Can you believe it? We’re only a few hours away from the start of the 2015 US Open and anticipation is building to a fever pitch for the year’s final Grand Slam tournament. To further whet your tennis appetite, we’re going to preview the first-round matchup between Stan Wawrinka and Albert Ramos-Vinolas as well as the opening-round showdown between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Jarkko Nieminen.
Read on below as we break down this two mouth-watering matchups and while you’re at it, you can check out our complete picks and predictions for the 2015 US Open.
Stan Wawrinka had his two-match winning streak snapped last week with a straight-sets defeat to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Masters. He lost 6-4, 6-1 to the nine-time Grand Slam champion in a match that lasted just 63 minutes. It was a disappointing result for Wawrinka who defeated Djokovic in the French Open final last May.
[sc:Other240banner ]He will look to get his season back on track when he takes on Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the first round of the US Open. Wawrinka will fancy his chances against the Spaniard as he has fared extremely well against him before. He is 4-0 lifetime against Ramos-Vinolas. They have met each other just once on the hard court, though, with Wawrinka beating Ramos-Vinolas in the 2012 Shanghai Masters, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5).
Ramos-Vinolas has a 1-4 record here in the US Open with his best finish coming in 2012 when he reached the second round. He is fresh off a quarterfinal defeat to Roberto Carballes Baena in the Cordenons Challenger, losing 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. The Spaniard is just 5-5 in his last 10 outings. Wawrinka, on the other hand, has won five of his last 10 matches.
Writer’s Prediction
Wawrinka (-2,000) destroys Ramos-Vinolas in three easy sets.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s woes continued last week at the Winston-Salem Open after suffering a shock third-round defeat to American Steve Johnson. Tsonga lost 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4) to Johnson in a match that lasted two hours. The Frenchman is now 2-10 this season in matches where he has lost the first set. It has been a difficult season for Tsonga who has yet to win a title on the ATP Tour this year.
He will look to have a much better showing in the US Open where he has compiled a 15-6 career record. Standing in his way in the first round is the ever-dangerous Jarko Nieminen. He will be licking his chops at the prospect of facing the retiring Finn, however, as he is 5-2 against the veteran in their seven career matchups. They have met each other once in the US Open before, with Tsonga beating Nieminen in straight sets in the 2013 edition, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
Tsonga is 6-4 in his last 10 matches while Nieminen is 6-4 as well in his last 10 outings.
Writer’s Prediction
Tsonga (-1,400) edges past Nieminen in four tough sets.
