US Open day two predictions & tennis betting tips: Veteran Gasquet can advance

Free tennis tips, best bets and analysis for day two of the US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York City on Tuesday.

Where to watch

Live on Eurosport & Amazon Prime, 4pm Tuesday

Best bets

Richard Gasquet to beat Taro Daniel
2pts 8-11 general

Aslan Karatsev to beat Fabio Fognini
2pts 8-11 general

Garbine Muguruza to beat Clara Tauson
1pt 10-11 general

Sofia Kenin to beat Jule Niemeier
1pt 4-5 bet365

Day two preview

Day two of the US Open sees the introduction of 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, who will be hoping he can again pull two clear of the absent Novak Djokovic in the race for major singles titles with victory at Flushing Meadows.

The Spanish great is 1-100 to overcome inexperienced Australian Rinky Hijikata in his opening game in New York while it should also be a comfortable evening for Cameron Norrie, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who are all long odds-on for first-round success.

The star attraction in the women’s singles is defending champion Emma Raducanu, who faces a tricky opener against last week's Cleveland semi-finalist Alize Cornet, while two-time US Open heroine Naomi Osaka may also have her work cut out against home hope Danielle Collins.

Taro Daniel v Richard Gasquet

French veteran Richard Gasquet, US Open semi-finalist in 2013, arrives in New York in fine fettle and can record a first-round victory over Japan’s Taro Daniel.

At 36 years of age, Gasquet’s best days are behind him but he continues to hold his form well and should be ready to roll after a run to the quarter-finals in Winston-Salem last week.

Gasquet’s list of scalps included Kamil Majchrzak, Lorenzo Musetti and Steve Johnson before he was beaten in three sets by Laslo Djere, who went on to reach the final.

A reproduction of those efforts ought to see him oust Daniel, who has lost five of his seven competitive matches in August and has also been found wanting in both of his previous encounters with the Frenchman.

Fabio Fognini v Aslan Karatsev

Fabio Fognini and Aslan Karatsev are two players capable of delivering world-class performances but inconsistencies continue to haunt them and neither players arrives at the US Open at the top of their game.

That said, Karatsev, who was a semi-finalist at the Australian Open last year, has shown plenty of promise in his recent matches and may have the beating of the seasoned Italian.

The Russian overcame improving American Brandon Nakashima in his opening-round game in Cincinnati before taking Diego Schwartzman, who is seeded 14th at Flushing Meadows, to three sets. If able to replicate those efforts, Karatsev should take some stopping.

Fognini, who is seven years older than Karatsev at 35, has suffered first-round defeats at the US Open in seven of his 13 visits to Flushing Meadows.

Garbine Muguruza v Clara Tauson

Bookmakers are struggling to split Garbine Muguruza and Clara Tauson with both players having been woefully out of form, but the Spaniard is a two-time Grand Slam champion and that experience could serve her well.

Muguruza has won only four of her last 15 matches while Tauson has won just five of her previous 15 outings, runs which suggest the pair's confidence may be shot.

However, Muguruza thrives for the big occasion and there was plenty of encouragement to take from her recent return to action in Toronto at the start of the month.

The ninth seed won her opening game against Kaia Kanepi, who had beaten her at the French Open in May, and her following defeat to the talented Belinda Bencic can be excused.

Muguruza was subsequently defeated by Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in Cincinnati, but Tauson is also operating way below her peak so this looks a decent opportunity for the Spaniard to restore some belief.

Sofia Kenin v Jule Niemeier

Things have not gone how many would have anticipated for 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, but the 23-year-old American remains a player of immense potential and is taken to see off Jule Niemeier.

German Niemeier reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in July but her game looks well suited to grass and she has more to prove on hard courts, having had just one match on the surface this summer.

Niemeier was beaten in the first round of a New York Challenger event just over two weeks ago and, despite a recent dip in form, Kenin may be better prepared for the challenge.

The Florida native suggested there may be better to come when reaching the quarter-finals in Cleveland last week and, if building on that, she ought to seal a second-round spot.

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