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The New York Open starts this week, and we have an interesting slot of first round matches on Day 1 - with Tennys Sandgren, Steve Johnson, Miomir Kecmanovic and Damir Dzumhur all being in action.
Considering the fact that we have some big servers playing, we should expect a high number of tiebreaks. But we might see some upsets from the very first round here in New York, and here's a look at the big matches from today:
1. Miomir Kecmanovic vs Tommy Paul
Miomir Kecmanovic had a very good 2019 season, but he has failed to live up to the expectations in 2020. Kecmanovic hasn't displayed the same level from last season so far, and his first round match against Tommy Paul could be very tricky.
The American is playing in his home country, and he is arguably in better form than Kecmanovic at the moment.
Paul defeated Grigor Dimitrov at the Australian Open, and we can expect him to bring that wave of momentum to New York this week. He could be a possible "wildcard" for the title, if he can maintain a good level of play throughout the week.
Prediction: Tommy Paul to win.
2. Damir Dzumhur vs Andreas Seppi
When Damir Dzumhur is in form, he can look great. Some of his best results have come on indoor hard, and while the conditions in New York might be a bit too fast for his liking, they would surely suit him more than Andreas Seppi.
The Italian hasn't been in great form lately, and he lost early at the Australian Open. Seppi might have the advantage in their head-to-head record, but the truth is that he is nowhere near the level of play that he showed when he defeated Dzumhur in the past.
The Bosnian might be another "wildcard" this week, as he can beat any top player on a good day. If he is able to replicate his form from 2018, we can expect him to cause some upsets in New York this week.
Prediction: Damir Dzumhur to win.
3. Steve Johnson vs Tennys Sandgren
This is probably the most interesting and exciting clash from the first day of competition in New York. The all-American match between Steve Johnson and Tennys Sandgren looks even on paper, so the winner will likely have to play his best to go through to the second round.
Based on his form from the Australian Open, I have to pick Sandgren to win this one. Johnson might have had a good season so far at Challenger level, but truth is that he hasn't had much success on the ATP Tour for quite some time. Moreover, Sandgren also has the advantage in their head-to-head record.
Sandgren can exploit most of Johnson's weaknesses, and I expect him to arrive with a lot of confidence and motivation in this match after his great run at the Australian Open.
Prediction: Tennys Sandgren to win.
4. Jack Sock vs Marcos Giron
Jack Sock's singles career has seemingly hit a roadblock, after a horrible season in 2019. Considering that he has a very good chance of winning the doubles title this week in New York, we can expect him to focus on that.
Marcos Giron is a bit of a new player for tennis fans, as the young American player has mostly played Challenger tournaments. He is a very solid player on hardcourts though, and his serve should help him defeat Sock.
Giron should also be more motivated than Sock, considering the fact that this is a great chance for him to get past the first round of an ATP tournament.
Prediction: Marcos Giron to win.
