The second round of the men’s singles starts on Day 3 of the US Open. As always, we here at LWOT will share our thoughts on all 16 matches for you. We split the matches between four articles, including this one. The other articles feature Novak Djokovic vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles, Sefanos Tsitsipas vs Dominic Stricker, and Ben Shelton vs Dominic Thiem. Predicting these matches are Damian Kust, Jordan Reynolds, and Manuel Traquete. Who do you think will advance?
US Open Day 3 Men’s Predictions
Aslan Karatsev vs Roberto Carballes Baena
Damian:
Carballes Baena took advantage of a struggling Rune, while Karatsev powered through Lehecka. While the Spaniard has improved his hard-court game a ton over the years, this is simply a match that’s not really on his racket. If Karatsev can keep himself reasonably steady, he’ll have an obvious advantage in this one.
Prediction: Karatsev in 4
Jordan:
Carballes Baena created the biggest headlines on the opening day by dispatching fourth seed Holger Rune. But Karatsev easily defeating Jiri Lehecka in straight sets was also very impressive. I think Karatsev can overwhelm the Spaniard with the pace of his shots if he finds his range. But I do not predict his win with certainty.
Prediction: Karatsev in 4
Manuel:
Both players are fresh off significant Round 1 upsets, especially Carballes Baena, who took down world #4 Holger Rune. Both will be confident going into this one, but Karatsev has the far bigger game and should be favored on this surface as the match will be on his racket.
Prediction: Karatsev in 4
Francisco Cerundolo vs Jiri Vesely
Damian:
Vesely’s fitness has improved so much recently and outlasting Couacaud in five sets is a great example of that. He’s been really good at Grand Slam level this season and is very motivated to return to the top. This could be an opportunity for him with Cerundolo’s level with some definite tendencies to fluctuate.
Prediction: Vesely in 5
Jordan:
Cerundolo certainly was not at his best in his win against Svajda in the first round, but found a way to fight through. The Argentine has not played his best tennis in a while. This contest could be similar. The experienced Vesely to push a slightly below par Cerundolo close, before falling just short.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 5
Manuel:
Vesely hasn’t been a factor on Tour for a while but he has played well at Slams, with good performances in Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and now the US Open. Against a Top 20 player like Cerundolo, he’s a clear underdog but he’s certainly got his chances as he’s always a dangerous and unpredictable player.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 4
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Frances Tiafoe vs Sebastian Ofner
Damian:
Tiafoe is a legitimate dark horse contender and his US Open warm-up swing wasn’t as poor as it seems. Ofner is the first real test he gets here and while the Austrian is not quite in his first half of the year form, the conditions seem to suit him. Tiafoe loves this stage though and should have it in him to step up if necessary.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 4
Jordan:
Last year’s semifinalist, Tiafoe, was expected to overcome 17-year-old Learner Tien. But he still performed well and looked sharp. Clay court specialist Ofner got a hard fought win over Nuno Borges to reach this stage. But the Austrian’s level needs to rise steeply to have a genuine chance against Tiafoe.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 4
Manuel:
Tiafoe had the greatest run of his career last year at this tournament and faces a big challenge trying to repeat it (or do even better), but this second round against Ofner shouldn’t, in theory, cause him too many issues as he’s the clearly superior player on this surface.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 3
Taylor Fritz vs Juan Pablo Varillas
Damian:
Varillas beat a Top 200 opponent on hard courts for the very first time when he defeated Kecmanovic, taking advantage of some very passive play from the Serbian. Fritz should be one step too far though. While the last few Slam campaigns didn’t go well for him, it looks like this one might break that trend.
Prediction: Fritz in 3
Jordan:
The American #1 banished the memories of his opening round loss last year with the most dominant victory seen on the first day over Steve Johnson. Clay court specialist Varillas got a great win to himself in round 1. But Fritz is a completely different challenge. And it is one the Peruvian is very unlikely to overcome.
Prediction: Fritz in 3
Manuel:
Despite entrenching himself in the top 10, Fritz has been extremely disappointing at Slam level, losing to much lower ranked players time and again. With that in mind, it would not exactly be the biggest shock if he lost here, but you have to imagine that at some point he will get it together and put a decent Slam run together, and Varillas is one of the kindest draws he could possibly get at this stage.
Prediction: Fritz in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
