US Open 2022: Hubert Hurkacz vs. Oscar Otte Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 US Open as Hubert Hurkacz takes on Oscar Otte in the first round on Tuesday, August 30th, 2022.

Hubert Hurkacz has drawn a very tricky opponent in the first round of this year’s US Open. The Polish power hitter will battle German’s Oscar Otte who has enjoyed a breakout season on the ATP Tour in 2022. Who do you think will come out on top?

Hubert Hurkacz loves playing on US soil. In fact, since the start of last season only Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev have won more outdoor hard-court matches than the Polish World No. 10. It further highlights just how much Hubert Hurkacz has established himself as a bona fide competitor on the surface. With wins over Medvedev, Kyrgios, Casper Ruud and Jannik Sinner in his resume, the 25-year-old will no doubt be a contender at the US Open this fortnight. And he has given himself a viable chance of doing so by getting some quality game-time and picking form in the build up to the tournament. Hurkacz reached the finals of the Montreal Masters, losing to Pablo Carreno Busta.

Oscar Otte, meanwhile, hasn’t played a competitive match since a third-round defeat to Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon. That was right at the start of July, so it will be intriguing to see how fit the German will be when he takes on Hurkacz in the first round of the US Open. There has been no reported news if he has been carrying an injury. Otte who is currently sitting at No. 41 in the world has been one of the most improved players on the ATP Tour in 2022. This is his second main draw appearance in New York and will be targeting to repeat last year’s exploits when he made the second week as a qualifier.

Hubert Hurkacz leads the head-to-head over Oscar Otte 1-0. Incidentally, that meeting took place on US soil when Hurkaczwon their second-round match at Indian Wells in three sets. Given the uncertainty regarding Otte’s fitness, he might take a while to find his rhythm in this match. He is a heavy hitter and serves very well, which should help if he is to win points cheaply. But Hurkacz is the man in form right now.