US Open 2022: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Daniel Elahi Galan Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 US Open as Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on Daniel Elahi Galan in the first round on Monday, August 29th, 2022.

Will Stefanos Tsitsipas break his duck and reach the second week of the US Open for the first time? This has not been a happy hunting ground for the fourth-seeded Greek, but his overall optimism could spark a major turnaround in fortunes this fortnight. He opens up against Colombian qualifier Daniel ElahiGalan on Monday night.

Stefanos Tsitsipas hasn’t managed to solve the New York puzzle in each of his last four trips. Despite emerging as a force on hard courts right from when he stunned Roger Federer at the Australian Open in 2019, he has suffered his fair share of heartbreaks at the US Open. The US Open remains the only Grand Slam he has failed to advance into the second week. But a few factors could change that scenario in two weeks’ time. Tsitsipas has added former Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis as part of his coaching team and knocked out Daniil Medvdev in the Cincinnati semifinals a couple of weeks ago. The Greek is employing some aggressive tactics and developing his net game in order to step out of his comfort zone.

Daniel Elahi Galan, for his part, will be playing in the main draw of the US Open for the first time. Galan, like Tsitsipas, has suffered a few chastening qualifying losses in subsequent yearsin New York, notably in 2018 and 2019 when he lost in the final round. But the Colombian clay-courter made sure there would be no such recurrence this time as he mastered the likes of Max Purcell and Matteo Arnaldi to book his spot in Monday’s match against the fourth-seeded Greek.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniel Elahi Galan have not played each other on the ATP Tour. Monday’s match at the US Open will be their first official meeting. I am still perplexed at the fact that Tsitsipas hasn’t made it to the second week of the US Open in recent years. His 2020 loss to Borna Coric in particular stung hard and Tsitsipas will need no reminding of how he threw that match away. Nonetheless, the Greek fourth seed should demonstrate the gulf in class between him and Galan in what I expect to be a stroll in the park.