Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the US Open match.
Carlos Alcaraz is extending his winning run after lifting the title at the Cincinnati Masters and looks very much like the outright favourite for the tournament. Luciano Darderi has come through Rinky Hijikata and Eliot Spizzirri in New York, but now faces a test against one of the leading players in men’s tennis.
Luciano Darderi
Luciano Darderi has never been known for his hard-court game. Before this US Open he had not even managed back-to-back wins in the main draw at ATP Tour level. Moreover, outside ITF Futures level his record is extremely modest (9-21). In the opening rounds here the Italian was erratic: only a 57% first-serve percentage and 13 double faults across two matches. Neither Rinky Hijikata nor Eliot Spizzirri represent the sternest opposition for Carlos Alcaraz — both are ranked outside the top 100.
Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz has carried his Cincinnati form into New York and has already twice dealt with opponents convincingly. First he dispatched Reilly Opelka (6:4, 7:5, 6:4), then he routed Mattia Bellucci in just 98 minutes (6:1, 6:0, 6:3). Across those matches he did not drop serve, created 28 break points and struck 55 winners.
Luciano Darderi vs Carlos Alcaraz Prediction
Carlos Alcaraz currently leads the tour in percentage of return games won (32.7%), while Luciano Darderi has issues with his first serve. Under these conditions, this should not be close for long. We expect Carlos Alcaraz to cover the -7.5-game handicap.
