Damien Kayat previews the 2022 US Open third-round matches between Andy Murray and Matteo Berrettini as well as Nick Kyrgios and JJ Wolf.
Andy Murray 8/5 | Matteo Berrettini 12/25
This promises to be a blockbuster third-round clash. Andy Murray- the 2012 champion- will be looking to progress to the fourth round for the first time since his 2017 quarterfinal run.
Murray’s amazing career was almost cut short by a litany of debilitating injury issues. But this year has seen a resurgence for the surly Scot. He reached finals in Sydney and Stuttgart (his first ATP finals since 2019). But he couldn’t find the consistency this year to get seeded for this year’s championships.
However, the 2012 champ has played some of his best tennis in ages this week. He blew away Cerundolo in his opening match before a rousing come-from-behind victory against NextGen American Emilio Nava.
He lost a gruelling 80-minute first-set against the highly spirited American. But he quickly rectified the situation, picking Nava apart with consistent baseline play in the latter parts of the game.
Murray won a staggering 14 of the final 15 games in the match (improving his overall Flushing Meadows record to 48-14). But next up he faces the formidable Matteo Berrettini.
Matteo Berrettini has endured some miserable luck this year. The big-serving Italian has fast emerged as one of the most dangerous Grand Slam opponents in world tennis.
He first came to the fore with a semi-final run in this event in 2019. He has actually been quite consistent in New York, reaching the fourth round in 2020 before a quarter-final run last year.
He reached his maiden Grand Slam final at last year’s Wimbledon Championships and he rose to number six in the world following his semi-final run at this year’s Aussie Open.
The Italians was primed to be one of the biggest threats to the Djokovic-Nadal hegemony this year. But a wrist injury forced him to miss the entire clay-court season.
Perhaps more cruelly, he tested positive for Covid on the eve of Wimbledon. This after dominating the grass-court season with back-to-back victories in Stuttgart and Queens.
He looked slightly rusty in preparation for this event but his huge serve and devastating forehand have worked to aplomb this week.
Verdict: Berrettini to win in straight sets at 17/10-
Berrettini leads the head-to-head 2-0. You have to go back to 2019 for Murray’s victory in this rivalry. I just think Murray is going to struggle against Berrettini.
At his peak, Murray’s defensive capabilities would have allowed him to redirect the Italian’s massive forehand at will. But I just think this will be a step too far for the Scot.
Berrettini has been one of the more consistent Grand Slam presences in the last three years and I expect him to triumph once again.
Nick Kyrgios 2/17 | J.J. Wolf 5/1
This match may well bring the literal roof off the place. The ever-colourful Nick Kyrgios was in vintage form during his second-round victory against Benjamin Bonzi.
There were glimmers of the brilliant tennis that we know he is capable of. But most spectators will remember the match for his typically churlish antics. He spat on the court and swore at his box after losing the third set.
More unbelievably, he complained to the chair umpire that he could smell Marijuana during the match and it was messing with his asthma. I kid you not.
Still, the Aussie managed to get his act together and close out the match in four sets. Kyrgios is enjoying a fantastic season that has brought an unusual amount of consistency. He reached his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon and he recently won his 7th ATP Tour title in Washington.
His ultra-aggressive style of play should theoretically make him a great fit for Flushing Meadows. But there are just so many intangible factors when it comes to Kyrgios. And next up he will face a huge crowd favourite in J.J. Wolf.
If only Wolf still had that incredible mullet. This could have potentially been the greatest tennis match in history. Forget Bjorn-McEnroe and Federer-Nadal. A mullet-sporting Wolf against Kyrgios in his most irascible mood would have been gold.
Be that as it may, this has truly been a breakthrough year for the 23-year-old J.J Wolf. He started the year ranked 247 and has risen as high as 83 in the latest rankings.
This has been down to old-fashioned hard work. He picked up plenty of ranking points and wins after playing 11 Challenger events. And he has enjoyed an excellent summer, highlighted by a run to the Washington quarter-finals.
He picked up the biggest win of his career with his first-round victory against 16th seed Roberto Bautista Agut. He was remarkable in that match, hitting 46 winners in a convincing straight sets win.
His 14 aces showcased the weapon that will have to work should he stand any chance against Kyrgios. He is fresh off a slightly grittier four-set win against Tablio.
But you can be assured that the New York crowd is going to coalesce around the Wolf against archetypical villain Kyrgios.
The Verdict: Kyrgios to win in four at 12/5
They actually met for the first time earlier this year (Kyrgios won their Stuttgart encounter in straight-sets). Kyrgios is obviously the favourite.
But it will be interesting to see how he reacts to the crowd support for Wolf. It could cause a self-implosion of biblical proportions.
The New York fans aren’t like the demure Wimbledon crowds. They will respond to Kyrgios’ impudence with vitriol. Still, Kyrgios to win in four seems like the best bet. Wolf may ride the wave of crowd support for one set.
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