U.S. Open R1 previews and predictions: Nadal vs. Istomin, Monfils vs. Muller

Rafael Nadal will kick off his U.S. Open campaign when he takes the court against Denis Istomin for a rematch of a 2010 affair in Flushing Meadows. Monday’s first-round schedule also includes Gael Monfils and Gilles Muller.

(4) Rafael Nadal vs. Denis Istomin

Nadal and Istomin will be going head-to-head for the fifth time in their careers and for the second time at the U.S. Open when they clash in round one at the season’s final Grand Slam on Monday afternoon. All four of their previous meetings have gone Nadal’s way and he is 10-1 in total sets against Istomin. Their 2010 night-session showdown in New York City oozed entertainment from start to finish, but the Spaniard still managed to get the job done in straight sets with a 6-2, 7-6(5), 7-5 victory. It has since been one-way traffic for Nadal, who cruised 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 at the 2012 French Open and 6-1, 6-0 at the 2014 Miami Masters.

Because of a wrist injury, the world No. 5 has played only two tournaments since withdrawing in the middle of Roland Garros. His comeback at the Rio Olympics did not disappoint, as Nadal won the doubles gold medal with Marc Lopez and finished fourth in singles. Obviously less than 100 percent the very next week in Cincinnati, the 14-time slam champion dropped his third-round match to Borna Coric 6-1, 6-3. Istomin’s 2016 record stands at a dreadful 7-20 and he has not won a tournament match at the ATP level since his Wimbledon opener against Nicolas Almagro. The 107th-ranked Uzbek is likely once again head for another straight-set beatdown at Nadal’s hands.

Pick: Nadal in 3 losing 8-10 games

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(10) Gael Monfils vs. Gilles Muller

Monfils has a big opportunity to gain ranking points at this U.S. Open; in fact, he will add to his total if he simply wins his opener on Monday. The Frenchman, who reached the quarterfinals in 2014, retired during first-round action last summer against Illya Marchenko. Physical problems continue to plague Monfils, but when healthy this season he has been outstanding. The world No. 12 boasts a 35-11 record for his 2016 campaign and this summer is already highlighted by the most significant title of his career in Washington, D.C.

Up first for Monfils is a third career showdown against Muller. The 33-year-old Luxembourgian prevailed 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4) last season in Montreal before Monfils evened the head-to-head series by prevailing 7-5, 6-0 a few months ago on the clay courts of Monte-Carlo. Among Muller’s past U.S. Open exploits are a first-round upset of Andy Roddick 11 years ago, a quarterfinal run in 2008, and a fourth-round performance in 2011. As for this year, the world No. 37 is 27-18 with grass-court runner-up showings in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Newport. But this bad first-round draw for Muller will likely be too tough unless Monfils–for whatever reason–is struggling physically.

Pick: Monfils in 4

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