Daimien Kayat previews Andy Murray vs Grigor Dimitrov, Dan Evans vs Botic van de Zandschulp and Hubert Hurkacz vs Jack Draper in selected 2nd-Round matches of the US Open Men’s Championships on the 31st 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 2nd Round Matches – 31st August
Andy Murray 1/1 | Grigor Dimitrov 4/5
Andy Murray progressed into the 2nd round of this year’s championships after an arduous straight-sets win against Frenchman Corentin Moutet. He was on court for three hours but crucially never appeared to be in any discomfort (particularly on serve).
The Scot was forced to withdraw from Toronto due to an abominable strain and many feared that the 2012 champ may have once again been laid low by injury. But the man with the metal hip fights on, starting to resemble the player who had so brilliantly disrupted the hegemony of the ‘Big Three’. Someone who never enjoyed the comfort of a straight-sets victory was Grigor Dimitrov.
The 19th seeded Bulgarian had to call on all his resolve to come back from a two-set deficit against Alex Molcan, saving two match-points and hitting an astonishing 81 winners in the match. This will be one of the few occasions in recent memory where Murray will feel the more invigorated player going into a match.
Dimitrov reached the semis here back in 2019 and enjoyed a recent semi-final run in Washington. But that five-set match was gruelling and I’m loving the crispness of Murray’s ball-striking. Murray has a commanding head-to-head advantage, thrashing Dimitrov in the 2016 US Open.
Verdict: Murray to win in four
Dan Evans 52/100 | Botic van de Zandschulp 6/4
The ‘bad boy’ of British tennis, Dan Evans’ recent form is a true Jekyll and Hyde conundrum. Evans has been eliminated in the first-round in nine of his last 12 events. During this stretch he also reached two semi-finals and won the biggest title of his career in Washington.
It’s honestly mind-boggling. He was exceptional in Washington, using his all-court tenacity and hustle to defeat the likes of Tiafoe and Dimitrov. So, it was really hard to tell which Evans would show up in New York.
But he looked sharp against Colombian Daniel Galan and he will love this rambunctious New York atmosphere. 27-year-old Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp will be looking to stem the tide of some dreadful recent form and recreate his 2021 heroics.
He reached the quarterfinals here two years ago, emerging as the only man in the tournament to take a set off Daniil Medvedev. But his form has nosedived dramatically in recent months. His loss to Holger Rune in the Bavarian International final seemed to knock the stuffing out of him and he would go on to win just one of his next eight matches.
Jordan Thompson withdrew from their first-round match and perhaps that’s the break he needed. Van de Zandschulp was an ironman in 2021 and I think there’s enough quality in him to threaten an upset here. But perhaps an epic Evans victory would be the sensible value play.
Verdict: Evans to win in five sets
Hubert Hurkacz 8/15 | Jack Draper 6/4
Pole Hubert Hurkacz was one of my dark horse picks going into this event. But the former Wimbledon semi-finalist played error-ridden tennis in his opener against Huesler, ultimately needing to come back from two sets down to eek out the win.
The Marseille champ came into this event in encouraging form, pushing Alcaraz to three sets in successive Masters 1000 events. He has a powerful serve and the type of forehand that can render opponents helpless. He will be looking for a much-improved performance as he squares off against the new posterchild of British tennis: Jack Draper.
With his powerful serve, deceptive movement and extraordinary backhand, Jack Draper could potentially become the next Andy Murray. But like Murray, the Englishman has developed a penchant for picking up injuries.
He struggled with cramps while pushing Nadal to four sets at this year’s Aussie Open. He then suffered a serious shoulder injury that ruled him out of the entire grass-court campaign. He has been easing himself back into action and he looked very accomplished in his first-round win over Radu Albot.
The Pole leads Draper 2-0 in their head-to-head meetings but they were both extremely close affairs. I personally think that Hurkacz will find a way against the young Brit. He looked imperious in the closing stages of his first-round match and perhaps those sluggish early sets will prove a true motivator.
Verdict: Hurkacz to win in four sets
