The US Open kicks off on Monday with a whopping 32 men’s matches on Day 1. It should be an incredible day of tennis action and–as always–we here at LWOT want to share our thoughts on every match with you. We split the 32 matches between eight articles. In addition to this article, our other articles feature Novak Djokovic vs Radu Albot, Frances Tiafoe vs Aleksandar Kovacevic, Ben Shelton vs Dominic Thiem, Gael Monfils vs Diego Schwartzman, Alexander Zverev vs Maximilian Marterer, Taylor Fritz vs Camilo Ugo Carabelli, and Holger Rune vs Brandon Nakashima. Predicting these matches are Ateet Shrivastava, Damian Kust, and Yesh Ginsburg. Who do you think will reach Round 2?
US Open Day 1 Men’s Predictions
Reilly Opelka vs Lorenzo Musetti
Ateet:
Reilly Opelka’s biggest strength is his serve and he has never lost a set to Musetti in the three previous meetings. However, Musetti has shown time and time again this year that his chip returns work brilliantly against the big servers and he is a much better player than the last time these two met. If the Italian can put enough returns back, I like his chances.
Prediction: Musetti in 4
Damian:
Opelka’s return started on a high note, but now he’s lost three matches in a row. With time the American should be able to find his way back to the Top 100 and drawing him in the opening round is never easy. Maybe it will be too much for Musetti, who was awesome on grass and clay but can be easily rushed on hard courts.
Prediction: Opelka in 5
Yesh:
Opelka’s serve and all-around game is brutal to face on these courts. I don’t think Musetti is currently up for it, as long as the American is healthy.
Prediction: Opelka in 4
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Rinky Hijikata
Ateet:
The Spaniard made a good start to his North American hard-court season and convincingly defeated Daniil Medvedev in Montreal. He has lost his last two matches though but one of them was to an inspired Frances Tiafoe. Rinky Hijikata had a good week at the Winston-Salem Open but if Davidovich Fokina plays as aggressively as he has done recently, he won’t stand a chance.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 4
Damian:
Davidovich Fokina is finally getting some traction this year after skipping the Olympics and choosing to get ready for the North American hard court season. Hijikata shouldn’t be an issue for him as the Australian doesn’t have the weapons to keep his opponent on the back foot and the talented shotmaker will likely prevail.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 3
Yesh:
Davidovich Fokina is a strong player who can never quite reach elite status. Still, he’s better than Hijikata and should be able to easily move on to Round 2.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 3
Roberto Carballes Baena vs Jan Choinski
Ateet:
Carballes Baena did not qualify for Montreal, hence he has no match wins on hard courts since Miami. The Spaniard plays best on clay courts, but he shocked Holger Rune in the US Open last year. If he can perform at that level again, he has a good chance of winning the match against the qualifier.
Prediction: Carballes Baena in 5
Damian:
Choinski is one of the most surprising qualifiers, surviving that insane thriller with Maxime Cressy in the final round. His hard-court game leaves a bit to be desired and while many would consider Carballes Baena a great draw on hard courts, it might be too much for the Brit anyway. He can’t let the Spaniard pin him behind the baseline here.
Prediction: Carballes Baena in 4
Yesh:
Choinski was impressive in qualifying, but he’s going to be outmatched against consistent Tour-level players. On grass I might like Choinski. But certainly not on any other surface.
Prediction: Carballes Baena in 3
Andrey Rublev vs Thiago Seyboth Wild
Ateet:
Rublev has looked in great touch since the North American hard courts swing began. He is defending quarterfinal points from last year and has a very tricky first-round opponent. Thiago Seyboth Wild is extremely talented and can hit winners from anywhere on his day but I feel Rublev i prepared well enough to see this through.
Prediction: Rublev in 4
Damian:
Seyboth Wild was outhitting Rublev for two sets at the Australian Open before the favorite finally prevailed in a fifth-set tie-break. Not much we’ve seen of late suggests the Brazilian will tap into this level again, but he’s not a player that needs that much rhythm and their previous clash certainly adds intrigue to this matchup.
Prediction: Rublev in 4
Yesh:
Rublev is playing pretty well right now, and Seyboth Wild would need something special to be able to keep up with him on these courts. I don’t think the Brazilian can do it.
Prediction: Rublev in 3
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
