Ricky Dimon
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Serena Williams’ impending retirement is the big story surrounding this year’s U.S. Open, along with Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal due to being unable to enter the United States as an unvaccinated foreigner. There is a chance that Williams could play the final singles match of her illustrious career on Monday night in New York. On that note, it’s time to dive into what could be in store for us on Day 1 of the U.S. Open.
Before play begins, also be sure to note my outright best bets on both the men’s and women’s sides.
Andy Murray ML over Francisco Cerundolo (-143)
It is true that Andy Murray is well past his prime, but getting him as a relatively minor favorite over a much less experienced player who generally does his best work on clay is a chance I will not let slip away. Although the 35-year-old Scot is no longer a contender for Grand Slam titles (he has won three of them, including the 2012 U.S. Open), he is still in respectable form by mere mortal’s standards. Murray is 20-14 this season and his impressive comeback from hip problems has him back inside the top 50 of the ATP rankings. Cerundolo is playing well and can no longer be considered a downright clay-court specialist following a semifinal showing in Miami and a third-round result at Wimbledon. Still, the 24-year-old Argentinian would always prefer to play on clay and he is 0-2 on hard courts this summer.
Rebecca Marino ML over Magdalena Frech (-157)
Marino and Frech have gone in totally different directions this season. Based on age you would have thought that Frech (24) would be trending upward and Marino (31) might be on the way down, but that isn’t the case. Marino boasts a 38-18 match record in 2022, while Frech comes in at 23-25. A total of 27 Marino victories have come on hard courts, too. The Canadian has reached two quarterfinals this summer, first in Washington, D.C. and also this past week in Granby, Canada. Frech is just 4-6 in her last 10 matches and she has not defeated anyone ranked better than No. 67 since Wimbledon.
Parlay: Maxime Cressy ML over Marton Fucsovics and John Millman ML over Emilo Nava (-125)
Even though you need two outcomes to be successful for this bet to cash, it’s probably my favorite play of Day 1. Neither Fucsovics nor Nava inspires any confidence at the moment. Fucsovics has not won a main-draw match since early June and has plunged to No. 96 in the world, while Nava is ranked 200th and has never won an ATP-level match in his career. Cressy and Millman should have no trouble capitalizing. The former is in great form and conditions in New York are good for his serve-and-volley tactics; the latter is a grizzled veteran who advanced to the U.S. Open quarterfinals in 2018, upsetting Roger Federer in the process.
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