US Open 2022: Daniil Medvedev vs Stefan Kozlov preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Daniil Medvedev vs Stefan Kozlov.
Date: August 29, 2022.
Tournament: US Open 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 128).
Venue: New York, United States.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $60,102,000.
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & ESPN2 | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sony Liv, Sony Ten & Sony Six.
Daniil Medvedev vs Stefan Kozlov preview
World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev will commence his US Open title defense against American Stefan Kozlov on Monday.
Medvedev began the year by leading Russia to the semifinals of the ATP Cup. He almost won his second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, but Rafael Nadal staged an incredible comeback and won the match in five sets.
The Spaniard defeated him once again in the semifinals of the Mexican Open after that.
Following an early exit from Indian Wells, Medvedev reached the quarterfinals in Miami. However, he was then sidelined for the next few weeks due to an injury. The Russian lost in the first round of the Geneva Open upon his comeback, but made it to the fourth round of the French Open.
Medvedev reached a couple of finals during the grass swing, but was unable to compete at Wimbledon due to a ban on Russian players. He returned to action at the Los Cabos Open, where he won his first title of the season. The 26-year-old then lost to Nick Kyrgios in the second round of the Canadian Open.
Medvedev performed much better in Cincinnati, where he was defeated by Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals. He now faces the tough task of defending his title at the US Open, a feat no men's player has achieved since Roger Federer managed to do so in 2008.
Changing of the guard?
Daniil Medvedev is the first non-Big 4 member to be seeded No. 1 at a Grand Slam in NINETEEN YEARS. 🤯 https://t.co/LlPCbrZp5T
It has been a career-best season for Stefan Kozlov so far.
He made his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open, making it to the second round. Though he lost in the qualifying rounds of Wimbledon, he made it to the main draw as a lucky loser, marking his maiden appearance at the grasscourt Major.
Kozlov's other notable result this season was a quarterfinal showing at the Delray Beach Open.
However, his performances in the lead-up to the US Open have been rather dismal. He failed to make it past the qualifying rounds in Atlanta and Cincinnati, while losing in the first round of the Citi Open.
Kozlov is now set to make his main draw debut at the US Open and will hope to spring a few surprises.
Daniil Medvedev vs Stefan Kozlov head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between Medvedev and Kozlov, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Daniil Medvedev vs Stefan Kozlov odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Daniil Medvedev vs Stefan Kozlov prediction
Kozlov hasn't even won 10 main draw matches on the ATP tour so far, so this contest is heavily skewed in Medvedev's favor. The Russian normally excels during this part of the season, but hasn't been his usual imposing self of late.
In his most recent losses, both his opponents, Tsitsipas and Kyrgios, bothered Medvedev by volleying frequently. This tactic exposed his shortcomings and is something Kozlov could also experiment with too.
But the Russian will be well aware of this by now and will hopefully come up with a plan to deal with it.
Medvedev's game otherwise has been quite steady. He has been serving well and is ranked seventh on the ATP tour when it comes to service games won this year. He can go toe-to-toe with anyone from the baseline, though Kozlov likes to mix it up from time to time instead of staying pinned to the back of the court.
However, considering the vast gulf in their skills and achievements, Medvedev has a great shot at kicking off his title defense with a commanding win.
Pick: Daniil Medvedev to win in straight sets.