US Open 2020: Filip Krajinovic vs Mikael Ymer preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Filip Krajinovic vs Mikael Ymer

Date: 31 August 2020

Tournament: US Open 2020

Round: Round One (Round of 128)

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $39,024,000

Match timing: Not before 5 pm EDT, 2:30 am IST

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

Filip Krajinovic vs Mikael Ymer preview

World No.32 Filip Krajinovic is in the form of his life. The Serb comes into the US Open on the back of a solid week in the first leg of the Flushing Meadows double header at the Western & Southern Open.

The unseeded Krajinovic showed blistering form all week, at times playing some unassailable tennis, as he thrashed World No.3 Dominic Thiem and Marton Fucsovics on his way to the quarter-finals. The 2017 Paris Masters finalist came very close to reaching a second Masters 1000 semi-final of his career, falling short to Milos Raonic in a deciding set thriller.

Filip Krajinovic is also the only player who can boast of defeating Novak Djokovic this year, albeit unofficially, with his win over the World No.1 coming at the latter's Adria Tour exhibition tournament in June.

Mikael Ymer, meanwhile, has been a promising talent ever since his junior days. The Swede made the 2015 Junior Boys final at Wimbledon aged 17, losing to Reilly Opelka.

Mikael Ymer looks to make a mark at the US Open

With big things expected from him ever since, the now 21-year-old managed to finally find success in 2019 when he won Four Challenger Tournaments also getting his first Grand Slam Main draw win at the French Open, breaking into the Top 100 for the first time in his career, while also qualifying for the ATP NextGen Finals in Milan.

But the World No.69 has a huge task on his hands against the in-form Filip Krajinovic.

Filip Krajinovic vs Mikael Ymer head-to-head

Krajinovic blew Ymer off the court in their previous meeting

Filip Krajinovic and Mikael Ymer have played each other only once previously with the head to head standing 1-0 in favor of the former.

Krajinovic won the lone meeting between the pair at this year's Montpellier ATP 250 making light work of the young gun winning 6-1, 6-1.

Filip Krajinovic vs Mikael Ymer prediction

For all of Filip Krajinovic's talent, the Serb has never been able to go past the Round of 32 in Grand Slams. Moreover, in his four main draw appearances so far at the US Open, the 28-year-old has managed only one win falling in the first round the other three times.

But in his current form, the number-26-seed is expected to do better this year in New York with his very baseline reliant game, taking the ball quite early and aiming to be aggressive with the backhand, his favorite shot.

Mikael Ymer is playing in the main draw of the US Open for the first time in his young career. Having developed his game a lot over the last year, the Swede has added an offensive element to his already great defensive counter-punching game.

Krajinovic will look to blow his younger opponent off the court like he did in Montpellier and Ymer will have to use a different strategy to try to be competitive against the man in form.

Prediction: Filip Krajinovic to win in straight sets.