Karen Khachanov does not have the weakest opponent in the first round of the US Open Main Draw. The Russian's opponent will be No. 46 South African Lloyd Harris. The athletes have met once in 2016 in Samarkand, where Khachanov defeated his opponent 6-2, 6-3. Let's see how it goes this time.
Karen Khachanov form
After his triumph at the Tokyo Olympics, where Khachanov won the silver medal, Karen played two tournaments in North America, specifically two Masters, in Toronto and Cincinnati. In Canada, No. 4 Russian defeated Norrie and Karatsev, losing to Tsitsipas in two sets. In Cincinnati, Khachanov was confident, defeating Kevin Anderson, another South African, only to lose to the young Canadian Auger-Aliassime in three sets. According to Khachanov himself, his main goal for the near future is to return to the top 10 of world tennis.
Lloyd Harris form
Unlike Khachanov, Lloyd Harris did not participate in the Olympics, but he has been in North America for more than a month and has had time to play in four tournaments. Lloyd was unsuccessful in Atlanta, dropping out after his first match against Thompson. In Washington the South African beat Sandgren and Nadal himself but lost to Nishikori in two sets. In Toronto, Lloyd knocked Schnoor and Lopez out of the draw, but lost in three sets to Opelka. In Cincinnati he outplayed Nishioka, but lost to the eventual winner of the tournament, Zverev. Also, there was a tie-break in the first game between Lloyd and Alexander, which Zverev won 7-3.
Expert Betting Tips
Karen is the big favorite for the upcoming game, however, unlike Medvedev and Rublev, Khachanov noticeably lacks stability. That means it will be difficult for the Russian to beat the reasonably skilled Lloyd in a blowout. All the more so, because Lloyd is in very good form, having played four tournaments in North America, beaten Nadal himself, and fought Zverev in one set. In fact, Khachanov in the final of the Olympics could not compete with the German, losing in two sets without a struggle. In general, Harris seems slightly underestimated in this match, so we offer the following betting options:TO 39.5 for 1.82, ITO2 19.5 for 1.88.
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