TENNIS.com Tuesday picks:

Michael Russell (USA) v. James Blake (USA)[6]Arthur Ashe stadium – 3rd match

James Blake was talking up Michael Russell’s form in Australia earlier this year, and the older American proceeded to live up to the praise by playing a memorable five-setter against Lleyton Hewitt under the lights in Melbourne. Now, the two face off against each other. The good news for Blake is that Russell has cooled off considerably. After winning three challengers and reaching the Round of 16 at Indian Wells to start the year, he’s won only a handful of matches. But it’s still been enough to take him to a career high of No. 60 earlier this month.
 
Blake, meanwhile, seems to be returning to his 2006 form after looking flat for much of the year. He reached the final of Cincinnati, losing to Federer, and won his hometown title at New Haven last week. At least jokes about his ATP ranking soon being below than his bestseller ranking (No. 15 earlier this summer) have subsided.

Russell’s claim to fame is, of course, holding match points for a straight-sets win against Gustavo Kuerten in the fourth round of the 2001 French Open. Kuerten came back to win the match – and the tournament.

If the points run long, the nearly man’s dogged persistence could make this a long and draining encounter for Blake. But a tough yet solid win for the sixth seed remains more likely.

Prediction: Blake

Justin Gimelstob (USA) v. Andy Roddick (USA)[5]Arthur Ashe Stadium – 5th match

Gimelstob’s Wimbledon career ended at Roddick’s hands a couple of months ago, and now it looks like his US Open career is about to go the same way. Already a familiar sight as a courtside commentator, the soon-to-retire American will have an even closer view of the action for this match.

Credit Gimelstob for even making it back on court after emergency back surgery late last year, but he’s still waiting for his first win of the season. It’s unlikely to come here.

A full-out effort meant he played Roddick close during the second and third sets of their Wimbledon encounter, but net-charging aggression isn’t quite as easy on the hardcourts, even if they are playing relatively quick this year.

Roddick went on to reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, finishing with a devastating defeat to Richard Gasquet after being up two sets and a break. After another discouraging loss in Cincinnati, Roddick says he’s feeling better with a week of good practice under his belt. That almost certainly should be enough to get past Gimelstob, but is it sufficient for a possible meeting against Federer in the quarterfinals?

Prediction: Roddick

Nicole Vaidisova (CZE)[13] v. Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS)Louis Armstrong Stadium – 2nd match

She’s in a good section of the draw until a possible meeting with Maria Sharapova in the fourth round, but Vaidisova hasn’t played since Wimbledon because of mononucleosis. Reportedly single again after a brief relationship with fellow pro Jurgen Melzer, the big-hitting 18-year-old has had some breakthroughs at the big events this year – reaching her second Grand Slam semifinal at Melbourne and defeating defending champion Amelie Mauresmo at Wimbledon.

With so little play recently, it’ll be difficult for her to pull off something similar this time, but the opportunity is there in the weaker second half of the draw. Either way, she should navigate her way past Kudryavtseva, a 19-year-old Russian who’ll be making her first main-draw appearance at the US Open.

Prediction: Vaidisova

Robin Haase (NED) v. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3]Louis Armstrong Stadium – 3rd match

Mario Ancic’s bout of mononucleosis was clearly worse than Vaidisova’s – he was off the tour from February to August. It was a right shoulder injury, however, which ruled him out of this scheduled first-round match against Djokovic.

So Djokovic instead gets Haase, who could be described as a talented youngster if he wasn’t actually a little older than Djokovic. Haase has had a productive summer, capped by a win over Berdych in first round of Montreal.

But Djokovic’s has been even more so, capped by wins over Roddick, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in Montreal. It’s the first time the self-possessed Serb is coming into a Grand Slam as one of the favorites, but he seems less likely than most to let the pressure get to him. A tough draw is a harder challenge to overlook, but it’s been made a little easier by the removal of the dangerous Ancic, and Djokovic will be prepared to take full advantage of that .

Prediction: Djokovic