U.S. Open R1 previews and predictions: Griekspoor vs. Fils, Nishioka vs. Wawrinka

Former U.S. Open champion (2016) Stan Wawrinka will be in first-round action against Yoshihito Nishioka on Tuesday afternoon. Another intriguing Day 2 clash features No. 24 seed Tallon Griekspoor and Arthur Fils.

(24) Tallon Griekspoor vs. Arthur Fils

Both Griekspoor and Fils are enjoying by far their best seasons on the professional tour, but one won’t make it out of the U.S. Open first round. Their first-ever meeting is set for Tuesday, and it should be a good one. Griekspoor won on the ATP Tour for the first time at the beginning of the year in Pune and he recently backed it up in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, while Fils lifted his maiden ATP trophy in Lyon during the clay-court swing.

Griekspoor has remained in solid form with a runner-up performance in Washington, D.C. and a third-round showing this past week in Winston-Salem. He comes in at No. 24 in the world, while Fils is ranked 48th and also figures to be seeded at Grand Slams in the very near future. Unfortunately for Fils, he is 0-2 on hard courts this summer and he is also 0-2 lifetime at slams. In what will presumably be a competitive contest, Griekspoor’s form and experience should win out.

Pick: Griekspoor in 5

Stan Wawrinka vs. Yoshihito Nishioka

At 38 years old, Wawrinka isn’t going away just yet. In fact, at the end of July he broke back into the top 50 of the world for the first time since October of 2021. The 49th-ranked Swiss is sporting a solid 22-15 record for the season, which includes a recent runner-up effort in Umag and a third-round performance in Cincinnati. Wawrinka has played seven straight events on the main tour without losing in the first round.

Up first for the three-time Grand Slam champion on Tuesday is Nishioka, who lost their only previous meeting 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) at the 2017 Indian Wells Masters. Nishioka is just 14-15 for his 2023 campaign and 1-6 in his last seven matches dating back to Roland Garros. Four of those six recent losses have come in straight sets. From a mental standpoint the world No. 44 has never been good at digging his way out of funks, so his struggles will likely continue in New York.

Pick: Wawrinka in 3