Novak Djokovic and Reilly Opelka play their second round US Open matches in New York City as Grand Slam action continues. Anish Joshi and Damian Kust offer predictions for every second round match.
Novak Djokovic vs Tallon Griekspoor
Anish: By the high standards he sets, Djokovic wasn’t playing well at all in his match against Rune. Still, he made the scoreline look as though he played a novice. Griekspoor eked out an excellent performance to defeat Struff in the first round. But his campaign will have to stop here. Djokovic in 4
Damian: Rune wasn’t able to keep up with Djokovic’s intensity and started cramping heavily. We still know nothing about the Serbian’s level but that shouldn’t really matter in the early rounds, just like it shouldn’t matter who his opponent is. Djokovic in 3
Denis Kudla vs Oscar Otte
Anish: Denis Kudla came out on top against Serb Laslo Djere in his first round encounter. The biggest highlight for him in this match must be the way he soaked up Djere’s firepower. On the other side of the net, Oscar Otte, a qualifier, upset Lorenzo Sonego in four sets. I think he should continue his march forward. Otte in 5
Damian: That’s a great chance for both. Kudla has picked up some good form in the grass season, while Otte managed to qualify for three straight slams and scored a massive win over Sonego. I’ll take the German because of the lead in serve quality that he has over Kudla. Otte in 5
Reilly Opelka vs Lorenzo Musetti
Anish: Reilly Opelka made short work of Soonwoo Kwon in the first round. He butchered 33 aces along with 55 winners in the encounter. Musetti has been facing problems on fast surfaces, and it will be a challenge for him to tackle Opelka. We should see young Musetti crashing out here. Opelka in 4
Damian: Musetti’s match against Nava was a mess and even though the American couldn’t defeat him, he exposed his struggles with faster conditions and lack of match practice. Opelka’s hammer serve will really test Musetti’s backhand return too, and it’s unlikely to do the job. Opelka in 3
Lloyd Harris vs Ernesto Escobedo
Anish: Ernesto Escobedo crushed Pablo Cuevas in his first round encounter. But looking at the stats, he didn’t show impressive performances in any departments. At the moment, he is ranked #178 and has a long way to go. Lloyd Harris upset Olympic Silver medallist Karen Khachanov in the first round. Any critics can be politely asked to turn down the noise now, as Harris looks set for a dream run at the US Open. Harris in 4
Damian: Escobedo dominated Cuevas in his opener, but the rise in the level of competition will be very steep. Harris has been spectacular on hard courts this year and should have the upper hand with all the confidence he’s amassed. Harris in 4
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