U.S. Open R1 previews and predictions: Zverev vs. Anderson, Isner vs. Johnson

Alexander Zverev could have a tough opener on his hands when play begins at the U.S. Open on Monday. Fellow Americans John Isner and Steve Johnson are also part of the Day 1 schedule.

Kevin Anderson vs. (5) Alexander Zverev

Anderson was the runner-up at the 2017 U.S. Open and he also accomplished the same feat at Wimbledon in 2018, but due to injuries he is now part of the unseeded contingent at slams in 2020. The 6’8” South African finds himself at No. 124 in the world and he has won only four matches (4-4 record) since Wimbledon last summer. Anderson did well to survive a three-set thriller against Kyle Edmund last week in “Cincinnati,” but he had to play on back-to-back days and promptly got crushed by Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1, 6-3.

Thus the 34-year-old remains a question mark from a physical standpoint and a best-of-five situation at the U.S. Open cannot be ideal. His draw is also far from desirable, as Anderson trails the head-to-head series with Zverev 4-0 heading into Monday. They have not faced each other since 2017, when the seventh-ranked German won in Rome, Washington, and Montreal. Zverev is an even bigger favorite now than he was back then, but inconsistency on his serve will probably allow Anderson to snag at least one set.

Pick: Zverev in 4

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Steve Johnson vs. (16) John Isner

It will be an all-American clash when Isner and Johnson square off for the 10th time in their careers on Monday. Johnson leads the head-to-head series 5-4 (4-2 on hard courts) and has won four in a row at Isner’s expense. Four of their nine previous meetings have required final-set tiebreakers in order to be decided, including most recently when Johnson prevailed 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(5) on the red clay of Houston in 2018. Two other encounters ended 7-6, 7-6, so another competitive contest with at least a few more ‘breakers should be expected.

This time around, however, Isner is likely to have the edge. The world No. 21 played well enough at the Cincinnati Masters, beating Hubert Hurkacz and John Millman (the latter in a final-set tiebreaker) before falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(2), 7-6(4). Johnson, on the other hand, is struggling at 63rd in the rankings and he suffered a bad loss in Cincinnati qualifying to Pedro Martinez. Conditions at Flushing Meadows generally suit Isner’s game to perfection, so the 16th seed should be able to take care of business.

Pick: Isner in 4

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