US Open action kicks off on Sunday with a bevy of intriguing matches on both the men’s and women’s sides. Former champion Daniil Medvedev gets his campaign underway against Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi. As always, we at LWOT provide the preview and prediction for all matches on the slate, with Tope Oke, Damian Kust, and Ateet Shrivastava offering their insights.
Our other prediction pieces feature Ben Shelton vs Ignacio Buse, Novak Djokovic vs Learner Tien, Taylor Fritz vs Emilio Nava, and Jakub Mensik vs Nicolas Jarry. But who will advance?
US Open Day 1 Men’s Predictions
Brandon Nakashima vs Jesper de Jong
Tope
Brandon Nakashima is looking to have another strong performance at his home Grand Slam. He’s had a decent run this season on hardcourts this season, peaking at the semi-finals in Acapulco. De Jong is making his debut in the US Open main draw after successfully qualifying through all three rounds, although his performances on hard courts this season have not been convincing. De Jong has a penchant for upping his game on the big stage, and it won’t be surprising if he upsets the American.
Prediction: de Jong in 5
Damian
De Jong overcame some mental demons in the qualifying when he beat Mayot in the second round, winning despite blowing almost every lead possible. He’s 4-0 in the opening rounds of Slams, but this might be his toughest one yet. Nakashima is solid if unspectacular, and that usually gets him the wins he’s expected to get.
Prediction: Nakashima in 4
Ateet
Brandon Nakashima was unfortunate to come up against top 10 players in all three of his previous losses and will look to make a strong start here. Jesper de Jong is making his main draw debut here and will find it difficult to handle Nakashima’s serve and power. The American is the superior player on this surface, and I expect him to win.
Prediction: Nakashima in 4
Luciano Darderi vs Rinky Hijikata
Tope
Italian Luciano Darderi has had an impressive season, winning two titles on clay, but the same cannot be said of his performances on hard courts, managing only two wins out of nine matches. This season has been challenging for Rinky Hijikata, with his best performance occurring early in the year at Adelaide, where he reached the quarter-finals. He hasn’t been on court since retiring midway through his second qualifying match at the Washington Open in late July, and his lack of recent match experience may be a disadvantage, particularly in a five-set format.
Prediction: Darderi in 5
Damian
Hijikata hasn’t played since retiring in Washington, and while he reached the fourth round in New York before, we don’t know much about his current fitness. Darderi’s not a natural hard-courter, but he picked up three titles this year, and his all-surface game will improve eventually, along with the clay-court progress. He’s the favorite right now.
Prediction: Darderi in 4
Ateet
Rinky Hijikata hasn’t done much winning on hard courts since reaching the quarterfinal in Adelaide at the start of the year. This is not Luciano Darderi’s preferred surface, but he is in much better form heading into this event and also has the advantage of beating Hijikata before.
Prediction: Darderi in 5
Eliot Spizzirri vs Stefan Dostanic
Tope
This all-American promises to be a good watch for the fans. While Spizzirri is the more experienced player, Dostanic cannot be overlooked on his Grand Slam debut, particularly in light of his performances in Winston-Salem. Both have traded wins in their previous meeting, but I’m riding with Dostanic in this one.
Prediction: Dostanic in 5
Damian
Paradise for the college tennis fan. Spizzirri has obviously been a part of the circuit for a bit longer, and that experience might get him there, but Dostanic will probably catch up to him level-wise relatively soon. The two-time LTA year-end No. 1 won their only meeting this year convincingly last month; he might find a way again.
Prediction: Spizzirri in 5
Ateet
This could be one of the sleeper hits of the first round as two young local players who have been given the main draw wild cards search for their first-ever Grand Slam win. Stefan Dostanic showed some quality tennis in Winston-Salem, but Eliot Spizzirri is the higher-ranked player here and has won a Challenger title this season on hard courts. I am going with Spizzirri, but it can go either way.
Prediction: Spizzirri in 5
Daniil Medvedev vs Benjamin Bonzi
Tope
Daniil Medvedev’s challenging season took another downturn in Cincinnati, where he was defeated in the second round by Adam Walton and effectively dropping out of the top #10. Benjamin Bonzi had an impressive performance in Cincinnati recently, making it to the Round of 16 with some excellent wins over Lorenzo Musetti and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Frenchman has won more than he has lost against Medvedev, and in full flow, he is more than capable of upsetting the struggling Russian.
Prediction: Bonzi in 5
Damian
Medvedev has had a nightmare at the Slams this year, winning just one match, and it was in 5-sets over Kasidit Samrej. At Wimbledon, his form seemed to be going up at the right time before he produced a horror show against Bonzi. Same opponent again, but probably with lesser expectations? Guess he battles through, yet it’s not a certainty at this stage at all.
Prediction: Medvedev in 4
Ateet
This match has the potential for a possible upset, as Benjamin Bonzi will look to take down Daniil Medvedev once again, just as he did at this year’s Wimbledon. Medvedev is going through his worst season on tour since 2017 and will have a point to prove in New York. He might not be at his best right now, but I expect him to raise his level and learn from their last match.
Prediction: Medvedev in 5
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – USA TODAY Sports
