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The 2022 US Open is finally here and the top half of the men's draw will play their opening fixtures on Monday. Defending champion and top seed Daniil Medvedev kicks off proceedings on Center Court while reigning Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios is scheduled to play the last match at the iconic Arthur Ashe stadium.
American No. 1 Taylor Fritz and Canadian No. 1 Felix Auger-Aliassime are also in the line-up on Day 1 at Flushing Meadows, as are World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas and former champion Dominic Thiem.
Without further ado, here are the predictions for some key men's singles matches on Day 1 of the 2022 US Open:
#1. Daniil Medvedev vs Stefan Kozlov
Daniil Medvedev will lock horns with local sensation Stefan Kozlov in the first round of the 2022 US Open.
While the Russian returns to the site of his maiden Grand Slam triumph as the conquering hero, Kozlov will be making his maiden appearance at the New York Major. The American registered no wins at the ATP level on the North American hardcourt swing, in direct contrast to Medvedev, who won the title at Los Cabos and then reached the semifinals in Cincinnati.
The two are yet to face off on the ATP Tour till date and will be meeting each other for the first time on Monday. Without a doubt, Daniil Medvedev will be the favorite heading into the contest. Kozlov might have beaten the World No. 1 on the junior circuit previously, but it will take a monumental effort from him to get the better of Medvedev this time around.
Predicted winner: Daniil Medvedev
#2. Nick Kyrgios vs Thanasi Kokkinakis
23rd seed Nick Kyrgios will take on compatriot and doubles partner Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round of the 2022 US Open.
The former World No. 13 has been in red-hot form of late, winning the Citi Open and reaching the quarterfinals in Montreal following his run to the final at Wimbledon. At the Cincinnati Open, however, an exhausted Kyrgios fell to Taylor Fritz in the second round.
Kokkinakis, meanwhile, reached the second round in Los Cabos but fell in the first round in both Cincinnati and Winston-Salem. Kyrgios, therefore, comes in as the massive favorite in this first meeting between the all-Aussie pair, despite Kokkinakis' notoriety for springing upsets every once in a while.
Predicted winner: Nick Kyrgios
#3. Andy Murray vs Francisco Cerundolo
24th seed Francisco Cerundolo will square off against former champion Andy Murray in the first round of the 2022 US Open in their first ever meeting on the ATP Tour.
The three-time Grand Slam champion has been slowly coming into his own since his hip surgery, breaking into the top-50 recently. Since his magical run to the final at the Stuttgart Open, however, the Brit has struggled to keep pace with the rest of the tour, suffering opening-round defeats in Washington and Montreal.
In Cincinnati, he managed to beat Stan Wawrinka in the first round, only to fall to compatriot Cameron Norrie in a tight three-setter. Cerundolo, meanwhile, has been one of the rising stars of 2022, climbing 100 spots from where he was at the start of the year.
Like Murray, though, the Argentine has had a poor string of results recently, falling in his openers at both the Cincinnati Open and the Canadian Open. With hardcourts not necessarily his preferred surface of choice, the World No. 27 is not that huge a favorite to skip past Andy Murray in the first round at Flushing Meadows but should have enough in his tank to beat him over five sets.
Predicted winner: Francisco Cerundolo
#4. Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Daniel Elahi Galan
Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will lock horns with qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan in the first round of the 2022 US Open in what will be their first meeting on the ATP Tour.
Tsitsipas comes into the clash on the back of a runner-up finish at the Cincinnati Open, a run that would have helped heal the scars of a poor showing at Wimbledon and Montreal prior to that. The Greek leads the tour in terms of match wins for the year, having recorded 46 wins (two titles) this season so far.
Galan, meanwhile, will have the confidence of three straight-sets wins in New York already under his belt and has reached the main draw at Flushing Meadows for the first time in his career. The World No. 94 went as far as the third round at Wimbledon most recently to showcase his mettle in five sets, but despite all that, Tsitsipas is the clear favorite to secure passage to the next round.
Predicted winner: Stefanos Tsitsipas
#5. Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Alexander Ritschard
Sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime will cross swords with qualifier Alexander Ritschard in the first round of the 2022 US Open, the pair's first meeting on the ATP Tour.
After quarterfinal exits at the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open, Auger-Aliassime will be hoping to go further at the New York Major in the coming days, especially considering he made the semifinals last year.
Ritschard, meanwhile, was stretched to three sets in two of his qualification round matches and will be making his debut at the tournament. The Swiss hasn't played much on the ATP Tour yet, making the World No. 8 with his vast experience the overwhelming favorite on Monday.
Predicted winner: Felix Auger-Aliassime
#6. Taylor Fritz vs Brandon Holt
10th seed Taylor Fritz will cross paths with qualifier Brandon Holt in the first round of the 2022 US Open, the first meeting between the duo on the ATP Tour.
Fritz has been a revelation this season, winning the Indian Wells Open in March to lift his first Masters 1000 title. Since then, the American has made several deep runs in major tournaments, including a quarterfinal run at the recent Cincinnati Open.
Holt, meanwhile, had to fight his way through the qualifiers, defeating all three opponents in three-setters along the way. Son of former US Open winner Tracy Austin, the American will be making his Grand Slam main draw appearance at Flushing Meadows.
Although Holt showed his capabilities in the qualification rounds, the chances of him doing it once again in a best-of-five clash against a seasoned veteran like Fritz are unlikely, making the World No. 12 the favorite to go through to the second round.
Predicted winner: Taylor Fritz
#7. Tommy Paul vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles
29th seed Tommy Paul will face off against Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the first round of the 2022 US Open, the first meeting between the pair on the ATP Tour.
Paul is one of the most in-form players at the moment, reaching the quarterfinals at the Atlanta Open and the Canadian Open. Currently ranked World No. 33, the American will be making his fifth main draw appearance in New York, but is yet to go past the first round.
Zapata Miralles, on the other hand, has lost more matches than he has won on the main tour this year, losing 11 and winning eight. At the US Open, the Spaniard's best result has been reaching the second round, which he achieved in the previous edition.
Considering their respective forms, Tommy Paul will most definitely be the favorite to book his spot in the second round at Flushing Meadows.
Predicted winner: Tommy Paul
#8. Matteo Berrettini vs Nicolas Jarry
13th seed Matteo Berrettini will square off against qualifier Nicolas Jarry in the first round of the 2022 US Open, the second meeting between the pair. Jarry won their previous encounter but this is the first time they face each other on hardcourts.
Berrettini's form is surprisingly poor at the moment, with the Italian losing both his opening encounters at the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open. Since reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open earlier this year, the 26-year-old has missed both the French Open and Wimbledon and will be making a Grand Slam return after a long time.
Jarry, meanwhile, scored hard-fought three-set victories in two of his three qualifying matches and is making his first main draw Grand Slam appearance in three years. His best previous result at the US Open has been reaching the second round, a feat that is unlikely to happen this time around despite his opponent's considerably weakened run of form.
Predicted winner: Matteo Berrettini
#9. Roberto Bautista Agut vs JJ Wolf
16th seed Roberto Bautista Agut will cross swords with American JJ Wolf in the first round of the 2022 US Open, the second meeting between the pair. Their first match-up came earlier this year at Indian Wells, which was won by the Spaniard in a tense three-setter.
Bautista Agut reached the third round in both Montreal and Cincinnati, recording big wins along the way against highly-rated opponents. Having exited in the same stage at the US Open last year, he will be hoping to do better in the 2022 edition at the very least.
Wolf, meanwhile, had first-round exits in Cincinnati and Winston-Salem, preceded by a quarterfinal run at the Citi Open. His exploits on the main tour have been far and few in between, even though the American has shown he is capable of scoring upsets when he is on fire.
As for the clash on Monday, Bautista Agut will come in as the favorite, and understandably so.
Predicted winner: Roberto Bautista Agut
#10. Pablo Carreno Busta vs former US Open winner Dominic Thiem
12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta will take on wildcard Dominic Thiem in the first round of the 2022 US Open, their eighth meeting on the ATP Tour. All seven meetings have gone in favor of the Austrian, four of which were on hardcourts.
Carreno Busta scored the biggest victory of his life at the Canadian Open, defeating Hubert Hurkacz in the final to lift his first Masters 1000 trophy. Despite his opening-round loss in Cincinnati, the Spaniard has proved to be very much capable of recreating his best previous run at Flushing Meadows -- reaching the semifinals.
Thiem, meanwhile, is finding his footing back on the ATP Tour slowly but surely, reaching the quarterfinals in Kitzbuhel and the third round in Winston-Salem. The former US Open champion may not have fully recovered enough to make a deep Grand Slam run just yet, but he is looking much better than last month and is bound to give a tough fight on Monday.
But physically, the Austrian might not be fully there yet, especially against a determined fighter like Carreno Busta in a best-of-five encounter. For that reason alone, the Spaniard should be considered the favorite to go through to the second round.
Predicted winner: Pablo Carreno Busta
