Men’s Match of the Day: [8] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs Andrey Rublev (RUS)
Tsitsipas beat Federer in a major and beat Rafa on clay this year. He battled Wawrinka in a great 5 set Roland Garros round of 16 loss. However, the second half of his season has been a bit understated. Has fatigue set in? Are expectations weighing on him? Is he healthy? I don’t know, but Rublev is playing very solid tennis and has some momentum from the summer hard court season. I am feeling an upset. My Prediction: Andrey Rublev d. Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
Predicted Winners in BOLD
ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM (Noon start)
[4] Dominic Thiem (AUT) vs Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) – So long as Thiem is okay with the pace of the court, he should avoid an early upset.
[2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. John Millman (AUS)
LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM (11 a.m.)
[8] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs Andrey Rublev (RUS) – See Above
[28] Nick Kyrgios (AUS) vs Steve Johnson (USA) – I don’t think Johnson should win, but he certainly could. Kyrgios could also roll.
GRANDSTAND
[14] John Isner (USA) vs [Q] Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) – Querrey fared poorly on day 1. I am not sure where Isner’s form is after his stress fracture in Miami. If GGL holds, expect either GGL set wins or tiebreak sets that are coin flips.
[18] Félix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) vs Denis Shapovalov (CAN) – This is a 50/50 match for me, but I think Shapovalov needs to add a bit of heft to his game to reclaim some momentum.
COURT 17
[6] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs Radu Albot (MDA)
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) vs. Frances Tiafoe (USA) – I would expect long sets and short points.
COURT 5
[22] Marin Cilic (CRO) vs Martin Klizan (SVK) – The 2014 champion has a slightly tricky draw and a date on court 5.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. Tennys Sandgren (USA) – This could go either way, but I will side with experience.
COURT 10
[Q] Hyeon Chung (KOR) vs. [WC] Ernesto Escobedo (USA) – Qualifiers are match tough.
[13] Gaël Monfils (FRA) vs Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) – This could go 5.
COURT 13
[30] Kyle Edmund (GBR) vs. Pablo Andujar (ESP)
Lloyd Harris (RSA) vs. [Q] Egor Gerasimov (BLR)
COURT 4
[10] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) vs Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ)
Filip Krajinovic (SRB) vs. [PR] Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (GER) – Call me crazy
COURT 6
Joao Sousa (POR) vs. Jason Thompson (AUS)
[WC] Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) vs. [Q] Ilya Ivashka (BLR)
COURT 7
[32] Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs. [Q] Tobias Kamke (GER) – Verdasco still drawing a seed speaks to the younger generation(s) not just being beaten by the big 3.
[29] Benoit Paire (FRA) vs Brayden Schnur (CAN) – If Paire can shake off his near-miss in North Carolina on Saturday, he should advance.
COURT 8
Alexei Popyrin (AUS) vs. Federico Delbonis (ARG)
Ugo Humbert (FRA) vs. Marius Copil (ROU)
COURT 9
Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) vs. Marcel Granollers (ESP)
[WC] Antoine Hoang (FRA) vs. Leonardo Mayer (ARG)
COURT 11
[24] Matteo Berrettini (ITA) vs. Richard Gasquet (FRA) – Cincinnati momentum could carry the veteran to another nice win.
[20] Diego Schwartzman (ARG) vs Robin Haase (NED)
COURT 12
[WC] Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) vs. Gilles Simon (FRA)
[9] Karen Khachanov (RUS) vs [PR] Vasek Pospisil (CAN)
COURT 14
Alexander Bublik (KAZ) vs. [Q] Santiago Giraldo (COL)
Henri Laaksonen (SUI) vs. Marco Cecchinato (ITA)
COURT 15
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) vs. Casper Ruud (NOR)
[PR] Josef Kovalik (SVK) vs. Aljaz Bedene (SLO)
