Novak Djokovic defeated Joao Souza in a straight sets victory on Day 1 of the US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, New York. ATP's No. 1 player Djokovic won 6-1 within 23 three minutes during the open set. He won 6-1, 6-1 in the second and third sets. The US Open can be watched on ESPN 2 and livestreamed from the ESPN website.
Rafael Nadal is scheduled to play against Borna Coric on Monday, Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. PT. Nadal played against Coric before at the Swiss Indoors Basel in Oct. 2014. Coric, a teenager won in a straight sets victory against Nadal. Nadal described Coric as "a tough player." Coric says that he has "absolutely nothing to lose" in Monday's match.
"I can play very relaxed. I believe that I can win. At the same time, I'm aware that he's the big favorite," said 18-year-old Coric to USA Today on Saturday. "All the pressure is on him. I'm not going to just give the match to him."
Nadal is the 2010 and 2013 US Open champion. He did not partake in 2014 due to a wrist injury. Nadal's world ranking is 8, while Coric's ranking is 35. Nadal uses forehand, while Coric uses backhand. The two professional tennis players will meet on the hardcourt at Arthur Ashe stadium.
"He's a young player with a lot of energy and he's a big competitor. He's one of the players that is [part of] the future of our sport, so it's a tough one, but I'm playing well. I feel like I'm ready," said 29-year-old Nadal on Saturday.
A pre-match analysis by US Open states that Nadal's "biggest ailment" is "a lack of confidence." Coric's form is described to be "red-hot" and his defense is said to be a "strong" and "stern" test against his opponents.
"The No. 8 seed has struggled with the timing of his serve, and his ground strokes have landed shorter than in recent years, allowing his opponents more time to strike," stated the official website."
Nadal is the crowd favorite. The analysis pointed out that the crowd, along with Nadal's "mental toughness and conditioning" is in favor of him winning the match. Coric will need a strong start to "remove any potential nerves."
