US Open action kicks off on Sunday with a bevy of intriguing matches on both the men’s and women’s sides. 2024 finalist Taylor Fritz gets his campaign underway on Louis Armstrong against fellow American Emilio Nava. As always, we at LWOT provide the preview and prediction for all matches on the slate, with Ateet Shrivastava, Damian Kust, and Tope Oke offering their insights.<\/p>\n
Our other prediction pieces feature Ben Shelton vs Ignacio Buse<\/a>, Novak Djokovic vs Learner Tien<\/a>, Daniil Medvedev vs Benjamin Bonzi<\/a>, and Jakub Mensik vs Nicolas Jarry<\/a>. But who will advance?<\/p>\n Ateet<\/strong> Damian<\/strong> Tope<\/strong> Ateet<\/strong> Damian<\/strong> Tope<\/strong>US Open Day 1 Men’s Predictions<\/h2>\n
Jiri Lehecka vs Borna Coric<\/h4>\n
\nBorna Coric has had a monumental decline this season as he is still looking for his first tour-level win. Jiri Lehecka is a ruthless opponent and won\u2019t give any opening for the out-of-form Croatian. This can get ugly for Coric if he doesn\u2019t serve well.
\nPrediction: Lehecka in 3<\/em><\/p>\n
\nCoric won four Challenger titles earlier this year, but is now struggling for wins after injuries took him out for a bit after the French Open. This should be enough for Lehecka to take advantage, even if the Czech has already disappointed a few times in the Slams recently. For this tournament, the expectations aren\u2019t that high. Maybe that can actually help.
\nPrediction: Lehecka in 4<\/em><\/p>\n
\nA few months back, Jiri Lehecka looked completely jaded, but he has steadily turned things around and is now on the brink of making it into the top #20 after almost dropping out of the top #40. His opponent, Borna Coric, is on a five-match winless streak, and he needs a strong result to turn the tide, having dropped out of the top #100. Coric is capable of winning this in peak form, but in current conditions, it\u2019s the Czech\u2019s star match to lose.
\nPrediction: Lehecka in 4<\/em><\/p>\nPablo Carreno Busta vs Pablo Llamas Ruiz<\/h4>\n
\nPablo Carreno Busta must be disappointed with his second-round loss to Sebastian Baez in Winston-Salem, but consistency has been a problem for the Spaniard in this stage of his career. However, I expect him to raise his level at his most successful Slam and defeat his compatriot, who is making his US Open main draw debut.
\nPrediction: Carreno Busta in 5<\/em><\/p>\n
\nFor the second time this year, Llamas Ruiz qualified for a Grand Slam a bit out of the blue. He\u2019s very crafty but retired in his two previous events, only to show up in New York and play extremely disciplined off the ground. 2-time semifinalist Carreno Busta will probably put him away, but he looks painfully past his peak at the moment.
\nPrediction: Carreno Busta in 4<\/em><\/p>\n
\nPablo Carreno Busta has returned from an injury during the North American summer hard court season and now heads to a major where he has advanced to the semi-finals twice. He will face Pablo Llamas Ruiz in the first round, who, after dealing with a wrist injury last year, seems to be gradually gaining some momentum. While the older Spaniard holds a significant experience advantage, his younger compatriot is capable of winning this the longer the match goes.
\nPrediction: Llamas Ruiz in 5<\/em><\/p>\n