Five Matches to Watch on Day 4 of the US Open

1. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)[4] v. Mirjana Lucic (CRO) [Q] -- Jelena Jankovic has struggled mightily since injuring her ankle in Slovenia this July, losing consecutive matches to players outside the top 50 (Akgul Amanmuradova and Iveta Benesova) in Cincinnati and Montreal.  She stumbled through her first round match as well, barely surviving #96 Simona Halep 7-5 in the third set.  It would make for quite the story if Mirjana Lucic could become the one to capitalize on Jankovic's poor form at this US Open.  Lucic fell off the map after an out-of-nowhere run eleven years ago to the semifinals of Wimbledon 1999, with abuse from her father cited as the reason for her departure from the sport.  But she has been working the comeback trail slowly and steadily, playing the challenger circuit and qualifying for this US Open, at which she has already won one main draw match.  If she can beat Jankovic, it will almost undoubtedly be the feel-good story of the first week.  Not for Jankovic, though...

2. Aravane Rezai (FRA)[18] v. Beatrice Capra (USA) [WC] -- Melanie Oudin fell in the second round yesterday, making it clear that she won't repeat and be this year's Melanie Oudin.  My original pick to be this year's Melanie Oudin was Coco Vandeweghe, but she only managed one game during her first round loss to Sabine Lisicki.  Now, the only remaining candidate to fill Oudin's motto-adorned shoes is Beatrice Capra, a Maryland 18 year-old who won the USTA Wild Card Playoff.  Rezai is an incredibly flashy, hot-and-cold player who has been decidedly cold since winning the biggest title of her career this May in Madrid.  Capra definitely has a chance to make some big noise on the Grandstand, which is decidedly the place to be Thursday.

3. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)[6] v. Richard Gasquet (FRA) -- Two big names with stylish games (but without major results to speak of this year) meet on the Grandstand in what should be an incredibly entertaining contest.  Richard Gasquet has always been unpredictable, but he did recently beat Mikhail Youzhny in Cincinnati, so he should be given a fairly solid chance against Davydenko. The two are in a section of the draw that could have met Andy Roddick in the fourth round, so his exit should brighten the spirits of both.  Definitely a match to tune in for.

4. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) v. Andrea Petkovic (GER) -- Two of the biggest personalities in tennis meet late Thursday on the grandstand to battle for a spot in the third round.  Mattek-Sands, who makes her noise with ridiculous fashions, is back to playing the sort of tennis she was before she got married, strong form that was especially evident during a narrow loss to Kim Clijsters two weeks ago in Montreal.  Noted tweeter Andrea Petkovic, who despite a career high ranking of #33 has never made it to the third round of a grand slam, upset Nadia Petrova Tuesday in a third set tiebreak win that was celebrated (how else) with dancing.

5. Kei Nishikori (JPN) [Q] v. Marin Cilic (CRO)[11] -- Nishikori and Cilic have both made it to the second week of this tournament already in their young careers, and this battle out on Court 13 will be a fun battle between the flashy shotmaking of Nishikori and the steady power of Cilic.  Whoever wins this match is almost guaranteed to beat the winner of Albert Montanes-Carsten Ball in the third round, so the stakes are pretty high today.