Before each day’s play at the U.S. Open, Steve Tignor will preview and predict three must-see matches.
Stan Wawrinka vs. Fernando Verdasco
In the age of 32 seeds, first-round draws for top-ranked players don’t come much more dangerous than this one. While Verdasco is currently 43 spots below the No. 3-ranked Wawrinka, the Spaniard has a 3-2 record against the Swiss; he also won their only meeting this season, in straight sets at Queen’s Club. Verdasco began the year with a spectacular upset of Rafael Nadal in the first round at the Australian Open. Could we see something similar here? It’s possible. Wawrinka can throw in a clunker pretty much any day of the week. But he hasn’t thrown in many at the majors of late.
Winner: Wawrinka
Feliciano Lopez vs. Borna Coric
Lopez is 34 years old and ranked No. 18; Coric is 19 years old and ranked 41st. At some point, one is going to rise as the other falls: Is that day going to be Tuesday? Coric and Lopez have never faced each other, but the Croat may have a slight edge based on form; he’s coming off a solid run to the quarters in Cincinnati, which included wins over Nadal and Nick Kyrgios. Lopez, of course, is a canny veteran who will take Coric out of his normal game with his lefty serve and slice backhand. But that lefty serve will also go right into Coric’s strength, his two-handed backhand. He’s only 19, but he’s due for a decent result at a major.
Winner: Coric
Serena Williams vs. Ekaterina Makarova
If you look at the scores of their last three meetings, you might think this is a normal first-round match. Serena has won them all in straight sets, and two of those sets have been bagels. But this still isn’t a normal first-round match. One of their meetings, in 2014, came in the U.S. Open semis, and two years before that, Makarova beat Serena by the stunningly one-sided score of 6-2, 6-3 at the Australian Open. Makarova is a former Top 10 player and a lefty, which means she’ll force Serena to deal with different patterns of play, and a ball that spins into her backhand. Serena has also been nursing a shoulder injury, and has played just three matches since winning Wimbledon. Still, she should be ready, and the crowd will be ready for her.
Winner: S. Williams