Day 2 of the US Open is set to be an exciting one.
With players arriving in a variety of form, let’s dive in to where we can find the most value on Tuesday.
Here are my best bets and predictions.
Note: Match times are subject to change. Read here for tips on viewing US Open matches.
Borna Coric (-900) vs. Enzo Couacaud (+590)
2:15 p.m. ET
Borna Coric returned to tour this year following an injury that has prevented him from returning to his once world No. 12 form.
After struggling to make a significant impact even on the Challenger Tour, Coric put all questions about his future potential to rest in Cincinnati.
He was locked in, taking out Roberto Bautista Agut, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Cameron Norrie and Stefanos Tsitsipas all in straight sets. Oh yeah, and he beat Rafael Nadal.
With all credit to Coric, I believe he is being dangerously overvalued here. He was playing his best tennis in Cincinnati, but that isn't necessarily a sustainable level.
Enzo Couacaud is an extremely talented player that is going under the radar. With a deceptively dangerous serve and remarkable backhand (very similar to Coric), Couacaud has a sound game.
His forehand lacks the weapons that most top players possess, but he presents very few holes in his game. The Frenchman is sturdy mentally and will be ready to search for his first US Open main draw win.
With much of his success coming on the Challenger Tour, he has a 30-20 record in 2022, and I believe Couacaud is ready to compete on the ATP Tour.
Giving Coric 7.5 games against a high-quality opponent who will surely put him to the test seems crazy given he was struggling against worse opponents just a month ago.
Couacaud is dangerous, and I am putting Coric on upset alert. For now, I will gladly take Couacaud plus games.
Pick: Couacaud +7.5 Games (-144 via FanDuel)
Ilya Ivashka (-1100) vs. Sam Querrey (+680)
2:15 p.m. ET
Ilya Ivashka has had a disappointing 2022 by his standards. He is in dire need of defending or finding more US Open ranking points from last season.
Luckily for him, he has found himself with quite a favorable first round.
Ivashka has a potent serve with consistent groundstrokes and a great ability to close out points. Despite his power game, he can hang with anyone from the baseline.
Sam Querrey is surely on his way out. With his frequency of play plummeting and results following the same pattern, retirement may be arriving soon for the American.
With a serve that has led him to 10 titles and a best ranking of 11, that skill is just about the last thing still working in his game.
Querrey is more horrific than ever from the baseline, and once in a rally, his opponent has a significant upper hand. If he can’t dictate from the first ball or find his way to the net, the American is lost out on the court.
Even though Ivashka has struggled and faced a slight injury last week, his struggles are nothing compared to Querrey’s.
He has the perfect game to dismantle the American. A strong enough serve that will be difficult for Querrey to break, and a baseline/return game that will find its way through Querrey the second his first serve isn’t firing.
Trust Ivashka to make a breeze of this first-round match.
Pick: Ivashka 3-0 (-120 via FanDuel)
