Number nine seed Karen Khachanov will hope to surpass last year’s third round showing at Flushing Meadows when he starts his 2019 US Open campaign against Canada’s Vasek Pospisil in the opening round on Tuesday, August 27. The match will begin at 1 pm local time (7 pm BST). You can find the Karen Khachanov v Vasek Pospisil live streaming options, preview and predictions here.
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Karen Khachanov v Vasek Pospisil Head to Head
World No.9 Karen Khachanov and World No.216 Vasek Pospisil will meet for the first time on the main tour.
Khachanov Will A Be A Real Threat This Fortnight
When Karen Khachanov lost out to Rafael Nadal at last year’s US Open third round in a thrilling four-setter, the writing was perhaps on the wall. The Russian fought bravely and led the 18-time Grand Slam winner by a set and a break, orchestrating a tactical plan to outmaneuver the great Spaniard with his ferocious power, before going down 5-7 7-5 7-6 7-6.
In spite of that heartbreaking defeat, it was a match which kick-started Khachanov’s meteoric rise. The 23-year-old finished his 2018 season with title wins at the Kremlin Cup and then at the Paris Masters when he memorably stunned Novak Djokovic to win his maiden Masters 1000 crown, and came within a whisker of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals.
Fast forward 2019, and Khachanov will return to the same city with fond memories. His epic tussle against Nadal was one of the matches of the tournament at last year’s edition. He will be buoyed by his recent uptick in form which saw him reach the semifinals of the Rogers Cup before losing out to eventual finalist Daniil Medvedev in an all-Russian affair.
Khachanov had been expected to kick on from last year’s big breakthrough, but illness at the start of the year slowed his momentum. However, he made the quarterfinals of the French Open – the first time he’s ever reached that stage of a major and broke into the top-10 for the first time as a result.
He is projected to meet Alexander Zverev in the last of 16 this fortnight.
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Pospisil’s Lack Of Matches Could Derail His Fortunes
Vasek Pospisil was an established Top 50 player (peaking at No.25), but injuries have costed him dearly in recent seasons. He is currently ranked World no.216
The 29-year-old recently returned to competitive tennis at Wimbledon from an eight-month layoff due to back injury. He had undergone back surgery in January and struggled immensely at the Granby Challenger with his wrist which prevented him from hitting a double-handed backhand.
Pospisil appointed Canadian Davis Cup Team Captain as his new coach at the start of August and it will be interesting to see if he will elevate his rise up in the rankings during the next few weeks.
Khachanov v Pospisil Predictions & Tips
Pospisil confessed of cramping in his three-set defeat to fellow Canadian Auger-Aliassime at the Rogers Cup. It is understandable for a player who hasn’t played a lot of tennis for the last one year. He has the tools of potentially making this match competitive at least, with his big serve and net-rushing game. But given his lack of matches, it is hard to see him go toe to toe with Russian in a best of five.
Tip: Khachanov to win in straight sets : 4/6 (888Sport)
The Khachanov v Pospisil match can be watched live with Unibet here on August 27, 2019. Also, get the latest tennis tips and predictions here.
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