What to Watch at the U.S. Open on Thursday I have no idea what it's like to play Bernard Tomic, but I know what it's like to play guys like him. Frustrating. Irritating. Infuriating. Like a great knuckleball, Tomic's shots never end up where you think they will. Where others hit hard, he'll take pace off. Where others hit with spin, he'll hit flat. And Tomic has perfected a forehand delivery that has to be seen to be believed. Somewhere between a drop shot and a slice that drops midcourt and dies, it leaves opponents flailing in response. A perfect point for Tomic, a 20-year-old Australian, ends not with a searing winner, but with him goading his opponent into a confidence-reducing unforced error. That's the formula he used to come back and win his first-round match in five sets against Albert Ramos, who looked completely in control while ahead, two sets to one. By the end, though, Ramos looked completely flummoxed, unsure how the match had turned. Daniel Evans, a qualifier, will have his hands full against Tomic. But he's a scrappy all-court player who scored a huge win over 11th-seeded Kei Nishikori in the first round. This is a mismatch on paper, but if Evans plays the way he did Monday, this could be a fun one. Victoria Duval vs. Daniela Hantuchova: With her improbable win over Samantha Stosur, the 2011 champion, Duval instantly became the story of the tournament. A 17-year-old qualifier, she matched Stosur's power stroke for stroke, delivering winners off both sides. But the most impressive part of Duval's game wasn't her shotmaking; it was her maturity as she came back to win in three sets after dropping the first. Pretty impressive stuff for someone playing in only her second United States Open main draw. Stosur had a history of early exits from Grand Slams and looked more than a little out of sorts Tuesday. But Duval played the match of her life and came out the winner. Can she do it again against the veteran Hantuchova? It's been 10 years since Hantuchova, of Slovakia, was a threat to win here, but she is still a consistent shotmaker who won't give Duval any of the freebies Stosur so generously doled out. No matter what happens, Duval is now on everyone's radar. Milos Raonic vs. Pablo Andújar: Raonic's less-than-subtle approach to tennis can be summed up with three key statistics from his first-round win over Thomas Fabbiano: 28 aces, 52 winners and a serve that reached 145 miles per hour. Bing, bang, boom. That's how Raonic, a 22-year-old Canadian, rolls. How far can his dominant service game take him? The match against Andújar, a clay-court specialist, won't answer that definitively, but Andújar's low-risk game could give Raonic a bit of trouble. In the first round, Andújar, of Spain, handled a big server, Thiemo de Bakker, in three fairly routine sets. But there's big, and there's Raonic big. Jack Sock vs. Máximo González: Both players were helped by injuries in their first-round wins. Sock was in a tight match with the tough Philipp Petzschner of Germany, who tweaked his shoulder and eventually retired in the third set. González, a qualifier, beat 14th-seeded Jerzy Janowicz, who could barely serve after throwing his back out during a training session over the weekend. Assuming Sock and González are healthy, this could be one of the most entertaining matches of the day. Sock is a big server who has good touch at the net and a strong, if occasionally erratic, forehand. González plays a traditional counter-punching clay-court game, looking to pull opponents out of position with big, looping ground strokes to the corners. If Sock's serve is on and he can force the action, he has a good chance to repeat his career-best third-round performance of a year ago. John Isner vs. Gaël Monfils: This matchup between two former quarterfinalists pits Isner's offensive game against one of the best defenders on the men's tour. Neither man was challenged in the first round. Monfils, a Frenchman, had little trouble dismissing Adrian Ungur. And Isner, the No. 13 seed, cruised to a straight-sets win over Filippo Volandri. Few players can handle Isner's crushing serve. Monfils is one of them, winning their last two meetings, both on hardcourts. The big question is health: Monfils has struggled with a rash of injuries over the last two years and is just returning to form. If Monfils is healthy, this could be not only one of the best matches of the day, but also one of the best of the tournament. Other matches of note: Ivan Dodig vs. Nikolay Davydenko: This is one of those early-round contrasts in playing style I always hope for. Dodig is a talented all-courter who will do plenty of damage at the net. Davydenko isn't the player he was, but he is still one of the better shotmakers from the baseline. Lucie Safarova vs. Roberta Vinci: Safarova's results have dropped off since last year, when she came into the Open ranked in the top 20. She is still a dangerous opponent who plays well on hardcourts. She could give Vinci, the No. 10 seed, trouble. Donna Vekic vs. Simona Halep: Keep your eye on Halep, who has had a breakout year. Halep, a young Romanian, has won four titles this season and beaten a slew of top players. Though Vekic is playing in her first United States Open, this match could be more competitive than you might think. Vekic, a 17-year-old Croatian, has rocketed up the WTA rankings this summer, reaching her first WTA final, in Birmingham, England, with wins over three top-50 players. Flavia Pennetta vs. Sara Errani: The diminutive Errani, the No. 8 seed, is one of the best retrievers on the women's side. Pennetta's results have fallen off over the last two years, but she is a three-time quarterfinalist here. Christina McHale vs. Elina Svitolina: Both players looked good in their opening matches. McHale dispatched the tough German Julia Goerges in straight sets, while Svitolina, who is just 18, ousted No. 17 seed Dominika Cibulkova in similar fashion. McHale won their first meeting last year, but Svitolina's game has improved drastically. Maria Kirilenko vs. Michelle Larcher de Brito: Kirilenko, the 14th seed, breezed through her opening match against Yanina Wickmayer. De Brito is a nice player whose shots are far from overpowering. Kirilenko should be able to pull through here. Because of rain, several of the matches scheduled for Wednesday were rescheduled for Thursday.