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)