2021 US Open First Round – Max Purcell vs Jannik Sinner Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
Where is Max Purcell vs Jannik Sinner taking place? Max Purcell vs Jannik Sinner will take place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York, USA
When is Max Purcell vs Jannik Sinner on and what time does it start? Tuesday 31st August, 2021 – not before 18:30 (UK)
What surface is Max Purcell vs Jannik Sinner being played on? Max Purcell vs Jannik Sinner will take place on an outdoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Max Purcell vs Jannik Sinner? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Max Purcell vs Jannik Sinner
What channel is Max Purcell vs Jannik Sinner on in the UK? Amazon have exclusive rights to show the 2021 US Open in the UK so it is worth checking the Amazon Prime Video app on smart TVs for Max Purcell vs Jannik Sinner
Where can I stream Max Purcell vs Jannik Sinner in the UK? Amazon Prime subscribers may be able to stream Max Purcell vs Jannik Sinner live via their platform
THE LOWDOWN
MAX PURCELL
23-year-old Max Purcell reached a career-high 190th in the ATP world rankings back in July after a surprise run to the semi-finals of the Eastbourne International. Having lost in the qualifiers, Purcell was granted a second chance as a lucky loser and grabbed it with both hands to beat fellow Aussie James Duckworth, Andreas Seppi and the top seed Gael Monfils before losing to Lorenzo Sonego. His most impressive win came at the Tokyo Olympic Games, though, where he beat world number 15 Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets.
JANNIK SINNER
No longer a teenage prodigy, 20-year-old Jannik Sinner has won three ATP titles to his name with two won this season at the Great Ocean Road Open in Melbourne and his first ATP 500 event at the Citi Open more recently. The Italian is on course to reach the ATP Finals this year in Torino if he continues in this trajectory but he will need to improve his record in New York with two first round exits so far at the US Open.
THE PREDICTION
This will be the second time Max Purcell takes on Jannik Sinner for a shot at reaching the second round of a Grand Slam for the first time, with Sinner winning their first encounter at last season’s Australian Open. Last time they played, Sinner was a relative unknown at world number 82 but since then the Italian has won three ATP titles and looks set to sneak into the top eight players facing off at the year-end ATP Finals. Purcell has spent much of the season in Men’s Doubles but he knows he can make the jump into the Singles with a little more consistency. There is a small sense of a huge upset surrounding this match with Sinner’s Grand Slam form this season fairly dodgy in places, so take the 13th seed to win outright here. It would not be a surprise to see Purcell make a real battle of this.
