By Ricky Dimon

The 2015 U.S. Open begins on Monday and it begins with a bang–Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are both being showcased inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Djokovic is going up against Joao Souza, while Nadal is set to battle Borna Coric.

Previews and picks for some of Monday’s schedule:

Borna Coric vs. (8) Rafael Nadal

Nadal has been a borderline disaster in 2015 (only by his lofty standards, of course; after all, he is in all likelihood still going to qualify for the World Tour Finals). We thought he might emerge from the slump on clay, but he didn’t. Same for grass; he didn’t. A sudden turnaround in Montreal and Cincinnati was not expected and it didn’t happen. At some point we may have to accept that 2015 is a lost cause. Coric will be eager to pile on his opponent’s woes–and he will be confident, too. The in-form 18-year-old already has wins in his young career over Nadal and Murray. As poor as the Spaniard has been this season, he is still in far better shape than he was during his loss to Coric last fall in Basel. Coric’s defense makes him a scary test for anyone who is struggling, but Nadal has too much mental toughness to bow out to a teenager in round one of a slam. Nadal in 5.

Fernando Verdasco vs. (PR) Tommy Haas

Verdasco has defeated Haas only once in four tries, but his one win came in their lone U.S. Open encounter. In a 2009 thriller on Louis Armstrong that temporarily distracted fans from the John Isner vs. Andy Roddick marathon on Arthur Ashe, the Spaniard prevailed 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(8), 1-6, 6-4. Due mostly to Haas, Verdasco should be in line for another win in New York—this one not as difficult as the last. The 37-year-old German has played a few decent matches since making yet another comeback from injury, but for the most part it has not been encouraging. Verdasco in 4.

Simone Bolelli vs. (14) David Goffin

Both of their previous encounters have come this season. Goffin got blown out 6-3, 6-3 in Sydney but was probably more concerned with the upcoming Australian. He eventually got the best of Bolelli in three sets on a surface (clay) that slightly favors the Italian. While Goffin is an all-court players, the hard stuff should be his best. He is in stellar form right now and played well in New York last year, reaching the third round and toasting Grigor Dimitrov a bagel before succumbing in four sets. This will be an awesome display of backhand ball-striking; one a two-hander and the other a single. In this case, two is better than one. Goffin in 4.

(32) Fabio Fognini vs. Steve Johnson

Fognini has not won a match on hard courts this entire year and he is a laughable 5-20 in his last 25 hard-court sets dating back to the fall of 2015. There really isn’t even any point in further analysis. But what the heck–it gets even worse for Fognini. His first-round opponent is in outstanding form. Johnson, who will have the American fans firmly behind him, reached the semifinals in both Washington, D.C. and Winston-Salem. Giving Fognini a set could be generous. Johnson in 4.

(4) Kei Nishikori vs. Benoit Paire

The U.S. Open had not been kind to Nishikori. Then last year happened. Nishikori enjoyed somewhat of a breakout by reaching the fourth round in 2008, but none of his five other results in his first six trips to New York was anything better than a third-round showing and he fell in the first round twice in addition to a qualifying loss. In 2014, though, Nishikori made his slam final debut (lost to Marin Cilic) after stunning Djokovic in the semis. Although the Japanese star is more reliable now than he was in the past, his checkered history at Flushing Meadows is slightly concerning. So is his questionable hip. If an in-form Paire keeps his head on straight, this one could be far more competitive than it looks on paper. Nishikori in 5.

Sam Groth vs. Alexandr Dolgopolov

Both of their previous meetings have gone Dolgopolov’s way; 7-5, 7-6(2), 7-6(5) last year at Wimbledon and 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 earlier this season on the hard courts of Acapulco. As those results suggest, Dolgopolov has never had too much trouble with huge servers and his eclectic style of play often frustrates big hitters who would prefer to see a more consistent type of ball coming their way time and time again. Unless Groth puts in an incredible number of first serves, this will continue to be a tough matchup for him. Dolgopolov in 4.

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. Joao Souza

No analysis necessary. Djokovic in 3.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

1. 10sBalls_com says:

   August 30, 2015 at 9:55 pm

   @Dimonator ‘s Day 1 picks at the @usopen , including Nadal vs. Coric and Verdasco vs. Haas… – http://t.co/v8j3DUoNL0 #tennis #USOpen

2. Dimonator says:

   August 31, 2015 at 1:45 am

   RT @10sBalls_com: @Dimonator ‘s Day 1 picks at the @usopen , including Nadal vs. Coric and Verdasco vs. Haas… – http://t.co/v8j3DUoNL0 #…