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Arthur Ashe Stadium is a becoming stage for a first-time showdown between World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas and three-time main champion Andy Murray. Amongst a string of generational clashes, the pair headlines Day 1 of the 2021 US Open, which additionally options second seed Daniil Medvedev and eighth seed Casper Ruud in opposition to French veterans Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, respectively.
The final time Tsitsipas squared off in opposition to a Grand Slam champion at a serious he got here up agonisingly brief, having led Novak Djokovic two units to like at Roland Garros in June. That defeat lingered because the Greek fell to Frances Tiafoe within the first spherical at Wimbledon a fortnight later, however has since rediscovered his type on North American arduous courts, with back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals in Toronto and Cincinnati.
“He is somebody that has been placing a whole lot of work to get again and has been taking part in superb tennis to be standing the place he is at proper now. I feel I will go for it, attempt my possibilities in opposition to him,” Tsitsipas mentioned of Murray. “He is somebody that will not hand over. I will should deliver some good tennis from my facet.”
NYC pic.twitter.com/NTlH53gR5z
— Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) August 29, 2021
Murray, having contested solely seven tour-level singles occasions this 12 months on his street again from hip surgical procedure, examined Hubert Hurkacz and Tiafoe in respective second-round conferences in Cincinnati and Winston-Salem main in. 9 years since his first main triumph in New York, the 34-year-old World No. 112 would love nothing greater than to trip the gang to an enormous upset on Day 1.
“The optimistic factor previously few months is that I have not been held again actually from what I can do on the observe courtroom,” Murray mentioned. “It’s the matches the place it’s good to finally go on the market and carry out. That is what’s been irritating the previous few weeks.”
Second seed Daniil Medvedev opens his marketing campaign on Monday in opposition to former No. 7 within the FedEx ATP Rankings, Gasquet, within the evening session on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Two years in the past, the Russian surged again from two units down and pushed Rafael Nadal to a fifth set in his maiden Grand Slam closing at Flushing Meadows.
Whereas he finally got here up brief, Medvedev reaffirmed his hard-court credentials when he ploughed by 15 straight units to achieve the semi-finals final 12 months. Eventual champion Dominic Thiem ended his run there, nevertheless he reached a second main closing at this 12 months’s Australian Open (l. to Djokovic). Medvedev discovered type main into this 12 months’s US Open along with his fourth ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto and a semi-final look in Cincinnati.
Murray Feeling Physically Strong Ahead Of US Open
“Now I’ve two finals, [I] must win, to make a greater consequence at a Slam,” Medvedev mentioned. “I used to be taking part in nicely in each Toronto and Cincinnati, fairly comparable circumstances, scorching, humid. I simply wish to proceed [at] this degree. After I play nicely, I do know that I may cause hassle to my opponents. That is crucial.”
The primary participant seeded within the High 2 exterior Djokovic, Roger Federer, Nadal or Murray in New York, Medvedev has cut up two ATP Head2Head conferences with Gasquet. Every prevailed on dwelling soil – Gasquet in Montepllier in 2018 and Medvedev in St Petersburg final 12 months – and each with a bagel set as well.
Since he reached his 32nd tour-level closing in Umag final month on clay, the 35-year-old Gasquet – a semi-finalist in New York eight years in the past – certified in Cincinnati (l. to Murray) and reached the quarter-finals in Winston-Salem final week, a run which included a win over third seed Daniel Evans.
Within the popcorn first-round match of Day 1, 18th seed Roberto Bautista Agut squares off in opposition to arguably probably the most harmful floater within the draw, Nick Kyrgios. Within the final distinction of types and on-court tendencies, the ever-consistent Spaniard and the mercurial Australian cut up two earlier ATP Head2Head encounters, with Bautista Agut having claimed their most up-to-date conflict ultimately 12 months’s ATP Cup in Melbourne.
FULL ORDER OF PLAY: DAY 1, US OPEN 2021
Bautista Agut, who twice reached the fourth spherical in New York, saved three match factors to beat Diego Schwartzman for a quarter-final displaying in Toronto earlier this month, whereas Kyrgios managed a 1-3 report on arduous courts main in, along with his lone win in opposition to former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson in Atlanta.
Having accomplished a hat-trick of clay-court titles with victory in Kitzbüel, eighth seed Ruud notched back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finals on arduous courts in Toronto and Cincinnati main in. The Norwegian meets 36-year-old former World No. 5 Tsonga for the primary time, in what would be the Frenchman’s first occasion since a first-round exit at Wimbledon (l. to Ymer).
Croatian Ivo Karlovic ensured his seventeenth predominant draw look in New York when he received by three rounds of qualifying. The 42-year-old takes on fifth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev, who fell in his second ATP Masters 1000 closing of the season earlier this month (l. to Zverev) in Cincinnati.
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