- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The 2018 US Open draw was announced on Thursday and, on the whole, the Australian men’s contingent will like what they see.
Perhaps the most eye-catching of the first-round ties for the Aussies comes for two players recovering from serious injuries, in James Duckworth vs Andy Murray.
Both the 26-year-old from Sydney and the 2012 US Open champion have protected rankings and respectively the pair are ranked at 445 and 378 in the world.
Duckworth, whose highest ever ranking was 81 in 2015, has suffered a horrible sequence of foot and arm injuries over the last couple of years.
But, this is perhaps the best time to ever play the Scot, who is on the comeback from a serious hip problem. Third seed Juan Martin Del Potro looms large in round three.
Love him or loathe him, Nick Kyrgios is pure box office. He faces Moldovan Radu Albot, who made it to round three in last year’s tournament.
If, and it is a big if with Kyrgios, the 23-year-old can beat Albot and either Yuki Bhambri or Pierre-Hugues Herbert, both players he should beat, to get to the third round he could face Roger Federer, in what could be a classic.
(AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
On the face of it, Jason Kubler, who just moved into the top 100 for the first time, has one of the toughest first-round opponents in 19th seed Robert Bautista Agut.
However, the Spaniard has been troubled by an ongoing abdominal injury since Halle back in June and has only played a handful of matches since.
Once again, this is as good a time as any for the 25-year-old Kubler to play Agut. Last year’s finalist Kevin Anderson is the man to beat in this eighth of the draw.
World number 108 Jordan Thompson faces a difficult but winnable test against the ever-improving Cameron Norrie – who is at a career high of 66.
Norrie is the favourite here though, as the 24-year-old has won just one ATP tour match all year, compared to 14 for the Brit.
Serve and volley exponent Matthew Ebden is playing the best tennis of his life at the age of 30.
He broke it into the top 50 for the first time this year and achieved his best slam result to date at Wimbledon by reaching round three.
First up for him is the talented Paris Masters finalist and 32nd seed Filip Krajinović. After his breakthrough last year, the Serb has been blighted by injury this year so this is another good chance for an Aussie victory. He could face Alexander Zverev two matches on.
Teenage sensation Alex De Minaur has gone from strength to strength this year and is currently just 11 spots away from being seeded.
He faces the powerful Japanese player Taro Daniel, who took a set off 2017 US Open champion Rafael Nadal in round 2.
The 19-year-old should be able to outmanoeuvre his 6’3” opponent and carry on his upward trajectory. 2013 US Open champion Marin Cilic could be a great match in round three.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Youngsters Marc Polmans, ranked at 171, Max Purcell, 250, and Alex Bolt, 162, will hope to make it through qualifying but Bernard Tomic and Thanasi Kokkinakis are out.
World number one Rafael Nadal faces familiar foe David Ferrer, Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic faces world number 40 Márton Fucsovics and Roger Federer will lock horns with the mobile Yoshihito Nishioka.
The tie of the round, for the second straight major, is eighth seed Grigor Dimitrov against Stan Wawrinka.
The Swiss number two beat the Bulgarian in a superb four-set match at Wimbledon last month.
Nadal has Del Potro, Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Dimitrov and John Isner on his half of the draw and Federer has Djokovic, Cilic and Zverev on his side.
Whether it’s aces or races, try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp for great odds and a great punting experience. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.