Big hitters like Sebastian Korda and Matteo Berrettini feature on day 1 of the US Open. We have predictions for every match that opens the tournament in New York, including Andy Murray’s first round contest.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs JJ Wolf
Damian Kust: The two played a very tight match earlier this year and J.J. Wolf has the game to beat Roberto Bautista Agut. The difference is he has to be redlining to do it, while the Spaniard can get away with playing at 80% usually. It gives the seed the edge in the longer format. Bautista Agut in 4
Yeshayahu Ginsburg: J.J. Wolf is finally starting to put it all together and play good tennis. He loves these courts and could have made a run here. Unfortunately, he drew a first-round match he can’t really win. Bautista Agut in 4
Tim Van Rijthoven vs Zhizhen Zhang
Damian: This one seems pretty straightforward. Tim van Rijthoven hasn’t played in over a month, while Zhizhen Zhang has been absolutely killing the Challenger circuit. There are a couple of qualifiers who could go ballistic in this event and the Chinese is certainly among them. Zhang in 4
Yesh: Van Rijthoven was a revelation on grass, but hasn’t done too much since then. No matter; his power game should be enough to get through this match. Van Rijthoven in 4
Matteo Berrettini vs Nicolas Jarry
Damian: Instead of Hugo Dellien who withdrew, Matteo Berrettini is pretty unlucky to get a much tougher opponent. He should progress to the next round, but facing someone with Nicolas Jarry’s serve can always get complicated if one’s not careful enough. Berrettini in 4
Yesh: Berrettini has quietly seen his ranking drop due to injuries, but he has a huge serve and forehand that should love these courts. If he’s healthy, he’ll go far. Berrettini in 3
Sebastian Korda vs Facundo Bagnis
Damian: Facundo Bagnis is hardly a hard-courter, but he’s already qualified for the US Open three times and was serving very well this past week. Still, it’s a draw Sebastian Korda should capitalize on. Korda in 4
Yesh: Korda hasn’t quite found the consistency he needs yet, but the talent is undeniable. The American should be able to impress here. Korda in 4
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