US Open 2021: Jannik Sinner vs Zachary Svajda preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (13) Jannik Sinner vs Zachary Svajda
Date: 2 September 2021
Tournament: 2021 US Open
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York
Category: slam-tennis" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $40,560,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN/ESPN 2 | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Jannik Sinner vs Zachary Svajda preview
13th seed Jannik Sinner started his US Open 2021 campaign with a tough match against Australia's Max Purcell, who pushed the Italian to four sets. Purcell made an impressive comeback after going two sets down, taking the third set 6-4.
Sinner raised his level in the fourth set though, and managed to wrap up the match 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. This was an important result for the 20-year-old as it marked his first win at the US Open, having been ousted in the first round in 2019 and 2020.
Sinner comes into the US Open with confidence, having won the Washington event earlier this month. That made him the youngest player to win an ATP 500 title since the category began in 2009. Sinner also made the final of the Miami Masters earlier this year.
Wild card Zachary Svajda might be ranked 716th in the world, but that didn't stop him from putting in a fantastic performance against World No. 81 Marco Cecchinato in the first round. Svajda ousted the Italian in four sets, claiming his first win in the main draw of a Slam.
The 18-year-old won 75% of the points on his first serve and 64% on his second en route to a memorable 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 result. He first played in the US Open main draw in 2019, becoming the youngest male player at the event since 2005.
Jannik Sinner vs Zachary Svajda head-to-head
Jannik Sinner and Zachary Svajda have not met on tour so far. Their head-to-head is thus tied at 0-0 currently.
Jannik Sinner vs Zachary Svajda prediction
One of the most complete players on tour, Jannik Sinner has a near-perfect game for hardcourt. One of the leaders of ATP's Next Gen, the Italian has for a while now been touted as the next big thing in the sport.
Sinner has powerful shots off both wings and can play deep, attacking tennis from the baseline. His serve is also a significant weapon when it is in the groove.
Sinner's main weaknesses are his inconsistency and tendency to leak errors at important moments, especially in big tournaments. He would be hoping to change that at Flushing Meadows this year.
With two young and hungry players facing off for the first time, one of whom is a homeboy, this promises to be a high-octane encounter. But Sinner has just a little more experience than Zachary Svadja, and that seems likely to give him his second US Open main-draw win on Thursday.
Prediction: Jannik Sinner to win in four sets.