August

What to Watch on Day 1 of the 2019 US Open


The last major of the 2019 tennis season is here and we’re here in Queens ready to bring you the best of what the event has to offer. We’ll get things started by telling you all what’s on tap for Day 1 of the Open.See the full Day 1 US Open Order of Play HereTop half kicks it off on the men’s sideIt will be Novak Djokovic in the day session and Roger Federer in the night on Day 1 at Flushing Meadows. Top-seeded Djokovic, who sports a 69-10 career record at the US Open and has reached at least the final in seven of his last eight appearances, will face Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain in a first-time meeting.Federer will face qualifier Sumit Nagal of India. The 22-year-old from New Delhi, India has yet to play a main draw match at a major. Why not start with a 20-time Grand Slam champion? Nagal, currently ranked 190, defeated Tatsuma Ito, Peter Polansky and Joao Menezes to reach the main draw.Federer owns an 85-13 lifetime record at the US Open but the Swiss has not been to the final since 2015 and he last claimed the title in New York in 2008.Both Federer and Nadal come off disappointing losses to Russians in Cincinnati; Djokovic was beaten in the semi-finals by Daniil Medvedev while Federer fell in the round of 16 to Andrey Rublev.

Bottom half kicks off with Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova on the women’s sideSerena Williams and Maria Sharapova will kick off the night session in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday night with their 22nd career battle. If there ever was a lopsided head to head this would be it—Williams has won her last 18 meetings with Sharapova and has taken the last 16 sets that they have contested.And yet there will be excitement, as there always is, as they two great champions lock horns before the round of 16 at a tournament for the first time.

Williams, with a 95-12 record at the US Open, can reach 100 by reaching the semi-finals on her 19th career appearance here at Flushing Meadows. If she wins the title she could pass Chris Evert (101) for the all-time US Open Era for women’s singles match wins. Williams. has reached at least the finals on nine of her 18 appearances in New York.As far as Sharapova goes, the Russian has struggled with injuries and has accumulated an 8-6 record in 2019—six of those wins came in tournaments that started in January and the five-time major champion owns a 2-4 record since she had minor shoulder surgery in February.Tennis ExpressTipsy’s last stand?Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic will begin his last US Open on Day 1 with a match against Denis Kudla of the USA. The pair of have never met. Tipsarevic, who plans to end his career at November in Davis Cup, owns a lifetime 16-13 record at the US Open. The former World No.8, now ranked 260, reached back-to-back quarterfinals in 2011 and 2012 and has won six of his last seven first-round matches at the US Open.Barty No.1 frontrunnerFour players (Naomi Osaka, Ash Barty, Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep) have a shot at ending the US Open as the WTA’s No.1-ranked player, and it is Ashleigh Barty who has the best chance to do it. If we pull last year’s US Open points from each players’ rankings it is Barty in the lead, by more than 300 points over the next player.

The second-seeded Aussie will face Zarina Diyas in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday at 11 AM. Barty, who owns a 6-4 lifetime record at the US Open and reached the round of 16 for her best performance to date last year, defeated Diyas in their lone WTA-level meeting in 2013. ]]>

Chris Oddo

Chris Oddo is a freelance sportswriter, podcaster, blogger and social media marker who is a lead contributor to Tennisnow.com. He also writes for USOpen.org, Rolandgarros.com, BNPParibasOpen.com, TennisTV.com, WTAtennis.com and the official US Open program.

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