US Open 2021: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Adrian Mannarino preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (3) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Adrian Mannarino
Date: 1 September 2021
Tournament: 2021 US Open
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York
Category: 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
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Adrian Mannarino preview
Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on France's Adrian Mannarino in the second round of the 2021 US Open on Wednesday.
Tsitsipas had a huge scare in his opener against former US Open champion Andy Murray on Monday, as he trailed the Brit by two sets to one. Tsitsipas further invited controversy by taking a 7-minute toilet break late in the fourth set, but eventually pulled things back to advance in five sets.
Tsitsipas has played some solid tennis in 2021 overall, even reaching his maiden Major final at Roland Garros. That said, the Greek has stumbled while crossing the finish line quite a few times this year, so it remains to be seen whether he can go deep at the New York Slam this fortnight.
Tsitsipas' next opponent, Adrian Mannarino, started his campaign in Flushing Meadows with a five-set win over his fellow countryman Pierre Hugues-Herbert. Ranked 44th in the world, Mannarino came back from two sets to love down to register a hard-fought 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory.
This is Mannarino's 11th career appearance at the US Open. His best results have come in the 2013, 2014 and 2020 editions, at each of which he reached the third round.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Adrian Mannarino head-to-head
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Adrian Mannarino are currently tied 1-1 in their head-to-head meetings. While Tsitsipas beat Mannarino in their first encounter at Madrid in 2019, the Frenchman got the better of the Greek at Zhuhai the same year.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Adrian Mannarino prediction
Although Stefanos Tsitsipas took some time to get off the blocks on Friday, he played some resilient tennis down the home stretch to stave off Andy Murray's challenge.
The Greek won 77% of his first serve points during the encounter, while striking 67 winners past his older opponent. That said, Tsitsipas did spray an alarming 51 unforced errors during the five-set match.
Adrian Mannarino, on the other hand, doesn't play as big as Tsitsipas but is capable of manipulating the pace of baseline exchanges with his flat forehand. The veteran also possesses finesse and a well-disguised drop shot, which will be key in moving his 6'4 opponent around the court.
Tsitsipas' fortunes often depend on his return of serve, which has been known to be fragile in crucial moments of a match. But the 23-year-old returned with immense resolve against Murray, winning 30% of his first return points.
If Tsitsipas maintains the same winning rate on his return against Mannarino, he's most likely to get through without much trouble.
Prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in straight sets.