L56: Qualifier/Lucky loser vs Kyle Edmund WR 44 (CH = 14 in October 2018)
Kyle will play bloody NoDjo in the last 32, if he wins that.
L56: Daniel Evans WR 31 (CH = 28 in March) vs Hubert Hurkacz (POL) WR 33 (CH = 28 in February)
Dan will play a qualifier/lucky loser or the Russian ninth seed, Andrey Rublev, if he wins that one.
Djokovic is a potential L16 opponent for Kyle. It's (16) Auger-Aliassime or Krajinovic that he would face in the L32 if he gets through his R1. So initially a Q/LL and in the lowest seed's section.
No Thiem, Federer, Medvedev, Zverev ( 4 of the now very clear top 7 in the rankings ) or Bautista Agut. Otherwise the 16 seeds come from the top 21 in the current pre US Open rankings. Berrettini is the 4th seed ( after Djokovic, Nadal and Tsitsipas ).
L56: Qualifier/Lucky loser vs Kyle Edmund WR 44 (CH = 14 in October 2018)
Kyle will play bloody NoDjo in the last 32, if he wins that.
Djokovic is a potential L16 opponent for Kyle. It's (16) Auger-Aliassime or Krajinovic that he would face in the L32 if he gets through his R1. So initially a Q/LL and in the lowest seed's section.
Whoops! Silly me! Getting ahead of myself - again! Couldn't see past bloody Djoko...
I've never seen that boy play but he's one of the names I've kept a tab on because he's part of the pretty amazing new cohort of Italian players, with Sinner (also 2001 and top 100) and Musetti (born 2002, age 18 and ranked 258)
It's pretty awesome what they've got at the moment. And there's some other names behind to give depth too.
Evo just starting againt Hurkasz. Been a few seeding upsets today in the lower seeds, change of surface, jet lag, lack of prep probably all part of that. Chance for someone to play steady eddie this week, not make mistakes and possibly get through a few rounds. A la Henman in 2004 Paris RG
I do wonder if it was the greatest of ideas for Rome to move forward a week once Madrid was cancelled.
While clearly a limited number of players were involved well into the second week of fhe US Open, without checking the original actual entries, I assume that their US Open runs are largely responsible for the absence of such as Thiem, Zverev and Medvedev. And, as said, others are clearly still very unprepared on clay.
Another clay ATP 250 this week, the Rome Masters next week and then the French Open, looks arguably a better transition from the US Open.