met, which was at the 2016 Citi Open in Washington, D.C. But Tiafoe is a different player now than he was two years ago, playing the best tennis of his life. The American claimed his first ATP World Tour title earlier this year at the Delray Beach Open, and at World No. 42 he is within four spots of his career-best ATP Ranking.

But Mannarino has proven a difficult matchup for many players with his flat groundstrokes off both wings. The 30-year-old will try to keep Tiafoe from gaining any rhythm, while the American will use his athleticism and explosiveness to dictate play in front of his home crowd. The victor will face #NextGenATP Alex de Minaur or Japanese Taro Daniel.

[27] Karen Khachanov (RUS) vs. Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP)
Few players are in as good of form as Khachanov, who used his massive hitting from the baseline to reach the semi-finals of a Masters 1000 event for the first time in Toronto. The Russian, who qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals last year, has captured two ATP World Tour titles, including one earlier this season in Marseille. But his opponent, Ramos-Vinolas, has reached a final at the elite level, doing so last year on clay in Monte-Carlo.

This is a rematch of a first-round clash from Cincinnati, which Khachanov won in three sets. The 22-year-old leads the Spaniard 3-1 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, and all four of their meetings have come in three sets. Khachanov beat Ramos-Vinolas to claim his first tour-level trophy two years ago in Chengdu.

The 6’6” right-hander will try to dominate with his power from the baseline, while the left-handed Ramos-Vinolas will attempt to set himself up in points with his slice serve, and use angles with his forehand to open up the court. Whoever gets through this match could be on a collision course with top-seeded Nadal in the third round. They’ll face Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller or a qualifier in the second round.

Perhaps the biggest question of the 2018 US Open draw was a simple one: Where would sixth seed Novak Djokovic, fresh off achieving the Career Golden Masters, land? Now we know.

The Western & Southern Open champion is in Roger Federer’s quarter and could again face the five-time US Open champion, his opponent from the Cincinnati final, in the last eight.

Djokovic and Federer have not met before the semi-finals of any tournament since 2007 Dubai, with the exception being round-robin play at the Nitto ATP Finals. The pair have contested 42 FedEx ATP Head2Head matches since then, including 18 for championships. In the Western & Southern Open final, when Djokovic became the first player to win all nine ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles, the Serbian took a 24-22 lead in their epic rivalry.

But first, the superstars will be focused on what’s directly in front of them: two first-time opponents. Federer will face Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round, and Djokovic will play Hungarian Marton Fucsovics. Federer could face No. 30 seed Nick Kyrgios in a third-round blockbuster.

Top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal will begin his title defence against a familiar foe in former World No. 3 David Ferrer. The World No. 1 leads his fellow Spaniard 24-6 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. But in their only previous meeting at the US Open, in 2007, Ferrer triumphed in four sets. Fifth seed and 2017 finalist Kevin Anderson and ninth seed Dominic Thiem are also in Nadal’s quarter. 

A lot of eyes will be on the Spaniard’s opener, but there might be even more on a clash between reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov and 2016 US Open winner Stan Wawrinka. Not only have both players been inside the Top 5 of the ATP Rankings within the past year, but they also met in their Wimbledon opener, with Wawrinka — on the comeback from two left knee surgeries last year — pulling the upset. The winner will face a qualifier in the second round.

The Bulgarian and Swiss are in third seed Juan Martin del Potro’s quarter. The 2009 winner, who is at a career-best World No. 3, will begin his tournament against a qualifier, but could face former World No. 1 and 2012 titlist Andy Murray in the third round. The Scot will play Aussie James Duckworth in his opener.

The earliest third seed Alexander Zverev could face another seed will be in the third round against 32nd seed Filip Krajinovic. The 21-year-old Zverev will face a qualifier before playing against Czech Jiri Vesely or #NextGenATP Frenchman Corentin Moutet.

Zverev’s quarter-final opponent is projected to be 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, who confronts Romanian Marius Copil before facing Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas or a qualifier. Cilic could face No. 29 seed Adrian Mannarino, or #NextGenATP players Frances Tiafoe or Alex de Minaur in the third round.

Of the #NextGenATP, the only two seeded players from that 21-and-under group — No. 15 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 28 seed Denis Shapovalov — both begin their campaigns against qualifiers.

World No. 1 and defending US Open champion Rafael Nadal said at Thursday’s draw ceremony in Manhattan that deciding who the favourite is in Flushing Meadows is not a difficult task. In the Spaniard’s mind, there is none.

“I think it’s not clear, one favourite,” Nadal said. “Even when somebody thinks somebody’s a clear favourite, from inside it doesn’t look like this. Of course Novak [Djokovic], Roger [Federer], they’re doing very well. Especially [since] they like the hard courts. Let’s see, let’s see what’s going on.”

One of those favourites is certainly Nadal, who resides atop the ATP Rankings. Despite struggling with a right hip injury early in the year, that caused him to struggle physically at the Australian Open and withdraw from Acapulco, he has found his best form, tallying a 40-3 record in 2018.

Nadal has captured five tour-level titles this season, including his 11th Coupe des Mousquetaires at Roland Garros, and most recently, a triumph on the hard courts of Toronto at the Rogers Cup, his record 33rd ATP World Tour Masters 1000 victory.

“It’s been a positive year, of course,” Nadal said. “Since I came back, I was playing well and winning a lot of matches. Toronto gave me the possibility to rest a little bit. I’m getting a little bit older, as everybody knows. I took that week, nothing against Cincinnati, it’s about just trying to save my body, to play as long as possible. That’s something that I’m really looking forward to making happen, and let’s see. I rested, I practised and here I am.”

Nadal has enjoyed plenty of success in New York over the years, lifting the trophy in 2010, 2013 and 2017. He has advanced to the semi-finals or better six times, doing so in five straight appearances from 2008-11 and 2013, missing the tournament in 2012 due to knee tendinitis.

“We practise every day to try to be ready for the action, for the competition, even more for the big ones,” Nadal said. “The atmosphere here in New York is difficult to compare with any other place. I love the night sessions, I love the connection with the crowd. I always feel very comfortable here.”

There are plenty of tough challengers in the field. Fifth seed Kevin Anderson, whom Nadal beat in last year’s US Open final, and ninth seed Dominic Thiem, whom the Spaniard defeated earlier this year to triumph at Roland Garros, are the highest-ranked seeds in Nadal’s quarter. The 32-year-old believes many other players can also make a deep run in Flushing Meadows.

“Especially now with this young generation coming, you never know. When you have young people there, you never know about the potential of what they have. They can propose something different and they can increase their level very quickly,” Nadal said. “[Alexander] Zverev, at some point he has to move forward and fight for the titles, that’s [something] he’s already doing. [Denis] Shapovalov, let’s see [Nick] Kyrgios, [John] Isner, just [with these] kind of players, anything can happen.“

The women’s defending champion, Sloane Stephens, wouldn’t look at the draw during the ceremony. Seeing his possible opponents doesn’t bother Nadal.

“I’m not crazy about the draw, but of course I really don’t care,” Nadal said. “At the end of the day, you will have to know your opponent… the tournament starts from the first round.”

For now, Nadal’s focus will be squarely set on his first-round opponent, former World No. 3 David Ferrer.