The First Serve: DraftKings DFS Tennis Picks for 9/2/2021 (US Open Day 4)

Hey there, RotoBallers! I am Brandon Wampler and I have been playing Tennis DFS since the beginning! I hope you caught my Tiafoe pick here at RotoBaller yesterday and that you had some success navigating a friendly Day 3 of the Open as it has smoothed out since Day 1.

Today we will continue chipping away at the US Open with another 32-match slate. Please keep in mind that during majors there will be big upsets and crazy 6/6 lineups. It is encouraged to think outside the box during these tournaments, but not too much. All ATP matches are set to a Best-Of-5 and all WTA matches are set to a Best-Of-3. After the crazy first two days of the US Open with upsets left and right, that theme should continue into Day 4 as well. 

In this article, you will find my favorite high-priced, mid-tier, and cheap plays for the DraftKings DFS Tennis slate on Thursday, September 02, 2021. Without any further ado, let's get into the picks!

High Priced DFS Tennis Picks ($10K+)

Hubert Hurkacz (10) DK: $10,200 vs Andrea Seppi DK: $4,500

This is the next one-sided matchup of the First Serve! Hurkacz will dominate Seppi with his serve and receive games. Seppi should have never made it past the first round and his receive game will not be enough with his staggering 10.6% Ace Against compared to Hurkacz’s 12.3% Ace For. This is by far one of the best matchups on the slate and you benefit from not having to pay a premium for the bigger names at the top.

Expected Outcome: Hurkacz 3-0

Mid-Tier DFS Tennis Picks ($8K-$10K)

Aslan Karatsev (21) DK:$9,200 vs Jordan Thompson DK:$5,700

We are going to look to keep our streak of $9.2K salaried players alive with Karatsev. This matchup is nothing to be overly excited about, but it is surely close to a lock. Thompson has really struggled lately and he has either lost questionable matches or he has barely won against questionable competition. Meanwhile, Karatsev continues to make a name for himself. The low $9K players have been a gold mine thus far and hopefully Karatsev can continue that trend.

Expected Outcome: Karatsev 3-0 || Handicap Games: -4.5 or better

Alexander Bublik DK:$8,600 (31) vs Jack Sock DK:$6,300

This matchup looks much closer on paper, but in terms of form and play, Bublik has the advantage. He also sports the highest Ace For at a staggering 16.3% on the slate. Sock also relies on his serving to win the majority of his matches, but Bublik offers all-around skills that will give Sock issues. This matchup will most likely come down to the better receiver.

Expected Outcome: Bublik 3-1

Cheap Favorites ($7K-$8K)

Emma Raducanu DK:$7,900 vs Shuai Zhang DK:$6,800

This matchup presents one of the more interesting of the slate. Raducanu looks great after being a lucky loser, but can that continue against a vet on the surface. Zhang is no stranger to hard court, but she also has not been doing well this year all-around. Can Raducanu pull off another strong performance to catapult herself into Round 3? 

Expected Outcome: Raducanu 2-1

The Dog House (Underdog Values)

Denis Kudla DK:$8,400 vs Oscar Otte DK:$6,500

This matchup is extremely hard to predict and that is why I am going dog or pass. I may have a share or two of Kudla, but he cannot be trusted here. Kudla currently boasts a solid 14.4% Ace Against, putting him at the top of the list on the slate. Meanwhile, Otte has the lowest Ace Against with a superior 1.8%. This will all come down to who can serve better and Otte may just edge this one out.

Expected Outcome: Otte 3-1

Nikoloz Basilahvili DK:$8,800 vs Maxime Cressy  DK:$6,100

Cressy is a boom-or-bust option on the slate today. Both him and Basilashvili were surprise wins, but Cressy sports one of the highest Ace For % (17.1) on the slate. The only way Basilashvili can win this, is if he can return Cressy’s dangerous serving and also  hold his own serve. Otherwise, Cressy will look to win someone a GPP.

Expected Outcome: Cressy 3-2

ATP Rankings

All Rankings are adjusted by stats, form, and history

Worst 0 - 20 Best

• Djokovic-20
• Zverev-20
• Sinner-20
• Shapovalov-19.5
• Hurkacz-15
• Berrettini-14.5
• Karatsev-13.5
• Monfils-13.5
• Bublik-10
• Ivashka-9
• Opelka-9
• Harris-8.5
• Otte-8.5
• Fritz-3.5
• McDonald-3
• Cressy-3

WTA Rankings

All Rankings are adjusted by stats, form, and history

Worst 0 - 20 Best

• Bencic-20
• Barty-18
• Pegula-15
• Badosa-14
• Kvitova-14
• Swiatek-13.5
• Andreescu-10
• Raducanu-9
• Pliskova-9
• Sakkari-8.5
• Sorribes Tormo-8.5
• Kontaveit-8.5
• Samsonova-4
• Tomljanovic-3.5
• Schmiedlova-3
• Rogers-3

Thanks for reading The First Serve! Good luck in all of your contests today! If you have any questions on today's slate, bankroll management, GPP strategy, Cash game strategy, or anything else don’t hesitate to email me [email protected] or via Twitter @df_solutions