tennis | Monday, September 5, 2022 8:46 AM (Revised at: Monday, September 5, 2022 8:52 AM)

Monday Tennis Best Bet: US Open Men, Jannik Sinner vs Ilya Ivashka

Jon Reid

Jannik Sinner vs Ilya Ivashka Best Bet: Monday, September 5th

We’re officially into the second week of the U.S Open and many of the names you’d expect to see still in the draw are living up to expectations.

One of those names is Jannik Sinner, as the young Italian looks to move one step closer to his first ever grand slam title. He’ll take on Ilya Ivashka in the fourth round, and it’s the match that we’ll delve into for Monday’s selection from the men’s draw.

In this article:

Jannik Sinner vs Ilya Ivashka Preview
Jannik Sinner vs Ilya Ivashka Best Bet

Jannik Sinner vs Ilya Ivashka Preview

September 5th, 21:00 UK Time

It’s been a tremendous run for Ivashka to this point – and I have to be thankful for a nicely-priced win against Hubert Hurkacz in the second round – but it’s one that should be coming to a close on Monday.

While quicker courts are his preference, and his game has some pop, the consistency and his previous performances against strong competition leave a lot to be desired.

The Belarussian did well to come through matches against a serve-oriented Hurkacz and a solid baseliner in Lorenzo Musetti, but Sinner’s combination of both power and baseline game should be a bit too much to handle.

The young gun doesn’t look like the most natural mover on court, but his ball retrieval skills are actually quite impressive. Combined with an improving serve and punishing groundstrokes, his game should be too much for Ivashka.

Moreover, Ivashka’s serve this week has been relatively vulnerable. Even though I wouldn’t label it as a weakness per se, he was broken four times by Musetti and was pressured a lot by a relatively poor returner in Hurkacz.

Sinner should be able to apply that same pressure on return, while also finding plenty of comfortable holds of serve.