Mackenzie McDonald vs David Goffin and Tennys Sandgren vs Ilya Ivashka are two matches worth tuning in for at the US Open on day 2. Steen Kirby, Anish Joshi, and Yesh Ginsburg offer predictions for all of the matches on Tuesday.
Mackenzie McDonald vs David Goffin
Yesh: McDonald has had a strong summer, and Goffin has been very weak recently. Almost a decade ago, Goffin gave the young American a rude introduction to the professional circuit with a beatdown in Cincinnati. The pair haven’t met since. It’s time for McDonald to get revenge. McDonald in 4
Steen: Goffin hasn’t been fit (battling an ankle injury), and hasn’t been good since reaching the quarters in Monte Carlo. Five straight losses for Goffin has crushed his confidence, McDonald reached the final in Washington and qualified for Wimbledon. With home support, McDonald should rise to the occasion here. McDonald in 3
Anish: Mackenzie McDonald played exceptional tennis at Washington, where he made the finals. But after that, he faded away quickly, showing poor results at Toronto and Cincinnati. David Goffin is coming into the match off five consecutive losses. It looks like there is one more going to be added in the list. McDonald in 3
Aslan Karatsev vs Jaume Munar
Yesh: Karatsev had a huge breakout early in the year, though he hasn’t quite been the same since June. Still, his power should be more than enough to hit Jaume Munar off the court. Karatsev in 3
Steen: Both players are struggling, Munar is not great on hard courts and is 1-5 since Wimbledon. Karatsev is 1-3 since Wimbledon and is showing signs of a regression back to his previous Challenger Tour level play. Given the surface, I back Karatsev, not that either player will be brimming with confidence or playing near their best. Karatsev in 5
Anish: Karatsev has had rather disappointing results after the grass season. He will be looking to get back on track here at the US Open. For a man who made the semifinal at another hardcourt slam, it is bound to be not very difficult to do well here. Jaume Munar has a long way to go till he challenges Karatsev, atleast on hardcourts. Karatsev in 3
Tennys Sandgren vs Ilya Ivashka
Yesh: Ivashka has had a pretty impressive summer, and when his game is consistent he can challenge anyone. Sandgren, meanwhile, hasn’t been playing near his best in a while. Ivashka in 4
Steen: Sandgren continues to struggle, despite playing in his home country, there’s not much positive to say about his tennis right now. Ivashka has been excellent, winning Winston-Salem, and not losing his opening match at a tournament since the French Open qualifiers. Ivashka is playing great right now and only fatigue would hinder him in this match. Ivashka in 3
Anish: Sandgren had below-average results at Washington and Cincinnati. He has been going through a bad patch. Ivashka, on the other hand, has hit golden form. He won his first ATP title at the Winston-Salem Open. If he plays like he did there, a run to the fourth round here is guaranteed for Ivashka. Ivashka in 3
Albert Ramos-Vinolas vs Lucas Pouille
Yesh: Albert Ramos-Vinolas was better last year, but he’s still as solid as ever. Pouille hasn’t been anything special for quite a while, so the Spaniard should have the advantage. Ramos-Vinolas in 4
Steen: Ramos-Vinolas leads the h2h 4-1, he’s not a great hard court player right now though, Pouille has been struggling but won three matches in Winston-Salem. Pouille isn’t the player he was, but I still think he can get past Ramos-Vinolas on a hard court. Pouille in 4
Anish: Lucas Pouille plays nowhere close to his past level now, and his ranking has also slipped. He had to play in the qualifying rounds at the Winston-Salem Open, where he reached the second round. Albert Ramos-Vinolas also didn’t do very well in his recent outings, but still his general level is high enough to beat Pouille. He should come on top in this encounter. Ramos-Vinolas in 4
Main Photo from Getty Images
