RICKY’S PICKS • U.S. OPEN TENNIS DAY 2 • ROGER FEDERER VS. NISHIOKA AND MANNARINO VS. FRANCES TIAFOE, NOVAK VS. FUCSOVICS

Written by: Staff on 27th August 2018

RICKY'S PICKS • U.S. OPEN TENNIS DAY 2 • ROGER FEDERER VS. NISHIOKA AND MANNARINO VS. FRANCES TIAFOE, NOVAK VS. FUCSOVICS

epa06976691 Fans fill the grounds during the first day of the US Open Tennis Championships the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 27 August 2018. The US Open runs from 27 August through 09 September. EPA-EFE/JUSTIN LANE |

Fans fill the grounds during the first day of the US Open Tennis Championships the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 27 August 2018. The US Open runs from 27 August through 09 September. EPA-EFE/JUSTIN LANE

By Ricky Dimon

U.S. Open first-round action will continue on Tuesday, with both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic taking the court. Federer is facing Yoshihito Nishioka, while Djokovic is going up against Marton Fucsovics. What is likely to be a more competitive contest will feature Adrian Mannarino and Frances Tiafoe.

Ricky previews four of Tuesday’s best matchups and makes his predictions.

Yoshihito Nishioka vs. (2) Roger Federer

Federer is beginning his bid for a sixth title in New York and first since 2008. The 20-time major champion has finished runner-up only twice since then, losing to Juan Martin Del Potro in 2009 and to Djokovic in 2015. Finishing runner-up to Djokovic is also what Federer just did at the Cincinnati Masters. Despite that setback, the 37-year-old Swiss is a stellar 33-5 in 2018 with titles at the Aussie Open, in Rotterdam, and in Stuttgart.

Nishioka hasn’t been able to pick up much momentum in his comeback since suffering a torn ACL last spring in Miami. The world No. 177 has played this whole season without enduring any physical setbacks, but he just 4-9 at the ATP level and has also struggled in Challengers aside from one title.

Pick: Federer in 3

Frances Tiafoe vs. (29) Adrian Mannarino

At just 20 years old, Tiafoe already has plenty of valuable U.S. Open experience under his belt. It’s true that he has never won a match at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, but no matter; it’s still early. The up-and-coming American lost to John Isner 7-6 in the fifth in 2016 and extended Federer to five sets last summer.

Mannarino won their only previous encounter 7-6(4), 7-5 two years ago in Washington, D.C., but it is Tiafoe who is clearly a much different player now. The world No. 44 has earned 24 of his 33 career ATP-level match victories this season, including his first career title in Delray Beach.

Pick: Tiafoe in 4

(6) Novak Djokovic vs. Marton Fucsovics

Djokovic missed last year’s U.S. Open due to injury, but his 2018 resurgence has him as the odds-on favorite to lift the winner’s trophy in NYC this time around. After struggling through about four months of the year, Djokovic started to raise his level on clay and then captured a fourth Wimbledon title in advance of his Cincinnati success.

Fucsovics is in the midst of a breakthrough season, having earned 18 of his 40 career main-tour match wins and registering one spot off his career-high ranking at No. 41. The 26-year-old Hungarian made a run to the fourth round at Melbourne Park before falling to Federer, so he is clearly capable of handling the pressure at a major. But his draw is just as bad as Nishioka’s.

Pick: Djokovic in 3

Marcos Baghdatis vs. Mikhail Youzhny

This is by no means going to be Tuesday’s highest-quality match, but it should be a fun one between two accomplished veterans. Moreover, this is Youzhny’s final slam (earlier this summer in Atlanta he announced his upcoming retirement)–and this will probably be his final slam match given that he is a considerable underdog. The 36-year-old has plummeted outside the top 100 with a 6-16 record on the main tour in 2018.

Baghdatis has not been much better than Youzhny, but he is three years younger and has showcased some strong tennis at times this summer. The flashy Cypriot has also won two in a row at the Russian’s expense in this head-to-head series.

Pick: Baghdatis in 4