US Open Tennis 2015: Predictions, Live Stream for Monday Night's Bracket
The 2015 U.S. Open is off to yet another rousing start in Flushing Meadows, New York. A few notable results are already in on Monday.
Heather Watson again fell in the first round at the U.S. Open, losing to the United States' Lauren Davis 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0). Dominika Cibulkova ousted No. 7 Ana Ivanovic in three sets, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. The U.S. Open has never really been kind to Ivanovic, but this is the first time she's been ousted in the opening round since 2009.
No early upset was bigger than the one suffered by last year's U.S. Open runner-up, Kei Nishikori. The 25-year-old was up two sets to one over the unheralded Frenchman Benoit Paire, but the latter showed grit and determination in pulling out the 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4 victory. ESPN Stats & Info put Nishikori's ignominious performance into greater context:
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There's still plenty of action on Day 1 in Flushing Meadows. The complete live stream listings can be found on WatchESPN. Here's a preview and predictions for the two night matches scheduled for Arthur Ashe Stadium at 7 p.m. ET.
No. 1 Serena Williams vs. Vitalia Diatchenko
Serena Williams is on a mission here at the U.S. Open, and Vitalia Diatchenko doesn't exactly pose a great threat in the first round. The 25-year-old Diatchenko is the 86th-ranked player in the world and a mere 13-13 on the year in singles play.
Williams, 33, is 48-2 on the year in singles matches and going for her fifth straight Grand Slam win. One of those losses came in August, a semifinal upset at the racket of Belinda Bencic at the Rogers Cup. Not to be deterred, Williams followed that up with yet another singles title, defeating Simona Halep in two sets to win the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Diatchenko's greatest asset in this match might be the element of surprise. She and Williams have never faced off in a singles match. As a longtime admirer of Williams, Diatchenko is also coming into the match with a positive attitude, which can only help.
"First of all, I was happy, because she is one of my favorite players,” Diatchenko said, via the New York Times' Ben Rothenberg.
“I can say she was my idol. When I started to play tennis, she was already showing how to play an aggressive game. For me, it’s a chance to feel how I can play with her, and try to play my best. So in one way, I’m happy."
Idolatry and imitation won't help her deal with Williams' dynamite serve and myriad physical and mental gifts. There could be a surprise or two in Diatchenko, but this should be a rather straightforward opening-round contest for Williams as she looks to tie Steffi Graf with Grand Slam title No. 22.
Prediction: Serena wins in two easy sets
Borna Coric vs. No. 8 Rafael Nadal
This is by far the more intriguing matchup of the two night contests. Rafael Nadal hasn't been his usual marauding, rugged self this year. He lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinal at the French Open, the tournament he's owned for the better part of the millennium, and has had up-and-down results since then.
| Tournament | Round | Lost to |
| French Open | L, Quarterfinals | Novak Djokovic |
| ATP Mercedes Cup | W, Final | N/A |
| AEGON Championships | L, 1st Round | Alexandr Dolgoplov |
| Wimbledon | L, 2nd Round | Dustin Brown |
| Bet-at-home Open German Championships | W, Final | N/A |
| Rogers Cup | L, Quarterfinal | Kei Nishikori |
| Western & Southern Open | L, 3rd Round | Feliciano Lopez |
Nadal won the U.S. Open in 2013 but was absent from last year's tournament due to a wrist injury. If there's any tennis mega-star at the risk of joining Nishikori in the ranks of early disappointments in Flushing Meadows, it's Nadal.
Young Borna Coric is the first-round foe in waiting. The 18-year-old scalped Nadal in their only singles matchup, earning a straight-sets victory last year in Switzerland. Nadal has no illusions about his opponent, touting him as one of the brighter young stars in the game.
"He's a tough player," said Nadal, via Nick McCarvel, special to USA Today. "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."
Coric is already the No. 33-ranked player by the ATP. However, he's 15-14 in singles play this year, suffering first-round losses in tournaments to the likes of Roberto Bautista Agut and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He did, however, make it to the quarterfinals at the Winston-Salem Open, losing to Kevin Anderson in two sets.
Nadal has been out of sorts this season, but he's never lost in the first round at the U.S. Open. As promising as Coric is, he shouldn't stand much of a chance against a healthy Nadal. Look for the young Croatian to steal a set, but expect Nadal to still make rather quick work of him.
Prediction: Nadal wins in four sets
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