Marc-Andrea Hüsler is bursting with self-confidence before his first main draw at the US Open. His opponent rather less.
After Stan Wawrinka and Alexander Ritschard left on the first day of the US Open, Marc-Andrea Hüsler is the last remaining Swiss in the men’s tableau of the last Grand Slam tournament of the year. The 26-year-old will play a game in the main draw of the US Open for the first time on Tuesday, maybe not until Wednesday night.
His opponent, although 3 years younger, has much more experience in this regard. Denis Shapovalov is there for the 6th time, in 2020 the Canadian advanced to the quarter-finals in Flushing Meadows.
Shapovalov favors, but…
In addition to the greater experience in such games, the ranking clearly speaks for Shapovalov. The 23-year-old is currently the world number 21, Hüsler is in 85th place and thus further ahead than ever before. On paper, the Canadian is a big favorite against the Swiss. But there are definitely reasons to be optimistic from a Swiss perspective:
- Hüslers Form: The Zurich native traveled to New York with a large dose of self-confidence. Last week, Hüsler played well at the ATP 250 tournament in Winston-Salem (North Carolina) and reached the semi-finals as a qualifier. On the way there he defeated the up-and-coming Briton Jack Draper (ATP 55).
- Shapovalov’s poor season so far: The start was still promising with the quarter-final advance at the Australian Open, but especially since the French Open, not much has fitted together with the Canadian. In total, Shapovalov was eliminated at the first opportunity in 8 tournaments. Since Paris he has never gotten further than a round of 16. His annual balance is 19:18 wins, a bad figure for his standards.
- The initial situation: While Shapovalov is trying to save a messed up year at the US Open, Hüsler has nothing to lose. The Swiss will play freely and try to put his opponent under pressure with serve and forehand. Should the game remain exciting for a long time, it would not be the first time that the often moody Shapovalov cannot withstand the pressure in the decisive moments.
The fact that Hüsler himself believes in his chances was also evident in the interview the day before the game: “If I play well, he first has to prove to me that he’s better,” said the Swiss, who before his premiere at the felt one thing above all on the big stage in New York: huge anticipation. “It’s not normal for me to play in front of so many people,” said Hüsler.
