US Open 2020: Roberto Bautista Agut vs Miomir Kecmanovic preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Roberto Bautista Agut vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Date: 3 September 2020
Tournament: US Open 2020
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $39,024,000
Match timing: 11 am EDT, 8.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Hotstar
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Miomir Kecmanovic preview
Eighth seed Roberto Bautista Agut is being tipped as one of the dark horses at the 2020 US Open. Like Novak Djokovic said before their clash at the Cincinnati Masters in August, the Spaniard is "the most underrated player" of the last five years.
Bautista Agut lived up to the Serb's words in their semifinal clash, pushing him all the way to a third set tiebreaker. He also had a solid start to his US Open campaign, beating Tennys Sandgren in straight sets.
Miomir Kecmanovic's match wasn't quite as easy, as he battled it out with Italy's Gianluca Mager in a five-set thriller. Mager made a furious comeback late in the match but Kecmanovic held on to prevail 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 3-6, 6-2.
While the 21-year-old Kecmanovic has made it to two semifinals and a final this year, he was slightly rusty coming into the US Open. This is his first ATP tournament since the resumption of the tour after the coronavirus-enforced lockdown.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Miomir Kecmanovic
head-to-head
Roberto Bautista Agut leads Miomir Kecmanovic 1-0 in the head-to-head.
The duo have met just once before on the tour, at the Cincinnati Masters last year. Bautista Agut picked up a routine win on the day, finishing with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 scoreline.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Miomir Kecmanovic prediction
Roberto Bautista Agut's hardcourt record this year has been quite impressive; the 32-year-old has won 13 out of his 17 match on the surface. His strong forehand, solid defense and sharp counterpunching make him a real threat on quick courts.
The fact that Kecmanovic just played a long five-setter might also work in the favor of Bautista Agut, who had a fairly quick win in the first round. The Spaniard seems to have found his rhythm after the six-month break, and would be eager to make a deep run at Flushing Meadows.
Prediction: Roberto Bautista Agut to win in straight sets.