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  • Nadal, Blake headline U.S. Open day 1

    8/25/08 5:19 AM | Ricky Dimon
    - Rafael Nadal and James Blake are in action at the U.S. Open on Monday. It could be time for Bjorn Phau and Donald Young to pack their bags.

    (32) Gael Monfils vs. Pablo Cuevas

    Monfils is making just his third appearance in the main draw of the U.S. Open and he has never made it past the second round, but the Frenchman seems poised to do better this time around. He reached the semifinals of the French Open and then at Nottingham on grass, but he missed Wimbledon with an injury and struggled during the U.S. Open Series. Monfils, however, bounced back to reach the quarterfinals of the Olympics, where he took Novak Djokovic to three sets. All of that means a Cuevas upset would come as quite as a surprise. The Uruguayan is clearly dangerous having already won three matches in qualifying, but he spends most of his time on clay and has a mediocre 9-13 match record at the ATP level in 2008. Monfils in straight sets is the pick.

    (9) James Blake vs. Donald Young

    This is the first career meeting between Blake and Young and you can bet the older American is going to give his compatriot a free tennis lesson. Young, who just turned 19, reached the third round of the U.S. Open last year, but that was mostly to Richard Gasquet's round-two default. Blake, on the other hand, is a two-time U.S. Open quarterfinalist and he is heading to New York with a fair amount of confidence after a decent U.S. Open Series. The No. 9 seed reached the semifinals in Indianapolis and the quarterfinals in Toronto, and then made it to the bronze medal match at the Olympics before falling to Djokovic. Let's hope Young will be able to make things respectable in front of a night-session crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium, but that might not be the case.

    (1) Rafael Nadal vs. Bjorn Phau

    This first-round clash will feature to of the fastest men in the sport. OK, that's where the similarities both start and end. Phau, a German qualifier ranked 136th in the world, has played--and lost--just one match at the ATP level this season. He has never made it past the second round in four previous visits to Flushing Meadows. Phau, however, really is a speed demon and he will have to use his wheels early and often because the world's No. 1 player is going to run him all over the court. Nadal comes to the U.S. Open having won the French Open, Wimbledon, and Olympic gold to at long last dethrone Roger Federer at the top of the rankings. He has never made it past the quarterfinals in New York, but that will be of little concern when it comes to taking on Phau. Nadal in three dominant sets is the pick.

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