Five Matches to Watch on Day 2 of the US Open

Here are my picks for the five best matches on the slate for Tuesday's Day 2 action at the US Open:

1. Viktor Troicki (SRB) v. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3] -- Two incredibly talented Serbs meet early than I'm sure they'd like to in this first round match on Arthur Ashe Stadium Tuesday afternoon.  Troicki has the type of game that could trouble and even beat Djokovic, but it's hard to imagine that he has the killer instinct required to pull off what would be a massive upset.  The tennis should be real nice quality stuff, but I'll be watching to see the exact moment when Troicki folds, more than anything.

2. Jarmila Groth (AUS) v. Maria Sharapova (RUS)[14] -- This is easily the toughest first round match in the women's draw, and might wind up being one of the toughest matches of the entire first week.  Maria Sharapova had a strong summer, making the finals in Stanford and Cincinnati.  She tweaked her ankle in the Cincinnati final, an injury that forced her out of Montreal and could limit some of her mobility against Groth.  But this match won't be about mobility.  This match will be about smacking the cover off the ball on every shot, and managing to keep the ball inside the lines while doing so.  Jarmila "Jarka" Groth has had one of the sharpest rises on the WTA Tour this year, coming out of nowhere to make the second week at both the French Open and Wimbledon.  Groth and Sharapova played in World Team Tennis in July, in a first-to-five set that Groth won 5-0.  This one should be awesome.

3. Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) v. Na Li (CHN)[8] -- Two 2009 US Open quarterfinalists meet in the first round in 2010, with huge caches of ranking points to defend on the line.  Li should be the heavy favorite, but it will be interesting to see what role Bondarenko's considerable desperation plays.  Bondarenko pulled off a big upset on Armstrong in the first round last year, beating Ana Ivanovic in a third set tiebreak.  Can she recapture some of that magic? I say no, but this one should be interesting none the less.

4. Kristof Vliegen (BEL) v. James Blake (USA) [WC] -- Could this be James Blake's final match at the US Open? At a grand slam? In his career? Those "ifs" are a lot more interesting than the match itself, which should be a sloppy affair between two players who are playing far off their peak abilities at the moment.

5. Coco Vandeweghe (USA) [WC] v. Sabine Lisicki (GER) -- If Coco Vandeweghe goes on a big run on this tournament--and she very well could--this is where it will begin.  Lisicki has been a complete mess lately, and should be ripe for the picking for the absurdly powerful young American.  Vandeweghe could well become this year's Oudin, but with a game that's decidedly more brutal and a personality that's decidedly more driven.