Dimitrov-Wawrinka Blockbuster, Nadal Headline Day 1 At US Open
If you thought that you could wait even a match before tuning into the action at the US Open, you thought wrong.
The most intriguing first-round match at the year’s final Grand Slam kicks off play in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday, as reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov faces 2016 US Open winner Stan Wawrinka in the first round of a major for the second Slam in a row. The Bulgarian will be eager to avenge his loss from SW19 in New York, which would extend his FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead against Wawrinka to 5-3.
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Dimitrov reached his first quarter-final since April at the Rogers Cup, before pushing Novak Djokovic to three sets in Cincinnati. But Wawrinka, on the comeback from two left knee surgeries last year, beat Dimitrov at Wimbledon on his least favourite surface. And while the Swiss is No. 101 in the ATP Rankings, the 2016 US Open champion won a combined five matches in Toronto and Cincinnati, all against opponents currently inside the Top 40.
It will be interesting to watch two of the best one-handed backhands in the sport on the same court. Wawrinka has shown his ability to hit a winner from anywhere on the court with that shot, while the Bulgarian has tremendous variety off that wing, as he can find the most daring angles and throw in a knifing slice as well.
You can’t miss World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, who kicks off his title defence under the lights in Flushing Meadows. The Spanish superstar faces a familiar foe in two-time US Open semi-finalist David Ferrer, who is competing in New York for the final time.
On paper, World No. 148 Ferrer is the seventh lowest-ranked opponent Nadal has clashed against in the opening round of a Slam. But Ferrer has won their only previous meeting here in four sets, 11 years ago.
However, Nadal leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 24-6, and will look to add to that lead in their rivalry when the pair meets for the first time since the 2015 Nitto ATP Finals. The top seed, who has won five tour-level titles this campaign, will look to improve his 40-3 record, which leads the ATP World Tour in winning percentage in 2018.
There are two more former champions in action on day one, as former World No. 1 Andy Murray competes at his first major since 2017 Wimbledon due to the hip surgery he underwent this January. The Scot faces Aussie James Duckworth in the opening round of his fifth tournament back.
And Juan Martin del Potro, who is at a career-high World No. 3, will look to revive the magic of his 2009 title run when he starts his tournament against home favourite Donald Young in the first night session in the new Louis Armstrong Stadium. It’s the first time the ‘Tower of Tandil’ is facing the qualifier, who has made the fourth round at the event twice (2011, 2015).
If you’re out of popcorn, you should probably get some more, as best friends and #NextGenATP Canadian stars Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime are ready to thrill the Grandstand crowd in the court’s final match of the day. Shapovalov, this year’s 28th seed, beat eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga here in 2017 en route to the fourth round. Eighteen-year-old Auger-Aliassime, is competing in his first major main draw.
Another #NextGenATP player, Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, will look to maintain the momentum of his tremendous run to the Rogers Cup final, as he faces qualifier and 2013 quarter-finalist Tommy Robredo. It’s the 20-year-old’s first US Open main draw appearance.
And for the home fans, the four highest-ranked Americans — No. 11 seed John Isner, No. 18 seed Jack Sock, last week's Winston-Salem finalist Steve Johnson and 2017 quarter-finalist Sam Querrey all will look to get their tournaments off to a strong start.
Other Matches To Watch:
- [5] Kevin Anderson vs. Ryan Harrison
- [27] Karen Khachanov vs. Albert Ramos-Vinolas
- [31] Fernando Verdasco vs. Feliciano Lopez