New GB Davis Cup member can heap further misery on struggling Latvian in our top 4 Round 1 picks at Flushing Meadows
1/4 – Gilles Simon to beat Donald Young
Gilles Simon hasn’t lost in the first round of a Grand Slam in over two years, and this excellent record looks set to continue on Tuesday when he takes on home favourite, Donald Young.
For years Gilles has tormented players with his consistent style of play, and it is against Young where has been most efficient, leading the pairs’ head to head 5-0.
Despite having some of the best hand skills in tennis, Young has compiled a losing record on tour again this season (17-19.) Expect this to be 17-20 come Tuesday evening.
2/7 – Jiri Vesely to beat Paolo Lorenzi
Paolo Lorenzi stands almost alone on the tour as an out and out clay court specialist, and given his shocking record on hard and grass courts, poor old Paolo could be in for another struggle tonight.
In ten years, the Italian has only ever won two matches at Grand Slam level away from Roland Garros, and after almost exclusively playing Challenger level clay court tournaments this season he has yet to record a victory on a different surface in 2015
The 6ft 6 inch Czech, Jiri Vesey, who downed Lorenzi in straight sets two months ago at Wimbledon, and few would be surprised if Jiri triumphed 3-0 again in New York.
1/3 – Viktor Troicki to beat Frances Tiafoe
With continued success at Challenger level, and increasing entry into tour level events, all the hype around 17 year old American wonder kid, Frances Tiafoe, is justified, but a first round win against the experienced Serb, Viktor Troicki, looks a step too far for the youngster.
After returning to the tour this year, following a drugs ban, Troicki has won a title in Sydney, reached the finals of Stuttgart and made it to the round of 16 at Wimbledon.
Whilst the US Open hasn’t been Viktor’s most successful Slam, the Serb has still made it to the rounds of 64, and 32. He should be good enough to progress to the second round again here.
11/8 – Aljaz Bedene to beat Ernests Gulbis
Ernests Gulbis’ epic match with Novak Djokovic in Montreal may have somewhat sugar-coated what has been a disastrous season for the troubled Latvian, and newly assigned British Davis Cup squad member Aljaz Bedene will be focusing on the mental hangover Gulbis is still inevitably carrying from a miserable 9 months on tour.
19 losses from 27 matches have coincided with first round defeats at the Australian Open and Wimbledon for the 67th ranked Latvian.
Contrastingly, Bedene is enjoying a career best season, reaching the finals of Chennai, and proving he is at home in America winning a Challenger level title in Texas.
His odds of 11/8 to win this first round cash represent stunning value.
A £10 bet on this four-fold will return £50.89
Betway offer you money back as a free bet if one selection of your four-fold lets you down
