Round 2 action begins at the US Open with Novak Djokovic facing top Brit Kyle Edmund and American Taylor Fritz in action. Damian Kust, Yesh Ginsburg, and Jim Smith offer their predictions.
Novak Djokovic vs Kyle Edmund
Damian: Djokovic had a weaker period in the second set against Dzumhur but most of the game he was actually flawless off the ground. The neck injury seems to be forgotten and anyone will have a hard time stopping him in this form. Certainly, it shouldn’t be Kyle Edmund who isn’t exactly in top shape recently. Djokovic in 3
Jim: Djokovic was not consistently at his best in his opener against Damir Dzumhur, but he never looked to be in any danger of losing to the Bosnian. Edmund, who came from a set down to beat Alexander Bublik, may provide him with a tougher challenge. But although the Briton has beaten Djokovic before, he has lost to him in five of their six meetings. Expect Djokovic to extend his advantage in their head-to-head. Djokovic in 3
Yesh: Djokovic had a slight blip in the second set, but he looked in good form overall. Edmund is a solid player, but don’t expect an upset here. Djokovic in 3
Taylor Fritz vs Gilles Simon
Damian: The American was in better shape coming into this event and survived a possible tough game against last year’s sensation, Dominik Koepfer. Simon’s first-round win is really mostly on Safwat, who did some wild misfirings. Fritz has the game to power through Simon’s counterpunching and given what we’ve seen of him recently, he’s likely to perform on the level required. Fritz in 4
Jim: Simon is not the force he once was, but the Frenchman remains a dangerous opponent on his day and he showed as much by dismantling Mohammad Safwat in the first round. But Fritz, seeded 19th, is unlikely to provide such obliging opposition. Long rallies will be the order of the day here and that should ultimately favour the younger man. Fritz in 4
Yesh: Simon handled Mohamed Safwat without too much trouble. Fritz will be another story. Expect this to be a long match. Fritz in 5
Egor Gerasimov vs Jordan Thompson
Damian: Thompson defeated Stefano Travaglia by basically throwing him the ball back and seeing what the Italian would do with it. I expect a similar tactic here but Gerasimov should be better prepared to construct points on the attack. The Belarusian has been on the rise for the past year or so and this would be a great way to confirm his improvements. Gerasimov in 4
Jim: This is a huge opportunity for both men. Gerasimov impressed in beating an admittedly lacklustre Dusan Lajovic, whilst Thompson overcame Stefano Travaglia, and this looks likely to be a close contest. But what might just give Thompson the decisive edge is his greater variety and fitness, although he will need to manage his weaker backhand. Thompson in 3
Yesh: Thompson looked fine in his return to play, while Gerasimov had to expend a lot of energy in a tough first-round upset. Thompson in 4
Hubert Hurkacz vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Damian: The Pole is still struggling to find his best tennis but might not even need it to reach R4 with the draw that he has. This should test his game better than the match against Gojowczyk, but it is unlikely that Davidovich Fokina finds the consistency required to battle Hurkacz off the baseline. The Pole will need to step up his game soon though. Hurkacz in 4
Jim: Hurkacz’s results have been rather inconsistent so far this season, but the Pole played something close to his best tennis to beat Peter Gojowczyk in the first round in straight sets. Davidovich Fokina also impressed in battling past Dennis Novak in five sets, finishing strongly to complete a 3-6 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-0 win. But that match will surely have taken a heavy toll, mentally and physically. That could prove fatal to his chances against Hurkacz. Hurkacz in 4
Yesh: Davidovich Fokina likes clay a lot better than hard courts, which was evident in his tough first-round win over Dennis Novak. Hurkacz has no such issues. Hurkacz in 4
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