Day 3 of the 2024 US Open is set to mark the beginning of the second rounds in the men’s and women’s singles draws.
The first couple of days at Flushing Meadows saw most of the men’s top seeds secure comfortable victories in their opening matches, with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev, and Hubert Hurkacz all doing so emphatically.
Fourteenth seed Holger Rune, however, was a notable casualty on Day 1, losing to ³Brandon Nakashima in straight sets. Twenty-seventh seed Alexander Bublik was also eliminated by Shang Juncheng in a tight five-setter. Day 2 brought more surprises, with 19th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alejandro Tabilo also being shown the door by Jakub Mensik and David Goffin, respectively.
With the New York Major having already delivered exciting action, fans can look forward to more thrills on Day 3, featuring a stellar lineup with numerous big names in the spotlight. On that note, here’s a look at the predictions for some of the key men’s matches scheduled for Day 3 at the 2024 US Open.
#5 Sebastian Baez vs Tallon Griekspoor
Sebastian Baez entered the US Open with an impressive 30-21 match record for the season, having won back-to-back titles at the Rio Open and the Chile Open. He began his US Open campaign with a hard-fought 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-0, 7-6 (4) victory over Lucian Darderi. Despite struggling with his serve, the Argentine made up for it with valuable consistency on his returns, winning 43% of receiving points and breaking his opponent’s serve 7 times out of 17. His net play was particularly good, as he won an impressive 64% of points when going forward.
Tallon Griekspoor, meanwhile, came into the US Open with a 22-20 match record for the season. He secured a relatively straightforward 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory in his opener against Sumit Nagal. Griekspoor dominated the first two sets but faced a tougher challenge in the third, ultimately showing great resilience to close out the match in the tiebreaker. The Dutchman served well throughout, breaking Nagal’s serve 6 times out of 11 and hitting 10 aces. He also excelled at the net, winning 77% of points in that area.
Baez and Griekspoor’s second-round encounter promises to be thrilling, as both players head into it in in similar form. Baez leads their head-to-head 1-0, having won their only previous meeting in Rome in 2022. Griekspoor’s superior hardcourt record compared to Baez, whose strongest surface is clay, along with his dynamic all-around game, should see him come through in this encounter.
Pick: Griekspoor in four sets.
#4 Ugo Humbert vs Francisco Comesana
Ugo Humbert arrived in New York with a 26-18 match record for the season and titles from the Open 13 and the Dubai Tennis Championships. Seeded 17th, he began his US Open campaign with a solid 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Thiago Monteiro. Humbert excelled on serve, as usual, winning 80% of points behind his first serve and hitting 16 aces. He was aggressive with his shots, recording 34 winners out of a total of 96 points won. His net play was also effective, as he won 83% of the points when approaching the net.
Francisco Comesana entered the US Open with a modest 2-6 match record on tour, mostly competing on the Challenger circuit. He began his campaign in New York with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over Dominic Stephan Stricker. Like Humbert, Comesana excelled on serve, winning 78% of points behind his first serve and hitting 10 aces. He was also effective at the net, winning 22 out of 32 points when approaching. Additionally, Comesana recorded 43 winners compared to 38 unforced errors.
In what will be their first-ever encounter, the match promises to be a battle between two strong servers. Given Ugo Humbert’s superior form on the professional circuit this season and his dominant performance in the first round, he is expected to come out on top.
Pick: Humbert in straight sets.
#3 Alexei Popyrin vs Pedro Martinez
Alexei Popyrin entered New York with a 20-16 match record for the season and the title at the National Bank Open in Montreal, the biggest of his career so far. Up against Kwon Soon-woo in his US Open opener, he registered a commanding 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 win.
He excelled on serve, winning an impressive 92% of points behind his first serve and hitting 14 aces. The Australian was also strong on the return, breaking his opponent’s serve 6 times out of 10. Additionally, his 37 winners outnumbered his 26 unforced errors.
Pedro Martinez, on the other hand, came into the US Open with a 15-14 match record for the season. He began his campaign in New York with a hard-fought 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (10-6) victory over Maks Kasnikowski in the first round.
Martinez’s strong return game was a key factor, as he converted 8 out of 16 break-point opportunities and won 45% of his return points. He was aggressive with his shots, recording an impressive 73 winners out of a total of 172 points won. His net play also proved effective, as he won 72% of points when going forward.
The pair have met twice before, with Martinez winning both encounters on hardcourts in 2022. Popyrin, however, has significantly improved since then and is currently riding a wave of strong form. Given his recent success and superior hardcourt game, he is expected to edge out the Spaniard in this contest at the US Open.
Pick: Popyrin in four sets.
#2 Francisco Cerundolo vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Francisco Cerundolo entered New York with a 24-23 match record for the season and a title from the Croatia Open. He began his US Open campaign with a gritty 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Sebastian Ofner. The Argentine was inconsistent on serve, winning an impressive 74% of points behind his first serve, but also recording 11 double faults. His return game was the highlight of his victory, as he won 41% of those points and converted 6 out of 11 break-point opportunities.
Tomas Martin Etcheverry, meanwhile, entered the US Open with a 23-22 match record for the season. He secured a relatively straightforward 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his opening round match. Etcheverry was outstanding on serve, winning 87% of points behind his first serve and hitting 10 aces. He did not face a single break point throughout the match. His net play was also impressive, as he converted an impressive 85% of points coming forward.
Etcheverry leads Cerundolo 1-0 in their head-to-head, having won their only previous encounter in Santiago last year. However, Cerundolo has a 3-2 lead in their matches from the Qualifying, Challenger, and Futures levels. They have not yet played each other on hardcourts, with all their previous encounters taking place on clay.
Despite being the lower-ranked player, Etcheverry appears well-positioned to prevail in this battle of the Argentinians, given his superior form leading into the match. He was dominant in his opener and could secure an easy victory over the inconsistent Cerundolo if he maintains the same level of play.
Pick: Etcheverry in straight sets.
#1 Lorenzo Musetti vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Lorenzo Musetti entered the US Open with a 32-21 match record for the year. He began his campaign with a gritty 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory over the big-serving Reilly Opelka. Musetti was particularly impressive at the net, winning 83% of points when approaching. He also excelled in crucial moments, winning most of the important points. His 27 winners outnumbered his 13 aces.
Miomir Kecmanovic, meanwhile, entered the US Open with an 18-23 match record for the season. He started his campaign in New York with a 7-6 (2), 2-6, 5-7, 7-5, 1-0 victory over Yoshihito Nishioka, who was forced to retire due to an injury. Despite being tested throughout the match, Kecmanovic played a solid all-around game without excelling in any particular area. His second serves and unforced error count hurt him in his opener and will need to improve if he wants to advance further in the draw.
Musetti’s recent strong form and his superior record on hard courts should help him navigate this encounter with relative ease. He leads their head-to-head 2-1, although it was Kecmanovic who won their most recent match, which was incidentally their only match on the hard courts. However, replicating that result will be challenging given Musetti’s current excellent form, especially during his first round encounter.
Pick: Musetti in straight sets.
