Second round action gets underway in New York at the US Open with Daniil Medvedev and Dan Evans taking to the court. We have predictions for all the round 2 action with Jack Edward, Yesh Ginsburg, and Anish Joshi offering their perspectives on the matches.
Daniil Medvedev vs Dominik Koepfer
Jack: Only four players have beaten Daniil Medvedev on hard-courts this season – Andrey Rublev, where Medvedev was arguably a little distracted after crashing into a camera, Pablo Carreno Busta, Roberto Bautista Agut and Novak Djokovic. The only way to beat Medvedev is to fight fire with fire and Dominik Koepfer’s aggressive style of lefty play won’t make a dent on the Russian’s defences. Medvedev in 3
Anish: Dominic Koepfer came through in a five-setter against Quentin Halys, in a match that lasted over three hours. It is not a promising result, considering the level of Koepfer’s opponent. Medvedev was looking in top form in his first round match match against Gasquet. Especially in the third set, he displayed extremely clever tennis, and hit backhand winners effortlessly. His service is strong as ever, and Medvedev hasn’t come here to settle for less. Medvedev in 3
Damian: A rematch from two years ago, when Koepfer pushed Medvedev to rather tight four sets. There’s no reason he can’t do it again, but over a long distance, he probably doesn’t have sufficient weapons to eliminate the second seed. Medvedev in 4
Marcos Giron vs Dan Evans
Jack: Both Dan Evans and Marcos Giron had fairly comfortable wins in their first round matches, indicating both mean business in New York. Evans is in the top-30 for a reason, however, and he’s frequently shown how comfortable he is playing at the US Open. Giron isn’t to be taken lightly but I see this playing out in a similar fashion to their match earlier this year in Melbourne. Evans in 4
Anish: British sensation Dan Evans faced a little difficulty before he settled down to oust Thiago Monteiro in four sets. Evans never really got going in any of the Us Open warm-ups, not making it past the second round. He will be looking to do something big here and forget those performances. Marcus Giron on the other hand won his first round match comfortably in straight sets. He is shaping up well as a player, but I don’t think he is good enough as yet. Evans in 4
Damian: Evans hasn’t been playing that well recently, while Giron is definitely having the best season of his life. Playing at home, and if his forehand is clicking, the American seems to be a slight favorite of this clash. Giron in 5
Dusan Lajovic vs Peter Gojowczyk
Jack: In his 15 years as a pro, Peter Gojowczyk’s first-round win against Ugo Humbert ranks up amongst some of his best. Coming through five sets, the German showed real grit against one of the games brightest prospects. Despite his win against Benoit Paire, I can’t look past how spotty Dusan Lajovic’s form has been of late. I’m backing the inspired qualifier to get his first win in a second-round Slam match by a whisker. Gojowczyk in 5
Anish: Who would have predicted this encounter ? Yet, here we are, after two upsets. Dusan Lajovic, though not being particularly menacing on his serve, managed to defeat Benoit Paire in four sets. He did well on the return wing, which is the biggest takeaway. The upset of the day however, was Peter Gojowczyk defeating Ugo Humbert. Gojowczyk did very well to churn out backhand winners at will, which caught Humbert off-guard. He has great defense, but maybe he is not good enough to defeat Lajovic. Lajovic in 5
Damian: Not the round two matchup that was expected here. With Gojowczyk, it’s all about staying consistent while taking the ball really early. As such, this probably depends a little bit more on his level than on Lajovic’s. Gojowczyk in 5
Carlos Alcaraz vs Arthur Rinderknech
Jack: Carlos Alcaraz has arrived – after a decent run to the semis in Winston-Salem last week, the motivated 18-year-old defeated Cam Norrie in a very impressive straight sets victory. The Alcaraz freight train is going in one direction and Arthur Rinderknech isn’t the man to stop it. Alcaraz in 3
Anish: Carlos Alcaraz Garfia is the youngest player in the men’s draw at Us Open, and it seems that will be the case at most slams for a while now. Time and time again, Alcaraz proves that he is not hyped for no reason. He defeated 26th seed Cameron Norrie in straight sets in the first round. It is time the world stops seeing him as a mere threat. Arthur Rinderknech ousted Miomir Kecmanovic in five sets. Rinderknech blasted 25 aces in the match. It should be an interesting one. A win against Rinderknech will see Alcaraz joining an elite club, where he is no longer seen as an underdog, and establishing him among the top — and I reckon he has it in him. Alcaraz in 5
Damian: It will be hard for the Spaniard to keep up the level that saw him blast 38 winners past Norrie, and make just 13 unforced errors in the process. Rinderknech had a much tougher first round though, which he won despite cramping. Recovery might be an issue. Alcaraz in 4
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