The US Open begins on Monday with a whopping 32 men’s matches on Day 1 of play. There is a ton of action around the grounds of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, and our writers here at LWOT will share their thoughts on all of the matches with you. We split the 32 matches between eight articles. Our other articles feature Novak Djokovic vs Alexandre Muller, Taylor Fritz vs Steve Johnson, Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Milos Raonic, Dominic Thiem vs Alexander Bublik, Christopher Eubanks vs Soon-Woo Kwon, Casper Ruud vs Emilio Nava, and Tommy Paul vs Stefano Travaglia. Predicting this set of matches are Damian Kust, Shane Black, and Jordan Reynolds.
US Open Day 1 Men’s Predictions
Holger Rune vs Roberto Carballes Baena
Damian:
Everything depends on Rune’s fitness here. Carballes Baena has added power to his serve and is a legit player on hard courts now, but that’s still nowhere near enough for the Dane when he’s playing well. If the 20-year-old manages to put his injury issues behind him, this likely won’t be a competitive match.
Prediction: Rune in 4
Shane:
No. 4 seed Holger Rune was none too pleased to find out his US Open began on Court No. 5. The 20-year-old Dane will be ready to go on Monday, unleashing powerful groundstrokes all over the court. Roberto Carballes Baena does not have the tools to hang in this match.
Prediction: Rune in 3
Jordan:
Rune’s chances of winning the US Open have not even been considered as the Djokovic and Alcaraz rivalry takes center stage. It may be worth reminding the tennis world that Rune has beaten Djokovic in their last two meetings, and they could meet in the semifinals. For now Rune needs to beat Carballes Baena. The Dane should be comfortable against the Spaniard, who has not played since a heavy defeat on the clay courts of Kitzbuhel nearly a month ago.
Prediction: Rune in 3
Jiri Lehecka vs Aslan Karatsev
Damian:
Coming off a long visit at a warm-up event very often ruins your chances at a Slam. Will Lehecka suffer because of that? He could, although the erratic nature of Karatsev’s game means that it probably won’t be the most physical matchup out there. It certainly makes this a much closer affair though.
Prediction: Lehecka in 5
Shane:
Jiri Lehecka is the highest-ranked player not to be seeded at the US Open. The 21-year-old is having a phenomenal season, holding an 8-3 record at the Slam-level. Karatsev is 2-6 in his last eight matches. Unless his form has magically changed, he will not be able to win enough baseline exchanges to stay in this match.
Prediction: Lehecka in 4
Jordan:
Hopefully there is no mental hangover for Lehecka. He missed a great chance to win his first ATP title after losing the final to Sebastian Baez, despite being e favourite. Karatsev though has lost all his hard court matches since Wimbledon. Even if Lehecka is slightly fatigued, this seems like a good match to manage a win regardless.
Prediction: Lehecka in 4
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Rinky Hijikata vs Pavel Kotov
Damian:
Some matches are just excellent draws for both players and this is definitely the case. It’s hard to call the favorite, but maybe Hijikata deserves the nod. He did pretty well vs Nadal here last year and should simply have a lot more match practice going into the US Open with lots of events on hard recently.
Prediction: Hijikata in 5
Shane:
Rinky Hijikata and Pavel Kotov both have very little Grand Slam success. They both have had inconsistent seasons with very few wins over top-ranked players. This should be a back-and-forth contest, lending its favor to whoever holds their nerve in tense moments.
Prediction: Hijikata in 5
Jordan:
It is the current #110 in the world against the #98, in what is a great opportunity for both players. Neither man is carrying much recent form into the US Open. Hijikata has been playing the more matches of the two. He gets a slight edge purely based on match sharpness.
Prediction: Hijikata in 4
Christopher Eubanks vs Soon-Woo Kwon
Damian:
Their match in the opening round of the Australian Open was pretty great, and while Eubanks won that one, Kwon can cause him a lot of trouble with his flat ball-striking. It’s just hard to trust the South Korean right now as we haven’t seen him on the court in half a year, this being his first match post-injury.
Prediction: Eubanks in 4
Shane:
Christopher Eubanks is just 3-4 since his run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals. He takes on Soonwoo Kim, a player he beat in five sets in Round 1 of the Australian Open earlier this year. Both men are great hardcourt players and will ravage the scoreline with winners. In the end, I trust the serve of Eubanks and the support from the fans to get him to the finish line.
Prediction: Eubanks in 5
Jordan:
The form of Eubanks has been patchy since his Wimbledon run. In reality retaining that momentum was always going to be difficult after such a sudden rise. Kwon is playing his first event since February after a long injury absence. It is terrific to see him back on court, but stepping straight into a Grand Slam as a returning event is a big ask. Eubanks to win, but losing a set on the way.
Prediction: Eubanks in 4
Main Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
