US Open 2019: 4 matches to look forward to over the weekend
The first weekend of any Major promises some of the most gruelling and exciting tennis action as fans flock in large numbers. Despite a lot of players not living up to the expectations, the US Open 2019 still has a lot of enthralling matches in store.
As the US Open is heading into its second week with a fair number of disappointments and some surprise entries in the last 16 of the men's singles draw, here is a list of some exciting matches to watch over the weekend.
#1 Andrey Rublev vs Nick Kyrgios (Third Round)
Andrey Rublev has always been this silent kid who scores above average grades at school and he did surprise the tennis fraternity when he defeated Roger Federer in the third round of Cincinnati Masters a week before the US Open. Since then, there has been a lot of talk about his performance at the US Open and he did exceed all the expectations and defeated players like Stefanos Tsitsipas and Gilles Simon to reach the third round. He is strong and has got all the text-book shots needed for a great player. Up next in the tournament for him is Nick Kyrgios.
It just might take millions of words to describe how Nick Kyrgios can be on both the extremes at the same time. One day, you see him smiling with kids and giving pictures to them, and the day after, he is making allegations against top players like Novak and Rafa. His behaviour with chair umpires in almost every tournament he plays is also not something he should be proud of. At the US Open, his words might just make him pay big as he is under scrutiny for suspension for allegedly claiming that the tennis body is corrupt.
These things aside, the two matches he played in this tournament against the American Steve Johnson and Hoang of France did give the impression that he is looking great on the court. But, one can never predict anything about Nick Kyrgios and his antics on the court.
This match-up between Rublev and Kyrgios is going to be a perfect set-up and will test Kyrgios's ability and his temperament as well.
Prediction: Andrey Rublev winning in four sets.
#2 Gael Monfils vs Denis Shapovalov (Third Round)
The performance of Monfils this year hasn't been exceptional as he has been repeatedly pulling out of tournaments owing to injuries. So, there weren't any expectations from the Frenchman coming into this tournament and this seemed to have worked the trick for him as he has been looking at his usual best at the US Open this year. That said, he hasn't been pushed beyond the limits by either of the two opponents, Ramos-Vinolas and Marius Copil.
Denis Shapovalov, on the other hand, defeated his fellow countryman and friend, Felix Auger Aliassime in the first round and Laaksonen of Switzerland in the second round. He seems to have found his mojo back and has been looking confident on-court which is a positive thing for such an exceptional talent.
It is going to be an entertaining contest as both the players are known for their terrific shot-making.
Prediction: Gael Monfils winning in five sets.