The Lucky "Injured" Loser

Once again, we have a lucky loser who retired in their last qualifying match...

Yes, we do indeed have another "Opelka case" on our hands, which has drawn a bit of criticism. Well, it might be a bit different... since Svajda was actually serving for the match in the second set but got into a tiebreaker that he lost before going down a break in the third set and looking absolutely knackered in the heat. Since it seems to have been a heat-related issue rather than an injury, we should assume he will turn up today without any major lingering effects. Svajda is coming off two good Grand Slams in Europe, and he is very comfortable on the American hard courts! While he is quite a "light" player, his first serve is quite effective, and he can also play with a good amount of aggression, especially with his forehand. Combine that with a really solid backhand, and you have a player who is quite tough to beat!

Vukic is a player who is perhaps not the most exciting player on the ATP Tour, and we do see him fall in the early rounds quite often. His game is rather basic, built around a solid serve and forehand, with everything else being rather average. However, this is the American hardcourt swing where he tends to show up a bit; he really likes the conditions! He was able to win the Granby Challenger title recently, and I value this quite a bit, perhaps a bit more so than Michelsen winning a CH title (since Vukic's base level is lower). Vukic cruised through qualifying against two left-handers, Dougaz and Bolt. Both wins were very clean, but it should be said that Bolt looked quite hampered in the final round. Nonetheless, he is riding a wave of confidence now. It will be put to the test now, because Svajda seems to be quite an uncomfortable opponent for him. He has lost the last four meetings to Svajda in straight sets, even if it was a few years back. While Vukic can serve and hit forehands with some decent pace, his game is not really built around intensity and huge aggression, which allows Svajda to maintain a good offensive court positioning and be the one who is a bit sharper at finishing points...