Damien Kayat previews Gael Monfils vs Taro Daniel, Dominic Thiem vs Ben Shelton and Christopher Eubanks vs Benjamin Bonzi in selected 1st and 2nd round matches of the US Open Men’s championships on the 30th of August 2023.
2023 ATP Tour
Grand Slam Tennis
US Open Men’s Championships
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre, New York, USA (Outdoor Hardcourt)
Selected First and Second Round Matches – 30th August
1st Round Match
Gael Monfils 7/20 | Taro Daniel 11/5
Could this be the last time we see Monfils gracing the New York courts? The Frenchman has been playing it coy when it comes to retirement talk but it will be a sad day when the born entertainer hangs up his racquet.
He reached the quarterfinals of last year’s Aussie Open before a foot injury brought his season to a premature end. He started this year very poorly, losing eight of his first ten matches. But he has discovered a bit of decent form in recent months.
He reached the round of 16 in Washington before playing some sublime tennis in Toronto, beating in-form Alex de Minaur and Cameron Norrie en route to a 3rd round finish. His first-round opponent- Taro Daniel- has largely found success at lower-tier events.
He hits the ball hard and flat but has always been too inconsistent. Still, the Japanese has picked up some big wins this season, beating Rudd, Berrettini and Zverev at the Acapulco Open, Indian Wells Masters and Miami Masters respectively.
Monfils’ stubborn refusal to play more aggressively has got him into trouble against lesser opponents like Daniel throughout his career. This could make this match tighter than expected but I’m still leaning towards a gutsy Monfils win.
Verdict: Monfils to win in four sets
2nd Round Matches
Dominic Thiem 21/20 | Ben Shelton 8/11
2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem broke his six-match Grand Slam losing streak with a remarkably assured straight-sets win over Alexander Bublik. It was an awesome display of clean hitting that delivered 26 winners and just 21 unforced errors.
Thiem has struggled since a wrist injury sidelined him in 2021, losing nine of his first ten matches this season. But a recent run to the Kitzbuhel final seemed to reactivate something in him. He is a class act and his forehand is starting to show glimpses of its former glory.
Next up for the former champ is big-serving lefty Ben Shelton. The young American shocked the world with an unheralded run to this year’s Aussie Open quarterfinals. But he has struggled to string together back-to-back wins since that awesome showing.
In fact, he has been 7-16 in tour-level matches since the Aussie Open. But a solid four-set win over clay-court specialist Cachin will have soothed some nerves. He beat Eubanks in Cincinnati last week and he shouldn’t be underestimated.
But Thiem trounced him in Geneva earlier this year and I just feel the Austrian is too wily to be outdone by a serving blitz here.
Verdict: Thiem to win in straight-sets
Christopher Eubanks 42/100 | Benjamin Bonzi 9/5
This has been a breakthrough year for American Christopher Eubanks. The late bloomer used his power-based game to secure a maiden ATP Tour title in Mallorca.
He then lit up the Grand Slam circuit with a barnstorming run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals. He ran out of steam in recent weeks but I had a feeling he would relish his new-found celebrity in New York. He had moments of brilliance in his first-round win against Kwon, hitting plenty of trademark winners in the four-set match.
But he got unceremoniously bageled in the 3rd set! He needs to eradicate that inconsistency if he wants to remain a presence in these Slams. Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi has had a rollercoaster season. Bonzi- like Eubanks- is an extremely aggressive player with an eye for showmanship.
And he played some solid tennis in the opening stages of the season, reaching his first two ATP finals at the Maharashtra Open and Open 13 (both played on hardcourts). But his form has divebombed since- he had lost seven of his last eight matches coming into this tournament.
He just saw off compatriot Quentin Halys but will need to up his level against the towering American. Eubanks won their only previous hardcourt encounter in Washington last season and I think he should have too much for the enigmatic Bonzi. But expect some fireworks for sure.
Verdict: Eubanks to win in four
