US Open 2022: Andrey Rublev vs. Laslo Djere Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 US Open as Andrey Rublev takes on Laslo Djere in the first round on Tuesday, August 30th, 2022.

Ninth seed Andrey Rublev will look to bounce back from his early exit in Cincinnati when he takes on Laslo Djere in the opening-round of this year’s US Open. The Russian is a two-time quarterfinalist at Flushing Meadows but will be wary of the threat of Winston-Salem finalist Djere. Who will prevail?

Andrey Rublev has compiled a 22-7 record on hard courts in 2022, and lifting titles in Marseille and Dubai. Rublev was undoubtedly one of the most consistent performers in the first half of the season which also saw him defeat Novak Djokovic in the Belgrade final, in the build up to the French Open. Rublevreached the quarterfinals of the clay slam, losing in a titanic tussle against Marin Cilic in five sets. Rublev did not play a full schedule on grass and missing Wimbledon altogether due to the ban imposed on Russian players. His North American hard-court swing has not been productive bar a semifinal run in Washington.

Laslo Djere, meanwhile, is playing with new-found confidence. The Serbian, who has a penchant for clay, shocked the field in Winston-Salem by reaching his first hard court final at tour level. Djere won a bunch of close three setters during the week but played second fiddle to an in-form Adrian Mannarino who streaked to the title. That defeat won’t harm Djere’s confidence one bit as the Serbian World No. 89 is aiming to pull off a major shock on Tuesday against the higher-ranked Rublev.

Andrey Rublev leads Laslo Djere 1-0 in tour-level meetings. Rublev defeated the Serbian most recently in the quarterfinals in Bastad. I am concerned by Djere’s fitness levels coming to the US Open. With just 48 hours of rest time following his week-long stay at Winston-Salem, Rublev will have him on the ropes in this match. The Russian will be fully refreshed after his early exit in Cincy and should be heavily favored to make it to the second round.