We've got three picks from the US Open first round to get into today, and honestly all three feel like they could go either way. Let's see who comes through.
US Open Predictions
Stefanos Sakellaridis vs Christopher O'Connell
Head-to-head: First meeting
O'Connell is the higher-ranked player here, but Sakellaridis has been one of the more interesting names floating around the fringes of the tour this year and this is a first meeting between two players who are very closely matched on paper. O'Connell is a solid hard-court grinder who can make life difficult but he hasn't been putting together consistent results lately and at 105 in the world he's not exactly in the form of his life.
Sakellaridis has the tools to trouble him and I think the Greek gets through this in five, grinding it out the hard way.
Prediction: Sakellaridis in 3
Toby Samuel vs Billy Harris
Head-to-head: Samuel 1-0 Harris
Samuel already has the psychological edge here, and the ranking gap tells the same story. Harris is sitting at 161 in the world, which tells you most of what you need to know, and hasn't been doing much to suggest he can flip this result around. Hard to see this being competitive at all. Samuel should be comfortable on this surface and the clean sweep feels right, making this one of the more straightforward calls of the day.
Prediction: Samuel in 3
Henrique Rocha vs Michael Mmoh
Head-to-head: First meeting
Mmoh is ranked 54 spots below Rocha, but hard courts in New York are basically his home turf and he's always been capable of putting together something dangerous here. Rocha hasn't played at this level enough to know exactly what to expect, and Mmoh's power game tends to click when the conditions are quick. That said, it's a first meeting and Rocha won't be easy to break down.
Mmoh gets through this one in five, all things considered. We'll see if he can carry that momentum further into the draw.
Prediction: Mmoh in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Yannick Legare/ZUMA Press Wire