MONTREAL -- After a dramatic twist Sunday that saw world No. 1 Novak Djokovic sent home from the U.S. Open, the winner of the match Monday between Austrian Dominic Thiem (now the top seed at the tournament) and Montreal phenom Felix Auger-Aliassime has to be considered a favourite.
If world No. 3 tennis player Austrian Thiem does not know to bring his A-game when he faces the 20-year-old world No. 21, he might want to review tape of his progress through the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, New York.
Auger-Aliassime has won eight straight sets leading up to Monday, leaving 21-year-old Clorentin Moutet, 2012 US Open champion Andy Murray and Brazilian Thiago Monteiro in his wake.
Auger-Aliassime has gotten better with each contest, at one point winning seven games in a row against Moutet on Saturday.
Murray never broke Auger-Aliassime's serve in Round 2.
Thiem will be his biggest test. The 6'1" Austrian, like Auger-Aliassime, has lost just one set at the tournament thus far, and was the second-seed behind Djokovic.
Djokovic, however, got defaulted from the tournament Sunday after he hit a line judge with a tennis ball in a twist absolutely no one saw coming.
Thiem is now the top seed in the tournament. He hits hard and hits often (the tennis ball with his racket to be clear), and Auger-Aliassime will need to hit back Monday.
With Djokovic out, there will be a new US Open champion this year.
Monday's match went from being big to enormous.
