US Open - Men’s Singles Preview Pt 2

US Open Men’s Singles - preview pt 2

Next I’ll detail how Carlos Alcaraz navigates his way to a second successive major final, and a defence of his 2022 US Ooen.

Round 1 opposition is German Dominik Koepfer, who made the round of sixteen in the 2019 US Open, but nothing of consequence since.

It will be the first clash between the pair and a loss for Koepfer.

Second round will be Lloyd Harris or Guido Pella.

Harris was a quarter finalist in the 2021 US Open but no such luck this year even if he outlasts Pella. Again, Alcaraz hasn’t had the joy of playing either of the two.

He will experience the joy of besting one of them soon.

Drawn to meet Alcaraz in the third round is 26th seed, Dan Evans who made the round of sixteen in 2021, only beaten by that year’s champion Daniil Medvedev.

Evans will most likely have to beat Botic van de Zandschulp, who was also beaten by Medvedev in 2021, in the quarters.

Evans for me, just because he won the recent Washington DC tournament.

Alcaraz hasn’t lost to Evans and will defeat him for a third time.

The round of sixteen match up for Alcaraz is meant to be 16th seed Cameron Norrie, who has knocked over the Spaniard twice, including earlier this year in Rio de Janeiro.

Bad news for Norrie is that he won a match since Wimbledon.

In his section are some far from simple potential blocks to reaching Alcaraz, amongst them Alexander Shevchenko, Thanasi Kokkinakis and 24th seed Tallon Griekspoor.

Alcaraz will account for Griekspoor to reach the quarter finals.

There he will meet the winner of quarter 2, led by sixth seed Jannik Sinner, quarter finalist at last year’s US Open.

The draw suggests Sinner v 12th seed Alexander Zverev, 2020 finalist.

Zverev may need to deal with 2012 champion Andy Murray or 2019 semi finalist and 19th seed Grigor Dimitrov.

Sinner could be matched in the third round with 2016 champion Stan Wawrinka.

For me it’s Zverev ousting Sinner before falling to Alcaraz.

Semi final for Alcaraz, and his opposition the winner of quarter finals 3 and 4 at the top half of the draw.

Leading the third quarter, 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev, seeded three, should carve his way through one of two Australians (Max Purcell or Christopher O’Connell) in round two, 21st seed Borna Coric in he third round and another Aussie 13th seed Alex de Minaur in the round of sixteen.

de Minaur did defeat Medvedev in the quarter finals of the recent Canadian Open, but won’t repeat that success in New York.

The fourth quarter has 11th seed Karen Khachanov, semi finalist from last year and 8th seed Andrey Rublev, quarter finalist last year and twice before that.

Khachanov will probably play John Isner in the second round. Isner has been given a wildcard for what will be his 17th and final US Open.

Third round against 17th seed Hubert Hurkacz will be no easy task but Hurkacz has a poor US Open history.

Rublev has unseeded Gaël Monfils and Matteo Berrettini in his section.

Both are potential dangers for Rublev as they are former semi finalists.

Worry for Berrettini is his recent form.

Khachanov to overcome his fellow countryman Rublev and face another Russian Medvedev for a semi final berth.

So my predictions for the top half of the draw:

Round of sixteen:

Carlos Alcaraz (1) defeats Cameron Norrie (16)

Alexander Zverev (17) defeats Jannik Sinner (6)

Daniil Medvedev (3) defeats Alex de Minaur (13)

Karen Khachanov (11) defeats Andrey Rublev (8)

Quarter finals:

Carlos Alcaraz (1) defeats Alexander Zverev (17)

Daniil Medvedev (3) defeats Karen Khachanov (11)

Semi final:

Carlos Alcaraz (1) defeats Daniil Medvedev (3)

Final:

Carlos Alcaraz (1) defeats Novak Djokovic (2)