The second round of the US Open begins Wednesday, and there are a pair of Serbian men who seem up for the challenge as juicy underdogs against players who showcased their talents at this year's Paris Olympics.
Here are my Wednesday US Open betting predictions for Kecmanovic vs. Musetti and Djere vs. Djokovic.
Match times are subject to change. Read here for advice on viewing US Open matches.
Wednesday US Open Betting Predictions
Miomir Kecmanovic (+185) vs Lorenzo Musetti (-240)
2:30 p.m. ET
Miomir Kecmanovic is an exciting player to back when he begins to heat up. The 24-year-old may still be working to achieve the sky-high expectations set for him years ago as a prospect, but he's had some impressive flashes over the past three seasons and seems to be playing well enough to take out a very volatile opponent in Lorenzo Musetti.
Kecmanovic finally got past Yoshihito Nishioka after a run of defeats and moves on to play Musetti — a player he defeated the last time he saw him on clay at the Davis Cup.
The Serb can rip winners off of both wings and that has generally been a concern for Musetti over the years. He struggles with overwhelming pace and serves up easy balls to crush off his forehand wing. That's why his hard-court winning percentage over the past two years is .500.
Kecmanovic proved he's at home on this surface with a breakout 2022 season that featured a 21-11 record on hard courts. When he's in form, he's a very difficult man to contain with the pace he can bring. He showed some signs of life on grass earlier in the summer and looks to be growing into form again.
Musetti, meanwhile, has played just three hard-court matches this summer — his first since Miami back in March. After splitting a pair in Cincinnati, he was gifted something of a meltdown against Reilly Opelka in the first round here.
I expect more good play out of Kecmanovic and think the line tells you all you need to know here.
Pick: Kecmanovic Moneyline (+185 via DraftKings)
Laslo Djere (+3000) vs Novak Djokovic (-10000)
8:30 p.m. ET
The last match of the day promises to be a good one between two Serbians who have played each other incredibly close over the years. And to spoil the surprise, I'm looking forward to a long match.
Laslo Djere first played Novak Djokovic on the clay in Belgrade two years ago, losing two tiebreaks in succession to fumble away a lead in the match. He would build a lead — this time of two sets — the next time he played Djokovic, last year at the US Open, before eventually succumbing to the legend.
After a quality win over Jan-Lennard Struff, it's hard to see this match being straightforward. Yes, Djokovic dominated a capable opponent in Radu Albot in the first round, but both players knew coming out of the locker room what the result would be. This one should prove to be a lot more challenging mentally for Djokovic, who has had issues picking up the Djere serve and doesn't seem to have the same anticipation in baseline exchanges as he normally has.
Djere's been a much better player on clay through the years, but has also proven to be one of the toughest players to put away on tour — no matter the conditions. He nearly took out Andrey Rublev at this event two years ago, losing in five sets, and made the third round last season with an impressive level through two matches.
I think you have to look past a poor season here and focus on the mentality both players will have in what's been a very close matchup between two fellow countrymen. It hasn't mattered how well Djokovic has been running, he's been noticeably slowed by Djere in both encounters and will be up against a talented player with little to lose.
I expect Djere to at least make this one interesting.
Pick: Over 28.5 Games (-120)
Get the most out of your US Open wagers with our DraftKings promo code.
