The path toward a potential U.S. Open quarterfinal showdown between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will begin on Tuesday. Federer is starting his fortnight against Yoshihito Nishioka, while Djokovic is facing Marton Fucsovics.
Yoshihito Nishioka vs. (2) Roger Federer
Federer will begin his quest for a sixth career U.S. Open title and first since 2008 when he takes the court against Nishioka for the first time on Tuesday. The 37-year-old Swiss has finished runner-up only twice since then, losing to Juan Martin Del Potro in 2009 and to Novak Djokovic in 2015. Finishing runner-up to Djokovic is also what Federer just did in Cincinnati, where he picked up wins over Peter Gojowyczk, Leonardo Mayer, Stan Wawrinka, and David Goffin before succumbing to the Serb 6-4, 6-4. The world No. 2 is an impressive 33-5 in 2018 with titles at the Australian Open, in Rotterdam, and on the grass of Stuttgart.
Nishioka has been unable to gain any momentum in his comeback since suffering a torn ACL at the 2017 Miami Masters. The world No. 177 from Japan has played this whole season without enduring any physical setbacks, but he is a mere 4-9 at the ATP level and has also been unable to find much success in Challengers aside from one hard-court title in May. Nishioka posted on Twitter that he had “no luck” with the draw after seeing he would have to go up against Federer. However, he added: “But it was a dream to play [against] Federer, so I’m looking forward to it.” It will certainly be a great experience for the underdog, but it probably won’t last long.
Pick: Federer in 3 losing 5-7 games
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(6) Novak Djokovic vs. Marton Fucsovics
Djokovic and Fucsovics will also be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers on Tuesday. The sixth-ranked Serb missed last year’s U.S. Open due to injury, but his 2018 resurgence has him as the odds-on favorite to lift the winner’s trophy in Flushing Meadows this time around. After struggling through four months of the season, Djokovic started to raise his level on clay, captured a fourth Wimbledon title, and then triumphed in Cincinnati.
Fucsovics is in the midst of a breakout season on tour, having earned 18 of his 40 career ATP-level match victories and registering one spot off his career-high ranking at No. 41 in the world. The 26-year-old Hungarian made a run to the fourth round of the Australian Open before falling to Federer, so he is clearly capable of handling the pressure at a Grand Slam. But his draw is just as bad as Nishioka’s, and therefore an early exit is in the cards for Fucsovics.
Pick: Djokovic in 3 losing 11-14 games
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