With the top half of the draw set to battle for a place in the third round on day three at the US Open, there should be plenty of great tennis for the fans to enjoy. Those in action include top seed Novak Djokovic who will be in action against Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Londero, five-time champion Roger Federer who takes on Damir Dzumhur, world #5 Daniil Medvedev who faces Hugo Dellien and seventh seed Kei Nishikori who is set to clash with American Bradley Klahn. Offering their predictions for this slate of matches are Jim Smith, Yesh Ginsburg and Ryan Schtick.
US Open Day Three Predictions
Denis Kudla vs Dusan Lajovic
Jim: Denis Kudla hasn’t enjoyed massive success at his home Slam and it is not particularly hard to see why. The gritty hard courts do not reward his flat strokes and he often over-presses as a result, especially off the backhand side. Dusan Lajovic, an impressively clean ball striker, should have the quality to expose those weaknesses.
Prediction: Lajovic in 4
Ryan: This should be an entertaining match with both players battling point after point. Lajovic is having an excellent season, while Kudla has had ups and downs, most playing Challengers. Lajovic is in better form, but he is his best on clay, and Kudla will have the American crowd behind him and pull off the upset.
Prediction: Kudla in 5
Yesh: Lajovic is part of a quietly-impressive group of Serbian players. Kudla, meanwhile, is a journeyman American who has never quite lived up to his talent. He likes U.S. hard courts, though, which means he can punch above his level. But that doesn’t seem likely to be enough to take him past the talented Lajovic, a finalist in Monte Carlo earlier this season, into the US Open third round.
Prediction: Lajovic in 5
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Feliciano Lopez vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Jim: Feliciano Lopez may be coming towards the end of his career, but he showed his enduring quality in his impressive 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 win over 26th seed Taylor Fritz in the first round. Yoshihito Nishioka, meanwhile, continued his fine season with a four-set comeback win over Marco Giron. This looks set to be an entertaining and close battle, but Lopez’s power and experience should just give him the edge.
Prediction: Lopez in 5
Ryan: This is probably the most intriguing match of day three at the US Open. Nishioka is young and has been playing great tennis, while Lopez is one of several players who seem to be ageless by relying on their big serves. Nishioka will be able to grind out a couple breaks and win the match.
Prediction: Nishioka in 4
Yesh: Nishioka is quietly improving a lot and impressed in the first round where he proved too strong for Giron in the Californian’s first US Open appearance since 2014, but Lopez has the game and problem-solving skills to get through young talent.
Prediction: Lopez in 4
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Cristian Garin vs Alex De Minaur
Jim: Few would probably have predicted at the start of the year that Alex De Minaur would be the unseeded player in this clash at the start of the year. But the Australian has nonetheless had a good year, despite struggling in recent months. He played well in his first-round win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert and should be able to outlast Cristian Garin, who endured a taxing first-round match against Christopher Eubanks.
Prediction: De Minaur in 4
Ryan: Two potential future stars will face off in this second-round clash at the US Open. Both players have strong ground strokes and rely on technique more than power. De Minaur is more comfortable on the hard courts than Garin and should prevail in a tight one as a result.
Prediction: De Minaur in 4
Yesh: This looks set to be a good match between two young up-and-comers. Garin probably should have lost his opener, but Eubanks threw it away a little. I like the Australian, who won the title in Atlanta late last month, here on a surface he is more comfortable on than his opponent.
Prediction: De Minaur in 3
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Roger Federer vs Damir Dzumhur
Jim: Roger Federer looked some way short of his best up against Sumit Nagal in the first round, but ultimately managed to find a path to victory in four sets. And in truth, it was his own errors that caused him problems against Nagal, rather than anything the Indian did. Against Dzumhur, the match will once again be on his racquet and it is hard to imagine the great Swiss playing so sloppily again.
Prediction: Federer in 3
Ryan: Federer dropped the first set in his opening match in fairly shaky form. However he also did so at Wimbledon before coming agonizingly close to the title. He will be in better form today, and while Dzumhur is a fine player, 2019 has not been his best season. Federer should win this one fairly easily.
Prediction: Federer in 3
Yesh: Federer took some time to get into rhythm in his opener against Sumit Nagal, but now that he’s found it he should cruise through this match up against an opponent without the power to cause him any real problems.
Prediction: Federer in 3
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