Aside from fifth seed Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion who’s the highest-ranked player in the bottom half of the draw, few players also in this half can say they have much in the way of Grand Slam credentials.
Among the 15 other players, there’s a collective total of one Grand Slam semifinal appearance – Sam Querrey at Wimbledon 2017. None of them have reached a major final, but in this wide-open draw, many may feel there’s an opportunity to be seized.
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We shine the spotlight on these contenders and look at their Grand Slam history.
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Just five times in a Grand Slam career spanning 11 years has Sam Querrey gone beyond the third round at a major. But his most recent outing was his best – a semifinal at Wimbledon a few months ago. (Getty Images)
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This is unchartered territory for Moldova’s Radu Albot, who is appearing in a Grand Slam third round for the first time. (Getty Images)
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Mischa Zverev reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open earlier this year, but until now had never been beyond the second round at Flushing Meadows. (Getty Images)
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Thomas Fabbiano was until this US Open 0-5 in Grand Slam main draws. (Getty Images)
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35-year-old Paolo Lorenzi has for the second year in a row reached the last 32 at Flushing Meadows. He’s never been further at a major. (Getty Images)
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This is the furthest Next Gen star Borna Coric has even gone at Flushing Meadows, although he has twice advanced to the last 32 at Roland Garros. (Getty Images)
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This is just the third Grand Slam event of Shapovalov’s career, and by far the best result he’s produced. (Getty Images)
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Just twice has Kyle Edmund gone beyond the second round of a major – and both times have come at the US Open. Last year he reached the last 16 for his best Slam result. (Getty Images)
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In a Grand Slam career dating back to the year 2000, Nicolas Mahut has a single fourth-round result to show for it – Wimbledon 2016. Until the US Open he’d lost in the first round at all of the Slams this year. (Getty Images)
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Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain has gone beyond the third round of a major just once, reaching the quarters at Roland Garros this year. (Getty Images)
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Lucas Pouille has Grand Slam form; last year he was a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon and the US Open. (Getty Images)
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This is just the second time Diego Schwartzman had reached the third round at a major, after doing so at Roland Garros earlier this year. (Getty Images)
