US Open 2021: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andy Murray preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (3) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andy Murray

Date: 30 August 2021

Tournament: US Open 2021

Round: First round (Round of 128)

Venue: New York, United States

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $40,560,000

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andy Murray preview

3rd seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will take on former champion Andy Murray in a blockbuster first-round encounter at the 2021 US Open.

Tsitsipas has never made it past the third round of the year's final Slam, and will be looking to change that this year. Fortunately for him, the Greek has been in fine form of late; he made it to the semifinals of the last two Masters 1000 events, and will be high on confidence right now.

Against the 2012 champion Murray, however, Tsitsipas faces an incredibly difficult opening-round opponent.

Andy Murray lifted his first Grand Slam trophy at the 2012 US Open.

Murray has been on a comeback trail ever since undergoing a second hip surgery in 2019. The Brit has shown flashes of his best tennis in the last couple of years, but has largely been a pale shadow of his former self.

Murray's best result this year has been reaching the third round at Wimbledon. The 34-year-old also notched up a couple of wins during the North American swing and could well cause a few problems for Tsitsipas.

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andy Murray head-to-head

This is set to be the first career meeting between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andy Murray, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andy Murray prediction

Stefanos Tsitsipas' serve could prove to be a big weapon

Andy Murray has had his fair share of success at Flushing Meadows in the past. But if recent results are any indicator, he will enter his first-round contest against Stefanos Tsitsipas as the heavy underdog.

The biggest challenge for Murray will be to make regular inroads into his opponent's service games. Tsitsipas has been dominant in the serving department in recent times, and is likely to win a bunch of cheap points behind the first delivery.

The Greek enjoys dictating rallies using his powerful groundstrokes, but also has some variety in his game to back up that power. Murray could well be on the run for the majority of this match, chasing down Tsitsipas' shots.

The former champion definitely has the game to stay competitive in the longer exchanges. But given Tsitsipas' superior match fitness, Murray could find himself at a significant disadvantage the longer the match goes on.

Prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in four sets.