US Open 2020: Borna Coric vs Pablo Andujar preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Borna Coric vs Pablo Andujar

Date: 31 August 2020

Tournament: US Open 2020

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $39,024,000

Match timing: 11 AM EDT, 8:30 PM IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Hotstar

Borna Coric vs Pablo Andujar preview

27th seed Borna Coric opens his campaign at the 2020 US Open against Spain's Pablo Andujar.

The 23-year-old Croat commenced his season with a win at the inaugural ATP Cup but lost four matches on the trot before getting back on the winning trail with a run to the Buenos Aires semifinals (lost to Cristian Garin). That turned out to be his last competitive outing of the season before the COVID-19 outbreak.

Coric participated in the ill-fated Adria Tour during the pandemic lockdown and was one of several players who contracted the dreaded virus. But in his first competitive outing in six months at the Cincinnati Masters, Borna Coric beat Benoit Paire in his tournament opener - before falling to David Goffin in the second round.

Coric's first-round opponent at this year's US Open, Pablo Andujar, opened his season with a trio of opening-round exits - Doha, Auckland and Australian Open. The 34-year-old then picked up a pair of wins in Cordoba and Rio de Janeiro during the Latin American clay-court swing, before he lost to compatriot Rafael Nadal in the first round at Acapulco.

Borna Coric vs Pablo Andujar head-to-head

Borna Coric and Pablo Andujar have never met on the tour before, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Borna Coric vs Pablo Andujar prediction

Borna Coric has a modest 7-5 match-win record at the US Open. In his last appearance at Flushing Meadows, the World No. 33 won his opener against Evgeny Donskoy before withdrawing from the tournament owing to an injury.

In 2018, Borna Coric had made a run to the second week at the US Open before going down to eventual finalist Juan Martin Del Potro in the fourth round.

Pablo Andujar on the other hand made his US Open debut in 2008, but his best campaign at the tournament only came last year - when he made the Round of 16 (lost to Gael Monfils).

Despite his impressive run at the US Open in 2019, Andujar's poor form on hard court this year - he is winless in four matches - means that Borna Coric will start as the favorite on Monday.

This is just the second best-of-five set match for Borna Coric this year; he lost in the Australian Open first round to Sam Querrey. Nevertheless, the Croat is unlikely to be severely tested by the 53rd-ranked Andujar, who has yet to win on the surface this year.

Prediction: Borna Coric to win in four sets.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Musab Abid