Serbian Novak Djokovic will be the maximum representative of the old guard of the circuit against the younger outpost who will seek to prevent the number one in the world from reaching the double objective that he pursues in the US Open 2021: if to be crown, it will be the top winner in Grand Slam tournaments among men and will complete a perfect season by obtaining all four majors.
The absences of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, both marginalized by individual injuries even from the remainder of the tennis year, could suppose that Nole is paved the way, although the number one in the world comes from suffering two hard setbacks in the Olympic Games, where he saw his chance to win a medal for falls in the semifinals against Alexander Zverev (then champion) and against Pablo Carreño Busta in the bronze match.
Another significant absence will be that of the Austrian Dominic Thiem, the defending champion of the title, due to a right wrist injury that forced him to resign from the tournament a few days before its start, for which he will also not play until 2022.
For Djokovic there will also be a challenge with the public, who returns to the US Open after having been absent in the 2020 edition due to the pandemic of coronavirus, when the Serbian was disqualified after hitting a ball at a linesman in the round of 16 match that he lost to Spanish Carreño Busta in the first set.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, the two great absences at the US Open. (DPA)
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The Serbian, if he wins at Flushing Meadows, will surpass Federer and Nadal in the list of Grand Slam titles, since he will reach 21, and will also achieve a milestone that has not been repeated since 1969: that year, the Australian Rod Laver he stayed with the four majors of the season, as would happen if Nole prevails in the US Open since in 2021 he was also champion of the Australian Open, from Roland Garros and of Wimbledon.
In the main draw there will be six Argentines: the only seeded is Diego Schwartzman, who starts from eleventh place in the seed. The other three are Federico Delbonis, Guido Pella, Federico Coria, Marco Trungelitti and Facundo Bagnis.
Possible crossovers at the US Open
The way of Novak Djokovic towards the story will start against the Danish Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune, 145 of the ATP ranking. In the second round, the German would await him Jan-Lennard Struff (52) or the Dutch Tallon Greek Railway (110). The Belgian David Goffin, seeded 27, could be his rival in the third round, who would be followed by the Australian Alex De Minaur (14), Italian Matteo Berretini (6) and Alexander Zverev (4) in the semifinals.
Mosaic with the 20 Grand Slam titles won by Novak Djokovic. (AFP)
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The French Veteran Richard Gasquet, 82 in the ranking, will be in the debut of Daniil Medvedev, second favorite of the tournament. The Russian, if he passes the presentation, could be in front of the German Dominik Koepfer (56) or French Quentin Halys (184). A former champion of the US Open, the Croatian Marin Cilic (30 seeded), would await him in the third round. And from then on, the Bulgarian would appear Grigor Dimitrov (15), Norwegian Casper Ruud (8) and the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (3).
Tsitsipas will debut against another former champion of the US Open, Andy Murray, who at 34 is ranked 114 on the ATP. If the Hellenic beats the Scotsman, the second-round rival will come out of the clash between the French Pierre-Hughes Herbert (104) and Adrian Mannarino (44). The seeded batch of his way would start with the Brit Cameron Norrie (26), the Chilean Cristian Garin (16), Russian Andrey Rublev (5) and Daniil Medvedev.
Alexander Zverev, fourth seed, will appear against the American Sam Querrey (77), a 33-year-old hard punch. The second round rival will come out of the clash between the Spanish Albert Ramos-Viñolas (48) and French Lucas Pouille (133). The Kazakh Alexander Bublik (31 seeded) would touch him in the third round. Then the path could go on with the Italian Jannik Sinner (13), the Canadian Denis Shapovalov and Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.
Alexander Zverev comes from winning the Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020. (AFP)
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The Russian will make his debut against the most fearsome serve on the circuit Andrey Rublev, fifth seed, rival of the Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic, 2.11 meters and 223 in the ATP ranking. If he surpasses it, he will play against the winner of the duel between the Spanish Pedro Martinez (73) and the Australian James Duckworth (67). Serbian Filip Krajonovic, seeded 32, would arrive in the third round, in a route that would continue with the Canadian Felix Augier-Aliasimus (12), Stefanos Tsitsipas (3) and Daniil Medvedev (2).
The Italian Matteo Berretini (sixth seeded) will debut against the French Jeremy Chardy (69 on the ATP). Another Gaul Corentin Moutet (87) or Italian Stefano Travaglia (100) would wait for him in the second round. Fabio Fognini, 28 in the seed, would be his rival in third, to advance in the field of probabilities against the Pole Hubert Hurkacz (10), Novak Djokivic in rooms and Alexander Zverev in the semifinals.
Federico Delbonis, 47 in the ranking, will be the opponent of the Canadian debut Denis Shapovalov (seeded number 7). For second, they could be the local Tommy Paul (53) or Spanish Roberto Carballes Baena (95). Russian Karen Khachanov (25 seeded) would be the third-round opponent, and then P would appearI spoke Carreño Busta (9), Alexander Zverev (4) and Novak Djokovic (1).
The charismatic Stefanos Tsitsipas, third seed at the US Open. (AP)
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Another old gladiator, the French Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (98 in the ATP and 36 years old) is the Norwegian’s first rival Casper Ruud (eighth favorite), who if he won would go to the Dutch Botic Van de Zandschulp (118) or Spanish Carlos Taberner (105). Alejandro Davidovich-Fokina (29 seeded) would go in the third round, after whom the local would emerge John Isner (19), Daniil Medvedev (2 and Stefanos Tsitsipas (3).
Pablo Carreño Busta (ninth favorite) will debut against the local Maxime Cressy (151 in the ranking). Tougher could be the second-round opponent, who will come out of Sebastian Korda (United States, 45) and Nikoloz Basilashvilii (Georgia, 39). The American Reilly Opelka (22 seeded) would appear in third, and then they would go Denis Shapovalov (7), Alexander Zverev (4) and Novak Djokovic (1) in semis, with whom he has a good record.
The Polish Hubert Hurkacz (10 in the pre-qualification) will be presented against the Belarusian Egor Gerasimov (81 of the ATP). If he wins, he will play against the winner of the Italian Andreas Seppi (88) and the Hungarian Marton Fucsovics (42). Two seeded Italians could be their rivals at third (Lorenzo Sonego, 20) and eighths (Matteo Berretini, 6), while in quarters it would be in front of Djokovic and in the semifinals against Zverev.
The six Argentines in the painting
Diego Schwartzman leads the list of national rackets to be presented at Flushing Meadows and will debut against the Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis, 96th in the ranking, in the first duel between the two. If it advances, possible collisions appear on the horizon with Kevin Anderson in the second round, John Isner (19th) in the third; the norwegian Casper Ruud (8th) in eighths and Medvedev In rooms.
The Peque, 14th in the world and 11th favorite, comes from falling in the knockout stages of the Toronto Masters 1000 (against Roberto Bautista Agut) and Cincinnati (opposite Ruud himself), in their first hard-court tournaments of the North American season.
Diego Schwartzman, the main exponent among the six Argentines in the main draw. (AP)
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Federico Delbonis He will have to work to overcome the debut, because he will face the Canadian Denis Shapovalov, seventh favorite. The Azulean, with a very good season, fell last week in the first round of Cincinnati against Jannik Sinner. Although Shapovalov also had a difficult start on this tour: he did not win a game in Toronto or in Cincinnati.
In the same half of the table – the upper one, which has Djokovic as a great favorite – will play Federico Coria, 61st of the classification. The Rosario, who has not competed since the Tokyo Olympics (fell in the debut against Mikhail Kukushkin), will collide with the always complicated Gael Monfils, 17th seed. The Frenchman is gradually recovering his level and with more games: he reached the quarterfinals in Toronto and the eighth in Cincinnati.
Guido Pella, 84th, will try to take advantage of the good feelings left by his time at the US Masters 1000 last week in New York, in which he stacked good victories against David Goffin (19 °) and Fabio Fognini (36 °), before saying goodbye versus Alexander Zverev, later champion.
The bahiense will see the faces in the debut with the Serbian Filip Krajinovic, located in the 38 ° of the ranking, who in Cincinnati said goodbye in the debut. His potential rival in the second wheel is the local Frances Tiafoe, a dangerous adversary on this surface.
While, Facundo Bagnis, 79th, will collide in the first round with the Japanese Taro Daniel, 109 °, with whom he never faced. If he wins, the Santa Fe, who will also return to the fields after his Olympic participation (fall in the debut against Dominik Koepfer), would meet in his next match with the Spanish Alejandro Davidovich-Fokina, 29th seeded, with the santiagueño Marco Trungelitti, the sixth Argentine in the table.
