Americans Bjorn Frantangelo, Taylor Fritz, and Donald Young could all make big strides to reach the third round at the US Open, but they’ll need upset wins to get there. Roger Federer and Tomas Berdych are also in action as Brandon Wall, Yesh Ginsburg, and Steen Kirby offer up their predictions.
Roger Federer vs. Mikhail Youzhny
Steen: Youzhny might retire in this match honestly, Federer is 16-0 in the h2h and was thumping Youzhny when the Russian was still a credible ATP player. Two of the oldest players on tour, but they are at totally different levels of competitiveness at this point. Look for Federer to recover from a shaky round 1 performance and find his groove. Federer in 3
Brandon: Roger Federer has just come off a massive five set thriller against Frances Tiafoe that rocked New York City long into the night. In arguably the greatest match of the season so far, the FedExpress was barely able to conquer the young talent, just scraping through into the second round. This scare will however, ignite the mastery that is Federer ahead of his meeting with Russian veteran, Mikhail Youzhny. The Swiss Maestro will once again prove to be too strong for Youzhny, extending his record to 17-0 against the Russian in dominate fashion. Federer in 3
Yesh: Federer did not look great in his opening match. The back bothered him and his movement wasn’t perfect. Against a Youzhny from five or even three years ago, Federer could be in trouble. Youzhny doesn’t have enough to challenge the Swiss now, though. Federer in 3
Dominic Thiem vs. Taylor Fritz
Steen: Fritz is in-form and has won four of his last five matches. Thiem for his part has still won three of his last four and has more of a ceiling than Fritz. Fritz could catch Thiem if he’s off, but the Austrian probably digs deep to secure a win in a competitive battle. Thiem in 4
Brandon: Taylor Fritz has entered the second round of a Grand Slam for the very first time after his win over Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. This straight sets win was a massive milestone for the youngster, however the American’s US Open campaign may come to an end facing the in-form Austrian, Dominic Thiem. Thiem came through his opener in ease against another future star, Alex De Minaur, 6-4, 6-1, 6-1, and it would be no surprise if the 23-year-old is able to dispatch Fritz in a similar style. Thiem in 3
Yesh: Dominic Thiem looks dominant right now. He’s stuck in the half of the draw with Federer and Nadal, which isn’t good news for either of those two. Thiem in 3
Tomas Berdych vs. Alexandr Dolgopolov
Steen: Berdych should have plenty of confidence given the 4-1 h2h edge he has over the streaky Ukrainian shotmaker. The Czech didn’t drop a set in the first round and his power will disrupt Dolgopolov. I don’t see this one being close. Berdych in 3
Brandon: Tomas Berdych is so often forgotten when it comes to Grand Slams, always in the shadows of the Big 4. The giant Czech showed promising signs against a resurgent Ryan Harrison, winning through in three sets. With a relatively open draw, could this be the year Berdych finally captures his first Grand Slam title? Alexandr Dologopolov will have something to say about this in their round two clash. Having already fought through a gruelling five setter against Jan-Lennard Struff, the Ukrainian has shown that he won’t quit easily and will pose a slight challenge to the big serving Berdych. Berdych in 4
Yesh: Berdych struggled early against Ryan Harrison, but he was lights out after that. Assuming he’s not fatigued and still on rhythm, the talented Dolgopolov shouldn’t be a problem. Berdych in 3
Adrian Mannarino vs. Bjorn Fratangelo
Steen: Mannarino is in great form and presents a totally different challenge than Frantangelo circumnavigated against Ivo Karlovic. Mannarino will get enough returns into play and win enough points with aggressive ball striking to get the win despite a hostile crowd. Mannarino in 5
Brandon: Bjorn Fratangelo stunned the crowd on Court 4 as he swiftly moved past overwhelming favourite, Ivo Karlovic, 7-6 (2), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4). The young American obviously appreciated the support from the hometown fans as he notched up one of the biggest wins of his young career. Adrian Mannarino has shown strong form leading up to the US Open, reaching the quarter finals of the Canadian Open. The Frenchman will look to continue his stellar season against Fratangelo in the second round after easing through his opener in straight sets. The American crowd will no doubt be behind their youngster, Fratangelo, however, Mannarino’s experience will prove to be too strong to handle. Mannarino in 4
Yesh: Fratangelo showed a great job on return in getting through Ivo Karlovic, breaking him a few times. The young American’s first opportunity on a big stage won’t be enough, though, as he faces a very in-form Mannarino. Mannarino in 4
Gael Monfils vs. Donald Young
Steen: Both players would like to be in better form right now, but Monfils has an edge in that department. Young has always had the talent to win matches like this, but Monfils has to be starting to feel confident about his ability to make the second week given he seems healthy. Young lacks the weaponry to win. Monfils in 3
Brandon: Gael Monfils and Donald Young have met on two previous occasions, displaying a 1-1 record against each other. Young dropped a set against qualifier, Maximilian Marterer, before displaying some quality tennis to move through in four sets. Monfils, however, was very impressive in his first-round win over fellow countryman Jeremy Chardy. This encounter will prove to be a very interesting matchup, expect to see a lot of flair from this pair with the classy Frenchman, Monfils, eventually prevailing. Monfils in 5
Yesh: Monfils and Young both have the potential to lose their concentrations, so this match could really go either way. The Frenchman is more consistent, but if the New York crowd gets behind Young, it might be able to throw Monfils off. Monfils is certainly the safer pick here. Monfils in 4
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