Day Eight of the US Open is set to get underway at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, with Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner all playing their Round of 16 matches today, Monday, September 4.

Sabalenka will take on thirteenth seed Daria Kasatkina on Arthur Ashe. The 25-year-old will likely be motivated by the knowledge that she is now at the top of the Live WTA Ranking after a long battle to dethrone Iga Swiatek, who was World No. 1 for 74 weeks.

The Belarusian is yet to drop a set at the US Open, having moved past Maryna Zanevska, Jodie Anna Burrage, and Clara Burel with little difficulty, even winning her last match 6-1, 6-1. However, Kasatkina will be the toughest opponent she has faced yet by quite a way.

Kasatkina has come up against Alycia Parks, Sofia Kenin, and Greet Minnen so far in the tournament, defeating the two Americans in three sets before outsing Minnen 6-3, 6-4.

The two players have faced each other six times before, with the second seed leading their head-to-head 4-2. However, they are tied 2-2 on hardcourts, meaning it could be a close match.

This will be both players' first match of the Slam on the main stage of Arthur Ashe, with Kasatkina having previously played on Court 6, Louis Armstrong, and Court 17, while Sabalenka has played all her matches so far on Louis Armstrong.

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Alcaraz also on Arthur Ashe 

Also playing on Arthur Ashe will be defending US Open champion Alcaraz who continues his bid to maintain his title and 2000 ATP Ranking points.

The Spaniard is set to face unseeded player Matteo Arnaldi, who fought back against Arthur Fils before breezing past sixteenth seed Cameron Norrie in straight sets to reach the fourth round.

Alcaraz and Arnaldi have never faced each other before, but despite the fact that the Italian has shown his ability to win back sets and to cause an upset against seeded players, it is predicted by many that the World No. 1 will use his huge serve, athleticism and experience to overpower him and progress to the quarter-finals.

Sinner and Zverev set for Round of 16 clash

Moreover, sixth seed Sinner will face World No. 12 Alexander Zverev in the final match of the day on Arthur Ashe. The Italian defeated 2016 US Open champion Stan Wawrinka in four sets, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the fourth round while the German moved past nineteenth seed Grigor Dimitrov. His was a slightly less straightforward match with the first two sets going to a tiebreak, but he dominated after that to ultimately win in four sets 6-7 (2), 7-6 (8), 6-1, 6-1.

Sinner came into the US Open off the back of a successful North American swing where he won his first ATP 1000 title at the National Bank Canadian Open. Meanwhile, Zverev shot up the ATP Ranking after reaching the Cincinnati Open semi-finals.

Zverev leads their head-to-head 3-1 and won their most recent encounter at the 2022 Monte Carlo Masters. He also committed a lot less unforced errors in his third-round match, meaning Sinner will likely need to clean up his game if he wants to progress to the quarter-finals of the US Open.

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Pegula set for all-American clash on Arthur Ashe

Starting the day on Arthur Ashe will be the All-American Round of 16 match between third seed Jessica Pegula and seventeenth seed Madison Keys.

Both players faced tough opponents in the third round, with Pegula going up against twenty-sixth seed Elina Svitolina before taking the match in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. Meanwhile, Keys ousted fourteenth seed Liudmila Samsonova to deny the Russian a re-match of the Canadian Open final against Pegula.

Medvedev and Jabeur among the rest

Elsewhere, World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev will face thirteenth seed Alex de Minaur on Louis Armstrong, with the 2021 US Open champion predicted to secure the win and progress to the quarter-finals.

Moreover, fifth seed Ons Jabeur will continue her bid for a first Grand Slam title after her disappointment in the final of Wimbledon, with the Tunisian player set to go up against twenty-third seed Qinwen Zhang.

Also on Louis Armstrong will be reigning Wimbledon champion and ninth seed Marketa Vondrousova, who will face home player Peyton Stearns before eighth seed Andrey Rublev plays against Jack Draper.

Schedule for US Open Day Eight