The number out of 10 next to their name that is
in parentheses is my predicted their chance of making it through the qualifying draw.
Denis Kudla [4] (8 out of 10)
Kudla is
the highest ranked and best player out of this bunch, which has earned him the
4 seed in this draw. He opens up with the Brit Daniel Cox, who is ranked No.
251 in the world. Kudla should breeze through this opening round match before
facing a tough opponent in either Benjamin Mitchell or John-Patrick Smith, both
Australians. Both of these guys will be extremely eager to get through the
qualifiying draw, as this grand slam is in their home nation, however they will
most likely beat up on each other in their 1st Round match. This will give
Kudla a chance to dominate the match and head into the final round, where the
only possible opponent he’ll have to worry about is fellow American Alex
Kuznetsov. If this match occurs, expect Kudla to take over the match, and roll into the main draw.
Alex Kuznetsov [20] (5 out of 10)
to beat. Kuznetsov is the 20 seed which will give him some confidence, as he attempts to win three matches in a row to get into the main draw. He'll begin the journey against Theodoros Angelinos of Greece, which should end well for Kuznetsov. If he advances, he'll get two inexperienced players in Alex Bolt or Michon. Bolt, of Australia, will be eager to win (like Smith and Mitchell above) which could cause problems for Kuznetsov. If Kuznetsov gets to the final round his chances look bleak as he will either have to face Denis Kudla or an Australian playing on adrenaline. However, Kuznetsov could build a lot of confidence throughout two matches to boost in his chances if he gets to the final round.
Tennys Sandgren (6 out of 10)
Sandgren just missed out on a spot in the main draw when he lost to Steve Johnson in the final or the USA wild card playoff. Now he'll have to attempt to earn his way in again, starting off with facing Dusan Lajovic. Lajovic two singles matches in the Davis Cup for Serbia a couple months ago, so he has experience playing in stressful matches. If Sandgren can get past Lajovic, which he most likely will, the draw opens up unless he gets Marius Copil in the final round, who made a great run last week in Brisbane. Copil will be very difficult to take down as he is playing at a very high level, but Sandgren knows he can win these matches, proved by his run to the final in the wild card playoff.
Bobby Reynolds (8 out of 10)
Reynolds will always be a difficult matchup until the day he retires. Lucky for him, he got a very good draw in the qualies. He opens up against Miroslav Mecir and has the seeds of Frank Dancevic and Potito Starace, two guys who have never proved themselves on the tour. Yuki Bhambri is another guy who Reynolds could face in this section, as he is coming off a good week in Chennai. No matter who Reynolds faces, he'll give them a run for their money. Don't be surprised when you see Bobby Reynolds earn a spot in the main draw.
Wayne Odesnik [19] (7 out of 10)
Odesnik has been placed into what is the most wide open section of the qualifying draw. There are no proven hard court players in this section, including Odesnik, but he'll have a ton of confidence after seeing who has been drawn with. If any other American was placed in this section, it would be a no-doubter that they'd qualify. Wayne Odesnik has the ability and want to make it to the main draw, but if he's going to do so, he'll have to play 3 very tight matches.
Daniel Kosakowski (4 out of 10)
Kosakowski is probably the least-well-known American in this draw, but he has the potential to surprise some people. He's been drawn into a tough section with Tatsuma Ito, Paul-Henri Mathieu, and a hot James McGee. Don't expect Kosakowski to qualify, but this will be a great learning experience for the UCLA grad, as he will certainly have many more opportunities like this in his career.
Rhyne Williams [13] (7 out of 10)
Williams has been drawn in the same section as another American, Austin Krajicek, which he could face in the 2nd Round. However, Williams will have to get past Steven Diez, who is coming off a very good result in Noumea, where he made the final. Williams will be able to overcome Diez though, and enter a tough 2nd rounder with either Krajicek or Malek Jaziri. The bottom half of this section is very weak, highlighted by Thiemo de Bakker who hasn't won a match on tour since August. Rhyne Williams will be able to qualify for the main draw, but he'll have to struggle though the opening two rounds.
Austin Krajicek (5 out of 10)
Krajicek was not done any favors by the draw, as he received Jaziri in the 1st Round and either Williams or Diez in the 2nd Round. Krajicek is coming off a good week in Noumea, where he lost in the quarterfinals to aforementioned James McGee. Being in the same portion of the draw as Rhyne Williams, Krajicek has the benefit of a very weak bottom half of the draw. So if Krajicek can find a way to get through two difficult opponents, he'll have a great shot of getting into the main draw.
Rajeev Ram [15] (9 out of 10)
Ram is always a wild card as he can play lights out tennis one week, and then lose 1st round the next week. Expect Ram to have a very good qualifying tournament though, as he has a tremendous chance of getting into the main draw. Rajeev Ram will be able to stroll through to the final round as he plays Marco Cecchinato in the 1st Round, and then either Alessio Di Mauro or Blaz Rola in the 2nd Round. Ram will most likely face Amir Weintraub or Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the final round, two guys who are capable of pushing Ram to his limit. Expect Rajeev Ram to utilize his big serve and experience to qualify for the main draw without dropping a set.
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