Kevin Anderson versus Ryan Harrison

The saying goes that it is “better late than never,” and Kevin Anderson has done a good job of proving that to be true.  The South African was a surprise finalist at the US Open last year, and he showed that was no fluke earlier this summer when he put forth a Herculean effort to reach the final of Wimbledon, defeating Roger Federer along the way. He followed that up with a deep run in Toronto, and though he is not a favorite to reach the final in New York, it would not be a complete shock if he did.  It is imperative that he be ready from the start, however, as he faces a challenge in Ryan Harrison.  As an American, Harrison is sure to enjoy the bulk of the crowd support, and though he trails in his rivalry with the fifth seed 1-2, he did win their most recent outing, which came in Tokyo last season. 

Harrison has also enjoyed notable results in both Atlanta and Winston-Salem coming into this event.  Furthermore, he is a solid, all-around player, and evidenced by the way he pushed John Isner to the brink in the final of Atlanta, he is quite comfortable facing the tall, big servers.  All of this said, this still feels like Anderson's match to win.  He enjoys the edge in the serving department and can go bigger off the ground.  He cuts a more intimidating figure at the net as well, and there is no discounting the superior level of experience he has playing these types of matches in comparison to the American.  Unless Anderson gets tight trying to defend his performance of a year ago, he is moving through to the second round.

Grigor Dimitrov versus Stan Wawrinka

Get the popcorn ready, because there are about to be some early fireworks.  With his ranking taking a tumble as he works his way back from knee surgery, many were wondering just where an unseeded Stan Wawrinka would land in the draw.  Unfortunately for Grigor Dimitrov, for the second consecutive slam, it will be to face him with a berth in the second round hanging in the balance.  The good news for Dimitrov is that he does hold the edge in his head-to-head with the Swiss at 4-3.  He can match Wawrinka's variety on the backhand and his feel at the net, and he is the better mover of the pair.  And although he has had some disappointing and inexplicable losses in 2018, he still has accrued more match play and enjoyed more overall success this season. 

The bad news is that none of that may matter in this latest battle.  Wawrinka has won both of their meetings at a major, including their most recent encounter last month on the lawns of Wimbledon – on Wawrinka's worst surface.  Additionally, Wawrinka has looked the better of the duo of late based on what fans saw of him against Rafael Nadal in Toronto and compatriot Roger Federer in Cincinnati.  If that weren’t enough, Wawrinka is the bigger ball-striker, and unlike the Bulgarian, he has already proven he has what it takes to go all the way at a major, including at the US Open.  All told, this could certainly be a tight and entertaining affair, but based on current form and results, one has to like Wawrinka for the upset.

Venus Williams versus Svetlana Kuznetsova

In a battle between seasoned veterans and former champions, Venus Williams will face off against Svetlana Kuznetsova for the right to advance to the second round.  As to which woman will emerge victorious is anyone's guess.  On paper and on sentiment, it is tempting to point to Williams as the likely victor.  She is the seeded player in this clash and the more accomplished of the pair, including two titles at this venue.  She owns more firepower off the ground and on serve, and her court-coverage remains some of the most breathtaking in the game.  She is also sure to enjoy the vast majority of the crowd support.  That all said, Williams has looked like a mere shadow of the woman that reached the semifinals of this tournament last season, and she is facing someone in Kuznetsova who is unlikely to be intimidated by her. 

The Russian is a former US Open Champion, as well as a Roland Garros Champion, so she knows what it takes to go all the way at a slam.  She also boasts great defensive skills, ample power off the ground, and some nice touch at the net.  Furthermore, she turned back the clock this summer with her title run in Washington DC and as a result, may be in a better place mentally for this match than her seeded opponent.  Only time will tell which way this one will go.  History makes it difficult to bet against Williams, but Kuznetsova definitely has more than a fighting chance, suggesting this could be a more even affair than the casual fan thinks.  Either way, if they are both able to pull out their best at the same time, this could evolve into one of the better early matches of the women's tournament.