2014 US Open the men's event Part 2: cramps and narrow scrapes

Soooooo now I get onto the men's tournament at the 2014 US Open so might as well get cracking as there is alot to cover with the first six days, so let's get to it...

OK so day 1 began with Stan Wawrinka out on court who took on the big Czeck player, Jiri Vesely in a tricky opening match which saw Stan largely in control of the match but he did suffere one or two dips on serve.  But in the end Stan confidently saw out the match in the 3rd set tiebreaker which saw the Swiss no.2 close it out in 6-2, 7-6, 7-6.  Then we had Novak Djokovic, the reigning Wimbledon champion, who after a poor hard court swing in Toronto and Cincinnati, recovered superbly and recorded an effortless straight set win over the Argentine, Diego Schartzman in 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.  This really was a strong start from Nole and just what he needed after such a poor showing during the North America Masters hard court series.  Milos Raonic also recorded his first win of the tournament with a comfortable win over the Japaense player, Taro Daniel in 6-3, 6-2, 7-6.  And lastly we had Andy Murray face a dangerous first round opponent, Robin Haase, who took Andy to five sets three years ago as the British No.1 had to recover from a two sets to love deficit.  This match however had a different feel to it as at the start Andy came out strong and broke a rather bewildered looking Haase to take the first set.  In the 2nd however it went by serve with Haase looking more threatening than before but Andy bested him in the tiebreak to take a two set lead.  In the 3rd set however that's where the drama started as Andy started to struggle badly with cramps, which affected his legs and his arm while serving, which let Haase take the set with ease.  And in the 4th set it was more of the same as Andy had to resort to standing up at sit downs to prevent his muscles from cramping further, and he went 5-3 down, but he somehow managed to dig deep and battle back to level 5-5 and went on to defy the odds as he broke Haase, despite being barely able to run he closed out a dramatic match in four sets 6-3, 7-6, 1-6, 7-5.  Well they say that Andy usually has a dramatic match in the first week of a slam and this certainly was one as he looked dead and buried in the 3rd and 4th sets and his cramping raised some seriously troubling physical issues, despite his fitness and preparation being near perfect leading into the match.  But in the end it was down to Andy's sheer will and determination that he came through this one in four sets which was nothing short of a miracle, but his continued presence in the tournament remained in doubt as the questions where raised over the cramps he suffered and what was behind them.  However the day after Andy said that he felt physically fine and it was maybe down to a lack of proper fluid intake, but the main thing is he was still in the tournament.

Right now onto day 2 which began with the giant American, John Isner take on a young American player, Marcus Giron, who gave the big fella some tricky moments but in the end Isner's big serve was more than enough to get him out of trouble as he closed out a fairly efficient 7-6, 2-6, 7-6 win.  Next we had Roger Federer who got off his campaign to a confident start as he faced the Aussie, Marinko Matosevic, who presented little threat to the Swiss maestro apart from in the 3rd set where it went to a tiebreak, but Fed closed it out in style to win the match in 6-3, 6-4, 7-6.  This sees Roger get off to a strong start and sees him poised to do very well at the US Open, which is also helped by the fact he has quite a favourable draw, which won't get complicated until a possible quarter final showdown with Grigro Dimitrov.  Sam Querrey, the US No.2, got his US Open under way with a tough battle as he had to fight off the Argentine player, Maximo Gonzalez in five sets with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory.  David Ferrer also had to overcome a 3rd set blip before he closed his match against Damir Dzumhur in four sets 6-1, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.  And lastly Gael Monfils, the talented and flashy Frenchman, got off to a fine start as he beat American wildcard, Jared Donaldson in 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

On day 3 we had Tomas Berdych kick things off on Arthur Ashe in a highly anticipated match with Lleyton Hewitt, the former 2001 champion, however in the end Berdy proved to be too good for the Aussie and dispatched him in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.  Stan Wawrinka, the reigning Australian open champion, however had to dig much deeper in his 2nd round match against Thomaz Bellucci, the big hitting Brazilian, as it took him four tough sets to reach the 3rd round in 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6.  Marin Cilic had an easier time as he took on an injured Marcos Baghdatis who was forced to retire in the 2nd set trailing a set and a break down, 6-3, 3-1 ret.  Grigor Dimitrov also got off to a strong start against Ryan Harrison who he beat in straight sets 6-2, 7-6, 6-2.  Feliciano Lopez however had to fight hard against the Croatian, Ivan Dodig who also eventually retired in the 5th set of their match to secure Lopez's second round place, 1-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 1-1 ret.  And lastly Ernest Gulbis got off to a flying start by beating Kenny De Schepper of France in 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

Moving onto day 4 which began with Novak Djokovic who continued his serene progress as he blew his opponent, Paul Henri-Mathieu, off the court and dropped only four games in the match to reach the 3rd round in 6-1, 6-3, 6-0.  Before the tournament I saw Nole as the favourite to win the tournament and he is very much still the fav in my eyes to win it as he really does know how to bring his best to the slams.  After this there was John Isner who again made good progress here against the German player, Jan-Lennard Struff with another straight set win in 7-6, 6-4, 6-2.  Milos Raonic who has fast risen into the top 10 this year and proved to be very consistent in reaching the latter stages of the slams, had a tough fight however on his hands and needed four sets to overcome the German, Peter Gojowczyk with a four set 7-6, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 scrap.  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on the other hand, who triumphed in Toronto earlier this month, made good progress as he beat Aleksandr Nedovyesova in straight sets in 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.  Kei Nishikori who has shown promising form so far after coming back from injury, got through to the 3rd round after his opponent, Pablo Andujar retired after two sets 6-4, 6-1.  And last of all Andy Murray allayed fears of his fitness after suffering severe cramps during his first round match, he showed no ill effects in his 2nd round as he put in a good solid peformance to beat Matthias Bachinger of Germany in 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in an entertaining night match on Arthur Ashe stadium.

So now to day 5 which started with Tomas Berdych who had a real fight on his hands as took on the dangerous Slovak player, Martin Klizan and he needed five sets to get past him to reach the 3rd round in 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.  Roger Federer however had no such trouble as he took on the big serving Aussie, Sam Groth, who has recorded the fastest ever serve in the men's game at 163mph!  But despite Groth's big serve it wasn't enough to make an impact on the Roger's variety of shots who went on to break Groth in each set to land himself a place in the 3rd round with a comfortable 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win.  Grigor Dimitrov also continued his excellent form as he dismantled the Israeli player, Dudi Sela by dropping just five games to win 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.  David Ferrer also had the easiest time of everyone on day 5 as he got a walkover into the 3rd round as Bernard Tomic withdrew with injury.  And last of all Gael Monfils put in another flashy and entertaining performance to take out the Colombian player, Alejandro Gonzalez with a straight sets win 7-5, 6-3, 6-2.

And at last we get onto day 6 which started with Novak Djokovic, who continued his supremely confident form as he faced the big yank Sam Querrey, who in the past has given him a little trouble. But here Nole was on top form right from the get go and windy conditions on court did no favours to Querrey at all time who struggled on serve and couldn't cope with Novak's superior movement and defence, which saw him speed to a straight set victory in 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.  Well so far Novak really has looked to be in ominous form at Flushing meadows and Querrey it has to be said was his first test but he passed it with flying colours and is shows that Nole really is the man to beat in New York.  After that we had Tommy Robredo who on the other hand to battle past the talented new kid on the block, the Aussie Nick Kyrgios in four sets from a set down in 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.  Milos Raonic also had a tricky time of it as he played Victor Estrella Burgois of the Dominican republic as he needed three tiebreak sets to beat him in 7-6, 7-6, 7-6.  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on the other hand continued his fine form as he beat the Spaniard, Pablo Carreno Busta with little trouble and did not get broken once as he won in 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.  John Isner on the other hand was forced to face his nemesis, Philipp Kohlscreiber of Germany for the 3rd successive year at the US Open at the same stage which turned out to be a real battle.  But in the end it was not to be third time lucky for Isner who fell to defeat against Kohlschreiber in four tough sets as the German won 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 to reach the 4th round and earn his place against Djokovic.

And last but not least we had Andy Murray face off another talented and dangerous newcomer, the Russian player, Andrey Kuznetsov.  Andy however made a strong start as he came out firing on all cylinders, serving well and returning brilliantly he broke the young Russian twice to take the opener.  The 2nd set was tougher however as Andy surrendered his early break to let Kuznetsov back in but he managed to break again to go 6-5 and serve for the set to take the two set lead.  In the 3rd set however is where Andy started to suffer lapses on serve which cost him a break, but he broke back to go 4-4 and he nearly could have ended the match a couple of break points against Kuzy's serve, which were snuffed out, and Andy went on to double fault in his next service game to hand the set to the Russian.  In the 4th set however, Andy wasted little time and got off to a flyer and broke Kuzy's twice, only to surrender one of the breaks, but he wrestled it back and in the end confidently served out to reach the 4th round at the US Open and his 15th consecutive 2nd week at the grand slams with a tricky four set win in 6-1, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.  For the first two sets Andy really did show top form and played some great tennis which showed some form that could easily see him win the tournament.  However the problem for Andy is trying to maintain that consistency on serve which he will seriously need if he is to win this title and again we saw some lapses from him in that 3rd set which may well be cause for some concern in his next match.

And Andy's next match will be against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who defeated Andy earlier this month in Toronto, where Tsonga went on to triumph and take the title there.  So this is a very dangerous match for Andy and it will be a real test of his mettle although he has already been tested in the tournament so far and its not like he's had a straight easy run like he had at Wimbledon going into the second week, which might help him.  However the highest ranked opponent Andy has played so far has been Robin Haase ranked around No.70 in the world, and Tsonga is ranked No.10 so it will be a big step up.  And in my eyes I think Tsonga goes into this one as the favourite given his form so far in the tournament, which could potentially see him take down Andy in maybe three or even four sets as Andy really has struggled to produce his best against the top 10 players this year and he will seriously need that to win this one.  So I really can't make a clear prediction on this one as it will simply boil down to who plays the better tennis on the day, and if Andy allows Tsonga to dictate he doesn't stand a chance, so he will need to play aggressive and return well to keep himself in the match.  So the way I see it is if Tsonga dictates the match it will be over in three straight sets, but if Andy digs real deep he can maybe win this one in four or maybe five sets, so it will be a real tough test of his character.  But what is certain is that this is a very important match for Andy because if he can beat Tsonga it will be his first top 10 win since winning Wimbledon last year and if he does win and goes on to lose against Djokovic in the quarter finals, he will at least have defended his points from last year which means he can hopefully stay in the top 10.  But if Andy carries on playing like he has so far this year in the slams he is sure to be come up second best, so in this match he will seriously need to step up his game and his belief to get past Tsonga's might.  But he could yet still do it and if he can it could well be a turning point for him after so many tough losses.  And for me this is a far more important match than facing Djokovic in the quarter finals as this match is an opportunity to show that he can beat a top 10 player and that in itself is a more important hurdle to overcome, as trying to beat the world no.1 is a whole other ball game and Andy can only do that if he finds his best form again.  So its a tough one to predict, if Tsonga wins we are looking at three or four sets but if Andy wins it will be four or five sets.  Time will tell and I wish Andy the best of luck for this one.  

Right so that's it for now I will be back soon with more results.      

2014 US Open Part 1 The Ladies event: upsets and more upsets

Right OK I finally am getting round to covering the 2014 US Open, which is the last grand slam of the season so I will split the posts between the ladies and the men and I will start with the ladies first.  So there is a lot to catch up on as the first week is now over so might as well get to it.

Soooo starting with the Day 1 Simona Halep opened up proceedings on the Arthur Ashe stadium which saw the current World No.2 have a real fight on her hands as she took on the American wildcard Danielle Collins in what turned into a three set scrap.  Halep had to battle from a set down to win this one but after the first set she took full control and broke the young American twice in both sets 2 and 3 to reach the 2nd round in 6-7, 6-1, 6-2.  Next up was Venus Williams, the former two time champion who played the oldest player on the ladies tour, Kimiko Date Krum of Japan and she had to battle past her in three sets but to win in 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.  Maria Shrapova then played her fellow Russian, Maria Mirilenko in what promised to be a tight encounter, however after the first set Sharapova raced to victory and handed Kirilenko a creamy bagel to end her tournament with a 6-4, 6-0 victory.  Agnieszka Radwanska got her campaign off to a confident start as well as she hammered the Canadian player, Sharon Fichman conceding just one game to win 6-1, 6-0.  Angelique Kerber on the other hand had a much tougher time of it against the Austrian player, Ksenia Pervak and needed three sets to overcome her in 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.  Sloane Stephens however had little problems in her match against Annika Beck as she defeated in straight sets 6-3, 6-0.  And lastly Caroline Wozniacki, who has returned to form this year, got through on a retirement in a tough match against Magdalena Rybarikova, who retired with injury which saw Caroline win 6-1, 3-6, 2-0.

Moving onto Day 2 Ana Ivanovic made a confident start to her campaign as she beat Alison Riske in 6-3, 6-0.  Petra Kvitova, the Wimbledon champion also made an even better start as she thumped her opponent Kristina Mladenovic in straight sets, dropping only one game to win 6-1, 6-0.  Serena Williams next up who has a suffered a bad year in the slams, however signalled her intent with a confident start as she defeated the talented American newcomer, Taylor Townsend in 6-3, 6-1 and despite her ropey form in 2014 I still see Serena as the favourite here.  Eugenie Bouchard, the Wimbledon finalist, who had suffered a bad hard court swing over the summer, bounced back well as she dismissed Olga Govortsova winning also in 6-3, 6-1.  Sam Stosur, the former 2011 champion also got her campaign off to a good start as she beat the American, Lauren Davis, with a straight set 6-4, 6-1 win.  And lastly Victoria Azarenka, who recently has come back from injury had to battle her way past Misaki Doi of Japan and she rallied from a set down to win the match in 6-7, 6-4, 6-1.

So onto day 3 which saw the first upset of the seeds, Sloane Stephens who fell against the Swedish player, Johanna Larsson who stunned the American in 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.  Maria Sharapova also looked threatened in her match but she managed to fight her way back in from a set down against Alexandra Dulgheru in three sets with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory.  Venus Williams however managed to get past her opponent in straight sets as she dismissed the Canadian player, Timea Basczinsky with a 6-1, 6-4 win.  Then came the biggest upset of the tournament so far with Agnieszka Radwanska, the 4th seed beaten by the Chinese player, Peng Shuai in straight sets in 6-3, 6-4, which yet again shows Radwanska continue to come to grips with the US Open as she has never gotten past the 4th round here.  Simona Halep however breezed her way past Jana Cepelova of Slovakia dropping just three games to win in 6-2, 6-1.  Caroline Wozniacki also had a fairly comfortable time of it as she played the Belarusian player, Aliaksandra Sasnovich with a 6-3, 6-4 result.  And lastly Jelena Jankovic had to dig a bit deeper to fight her way past the Bulgarian player, Tsvetana Pironkova who she beat 7-5, 6-4.

Moving onto day 4 starting Victoria Azarenka, who started to find her feet in the US Open here as she beat the American player, Christina McHale is straight sets to reach the 3rd round with a confident 6-3, 6-2 result after a slow start in the first set.  Serena Williams also continued her confident form as she blasted her way past Vania King, conceding just one game to destroy her fellow American with an emphatic 6-1, 6-0 drubbing.  Eugenie Bouchard however had to dig real deep to get past Great Britain's Heather Watson's conqueror, Sorana Cirstea in three sets with a 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 scoreline.  And then we had another big upset as Ana Ivanovic fell to the Czeck player, Karolina Pliskova in straight sets in 7-5, 6-4 which signalled a pretty disappointing end to Ivanovic's season in the slams, but maybe she might enjoy better luck next year.  Next up the Serbian player, Aleksandra Krunic announced herself as she beat the American, Madison Keys in three tough sets in 7-6, 2-6, 7-5.  And lastly Petra Kvitova won the all Czeck (not to mention all Petra!) contest comfortably in the end as she beat Petra Cetcovska with a straight set 6-4, 6-2 victory.

So now onto day 5 which began with Venus Williams taking on Sara Errani, the Italian, who is a former semi finalist here, but had never beaten Venus before this and never even taken set.  However that all changed her as she Sara did the unthinkable and bagelled the American in the first set, only to have Venus do the same to Errani in the 2nd.  The 3rd set proved to be a different kettle of fish altogether as both players battled it out on serve as the match went into a final set tiebreak and it was Errani who emerged the victor with a stunning 6-0, 0-6, 7-6 win.  Maria Sharapova had an easier time of it however as she took on Sabine Lisicki of Germany (one of my favourite players, very nice!) but she prevailed with relative ease recovering from a break down in the 2nd set to win 6-2, 6-4.  Lucie Safarova of the Czeck republic on the other hand had to battle her way past the French player, Alize Cornet in three sets to reach the 4th round in 6-3, 6-7, 6-4.  And then we saw the biggest upset of the ladies tournament so far as the World No.2 Simona Halep was stunned by the veteran player, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Slovakia who beat her in 7-6, 6-2.  This was a big surprise which I'm sure those who have been following Halep's confident form this year will have not been expecting but it shows upsets can and do happen.  And lastly Caroline Wozniacki once again showed that she is back in form as she beat Andrea Petkovic in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 to reach the last 16, which is the second time she has managed to reach the 2nd week of a major this year having done so before at Wimbledon. 

And finally we have day 6 which began with Flavia Pennetta of Italy continue her confident form at Flushing meadows as she trumped the American qualifier, Nicole Gibbs in 6-4, 6-0.  After that we had Serena Williams who also showed her fine form in New York again be beating her compatriot Varvara Lepchenko in 6-3, 6-3.  Meanwhile Eugenie Bouchard had to show her fighting qualities again as she battled past the Czeck player, Barbora Zhalavova-Strycova, in a three set contest with a 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 result.  Whilst it has to be said I'm not a big fan of Bouchard myself as she appears quite arrogant, her form in the slams this year really has been impressive however as she has now consistetly made the 2nd week of the slams this year and no doubt she might go a bit further.  And after this we had another big upset as Petra Kvitova was knocked out of the tournament by the talented newcomer Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia in 6-4, 6-4.  And lastly Victoria Azarenka finally showed her range and that she is getting back to form as she crushed the Russian, Elena Vesnina with a 6-1, 6-1 rout, which shows she is very much in this tournament and remains a contender for the title, but she will next face Krunic who has already pulled off a big upset with Kvitova, so Vika will need to be on her guard but I think she will come through in the end.

Rrrrrrright so that's it for the ladies, next up is the mens.

Be back soon.
   

2014 US Open previews ladies pick of the bunch

Right OK so I've covered the men's contenders for the title now its time to have a look at the ladies and some of the top names that have a good chance of claiming the champions trophy in New York.

Serena Williams

So right at the top of the list we have Serena Williams who has had a very up and down year and she has not done particularly well in the majors either as she has failed to get past the last 16 and has exited as early as the 2nd round at the French open.  However I think things might be on the verge of changing for Serena as she really has picked up her game over the summer and she has claimed two titles in the American hard court swing at Stanford and Cincinnati.  Serena also during Wimbledon was suffering from a virus, which drastically affected her performance in the singles and she was even forced to retire from her doubles match with Venus.  But Serena is back to full fitness now and she will be hungry and determined to reach the final and defend her title so for that reason alone I see her as the favourite to win the title.  But will she????  Yep I think she will as she really will want to prove herself in the final slam of the season and even if she doesn't win it I'm pretty sure she can go real deep or at very least reach the final and if she is in that final an on form, it will take something mighty special to stop her.  Prediction: champion or finalist.

Simona Halep

Well next up believe it or not I'm going to pick Simona Halep who risen dramatically through the rankings this year and she is now the world no.2 and with good reason.  Halep's game style is very aggressive and it can be said that she has mirrored her style on Kim Clijsters and Halep is good mover and a really good defensive player as well.  Halep has already won some fairly big titles already in her career as she won the Qatar open earlier this year which is a Premier 5 event on the WTA tour and she reached the final of the French open and put in a very gritty performance against Maria Sharapova in three tough sets.  And Halep certainly has earned her place in the list as there are very few players she can't beat out there with the exception of Serena Williams and also maybe Sharapova if she comes up against her.  So Halep has a really good chance to lift her maiden major title in New York if she get's a favourable draw and avoids a hot Sharapova and get's maybe a slightly undercooked Serena in the final.  However Halep's inexperience at this level might also see her come up short against the more experienced veterans in the game so we will just have to wait and see how things pan out for the dimunitive Romanian.  So I think Halep could go real deep here and if she doesn't make the final then the last four is a safe bet. Prediction: semi finals or finalist.

Maria Sharapova

Next up is Maria Sharapova who has had a bit of an up and down season in some respects, as she stumbled at the Australian open and Wimbledon losing out in the 4th round at both, but she also triumphed at the French open to claim her 2nd title at Roland Garros.  Maria is without one of the biggest warriors in the ladies game and when it comes to grinding it out there are few players better than her at doing that.  But Maria can also have her moments of inconsistency and her serve is also rather erratic where quite often the double faults go into double figures.  Sharapova may also struggle to win her 2nd US Open title here if a certain Serena Williams stands in her way and all her fighting to reach the final if they meet there will end with Sharapova's game go into meltdown as it has done on all their previous occassions since 2005.  But that's far from to say that Sharapova doesn't have a chance of winning the title in New York because she may well do if the draw works out for her and if Serena goes out early on and one or two other tricky customers such as Ana Invanovic, then it could be Maria's year at Flushing Meadows.  So its hard to pin this one down for Maria but I think she can reach the last four or final two.  Will she be the champion???  Not so sure, but we'll see.  Prediction: quarters, semis or final.

Ana Ivanovic 

Next we have Ana Ivanovic who has been in great form in 2014 which has seen her really step up her game and re-establish herself as the player who won the French open back in 2008 as Ana went into the neverland for a while there in her game as she continually doubted herself on court.  But Ana really has stepped things up over the last year or so and she has already reached the quarter finals of the US Open last year and at the Australian open this year.  And Ana also scored a big win over Sharapova in Cincinnati last week which saw her reach the final only to get beaten by Serena Williams.  But its wins like this that could see Ana move ahead of Sharapova and put her in pole position to go really deep in New York and just maybe give her a shout of a second major title.  Ivanovic also has recorded the most match wins of any player on the WTA this year which is in itself quite a remarkable and impressive stat and with those stats just maybe she can push through here and she already beat Serena in Australia this year so just maybe she could do the sam here.  But it will all of course depend on how Ana's draw works out and I don't quite see her as the outright champion, but I think she can still make a good run in New york the last eight or four is a realistic outcome.  Prediction: quarter or semi finals.

Agnieszka Radwanska 

Then we have Agnieszka Radwanska who is a real breath of fresh air on the ladies tour with her guile and ingenuity, Aga is one of the most entertaining shotmakers and most naturally talented players in the women's game right now.  And Radwanska has been one of the most consistent players on the ladies tour overall the last two years or so and she has already reached the final at Wimbledon two years ago.  But where Aga's game falls down is in her lack of power and weight of shot and her serve is very vulnerable and open to attack given that her 2nd serve is about only 70mph on average (almost like Andy Murray's!) and her first serves probably tops out at 110 mph maximum and against the big hitters this is where she will come under fire.  However Radwanska is still one of the most wily and intelligent players in the ladies game just now and she knows how to outfox alot of her opponents which still gives her a good shout at going deep at Flushing meadows.  The only problem for Aga though is she hasn't gotten past the 4th round at the US open which is puzzling in itself given her consistency, but I think this year Radwanska will maker her breakthrough and get into the last eight and just maybe the final four.  Prediction: quarter finals or semi finals.

Angelique Kerber

Next up we have Angelique Kerber who has had a bit of an up and down year so far but she has also shown she has enough grit to see her improve her slam results a little as she reached the quarter finals at Wimbledon this year.  And Kerber has previously reached the semi finals of the US Open which is the tournament where she made her breakthrough onto the scene, so just maybe this year she could do equally well.  The only problem for Kerber is that she does lack the mental belief needed to help make that final step to winning a major and she is yet to reach a final aswell although I do think that could be just a matter of a time as Kerber is quite a powerful player and remains a big threat to the others out there.  But if you look at Kerber's record this year in finals she has lost all four finals of tournaments that she has played in which is not too encouraging in itself and again shows her vulnerability.  Regardless of that though I think Angie could be in for a good run this year in New York and just maybe the special memories of her run to the semis two years ago might spark another good one this year, so I think maybe the final eight or four might be on the cards for the German.  Prediction: quater finals or semi finals.

Jelena Jankovic 

After this we have Jelena Jankovic who has made a dramatic resurgance over the last year as she returned to the top ten after spending some time in the wilderness for a couple of years game wise.  Jelena is also a former World No.1 and is one of the best movers and defenders on the ladies game, however her serve is quite erratic and often get's her into trouble in matches.  Jelena also has had a bit of a mixed year in 2014 as she did fairly well in reaching the 4th round of the Australian and French open, but she fell short of the mark going out in the first round at Wimbledon.  So there is some room for doubt with how Jelena will respond going into Flushing meadows and whether or not she can go real deep but if she does find a rich vein of form then we might just see Jelena in the final like she was six years ago.  Can Jelena win it then????  I'm not entirely convinced but I think she can definitely reach the last 16 or 8 at any rate.  Prediction: quarter finals.

Eugenie Bouchard 

So up next is the Canadian newcomer, Eugenie Bouchard who has exploded onto the scene this year in the slams as she has been remarkably consistent in reaching the deep end of the majors so far with two semi finals in Melbourne and Paris and the final at Wimbledon, which shows Bouchard really is a player that is in it for the big events.  Bouchard's problem however was that after losing so emphatically in the Wimbledon final to Petra Kvitova, she went on to struggle during the American hard court swing and suffered early exists in Montreal and Cincinnati, which puts a question mark over her in how will she cope in the final slam of the year.  But the only way we will find out the answer to that one is to wait and see but if she does find her form then I think it would be safe to say that she could reach the semi finals or maybe even the final depending on her draw.  But to be honest I think Bouchard will need to ensure she has put her post Wimbledon disappointment well behind her and if she hasn't it could be an early exit, but if she has then I think she go deep into the second week, but I don't see her as the eventual champion as the young lass would need to play amazing tennis to grind her way past the game's veterans.  Prediction: 2nd round, quarters or semi finals.
 
Caroline Wozniacki 

After that we have Caroline Wozniacki who of course is a former World No.1 and also like Jelena Jankovic, a former finalist at the US Open who lost out to Kim Clijsters.  Caroline of course has never won a major and in some ways you could compare her career for a while to Andy Murray's (pre-Lendl that is) in that she was a player that had all the talent to win a major title but just wasn't able to make that final push.  And Caroline had suffered a bit of a decline over the last two years but this year she has started to find her form again as she has reguarly been reaching the deep end in tournaments and has also even given Serena Williams a good run for her money in their last two meetings in Montreal and Cincinnati in two three set battles both won by Serena.  However Caroline has never been that consistent in the majors in recent years and her best result this year has been in reaching the 4th round at Wimbledon and that leaves enough room for doubt in her progress in New York.  And part of this might also be attributed towards the fact that while the players on the ladies tour can bring their coaches onto court during matches they can't do it in the majors, and Caroline quite often is dependant on her dad, who has been her coach for many years, giving her advice during matches.  So this leaves Caroline trying to sort it out for herself on court when things go wrong, which possibly explains why she hasn't done so well in the majors as she has become almost too dependent on her dad, Pietor's coaching.  Not only that Caroline doesn't really have a big game or serve and she doesn't get too many free points on her serve although her first serve percentage is quite high and she has one of the best two handed backhands in the ladies game, but against the big hitters such as Serena or Sharapova, she has often come up second best.  But I think this year Caroline just might have a decent run in New York and while I don't see her winning the title I think she might make the last 16 or 8, and if she makes the quarters then who knows what might happen from there, but if a certain Serena lies ahead of her in the 4th round or later, then that's as far as she might get.  Prediction: 4th round of quarter finals.
 
Victoria Azarenka

Next is old Vika, or Victoria Azarenka, the former World No.1 and two time finalist in New York and you might well ask why she is so far down this list.  Well the reason why is because she has been out of the game for half of the year virtually with a foot injury which naturally has seen her without many matches under her belt, which has left largely unprepared against the top players.  Vika however if her game is on can be very tough to beat and in her hayday she has been known to destroy and flatten her opponents quite emphatically and if she win 6-0, 6-0 she'll do it without any mercy.  However those days for now are pretty much behind Vika and I think she will probably struggle to put together a strong run in New York but that's not say if she can somehow battle her way into the 2nd week that she hasn't got a chance to go deeper, but its the lack of matchplay that remains a problem for Vika here.  So while I think if Vika can hang in she has a shot at making it to the final I think at this stage that is a bridge too far, so for now the Belarusian might just survive the first week and maybe she can get to the last eight but probably not beyond that.  Prediction: 3rd, 4th round or quarter finals.

Petra Kvitova 

Next down the list is Petra Kvitova who has triumphed again this year at Wimbledon as she obliterated Eugenie Bouchard in the final to claim her 2nd title at the All England Club.  Petra however hasn't enjoyed the same success at the US Open and she never gotten past the 4th round there and has had her share of early exits at Flushing meadows so that's why she is a bit further down this list.  Petra no doubt however has a very powerful game and she can knock any player off their rhythym if she is on form, then she can be virtually unplayable as she can blast winners from just about anywhere on the court.  But the problem with Petra is that she is somewhat inconsistent and erratic in her form and when she is off she can be really off and can play matches like the equivalent of a car insurance write off (not the best anology!).  So Petra's form will really depend on if she is having a good week going into the championships or if she does enough to survive the first week and can gain momentum in the 2nd like she did at Wimbledon.  Can Petra win it???  Not entirely convinced to be honest but I think she might just make the 2nd week, maybe the last 16 or possibly even 8 but not beyond that.  Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
  
Dominika Cibulkova

And last but not least we have the pint sized Slovak player, Dominika Cibulkova who earlier this year made a great run in reaching the final of the Australian open where she lost to Li Na.  Dominika has show what she lacks in his height she can make up for intensity as the pint sized Slovak (at 5ft 3 inches she is the shortest ladies player on the tour, or at least one of them!) is a great athlete and also possess a powerful game despite her size.  However Cibulkova's height can also be a bit of a weakness in that because she is so small she has to overcompensate and play a more aggressive game which can force her to make more errors.  Cibulkova has produced more consistent results in the slams in the past few years however which will go in her favour and she has reached the quarter finals of the US Open before albeit four years ago, so maybe Dominika can find her way into the 2nd week again this time round.  As for her chances.... well I don't Cibulkova winning the title but I do think she can possibly reach the last eight if she plays well enough but possibly not go beyond that.  Prediction: quarter finals.

And that is that for my predictions and look at the ladies preview for the US Open this year, I will see if one or two them turn true in a couple of weeks time.  And I will be back with more to report once the tournament is under way next week.

Till then bye for now! 

2014 US open preview - men's pick for the trophy

Right well as the US Open is growing ever closer I thought I would do a post on my pick of the top and potential contenders for the trophy in Flushing Meadows where the last slam of the year is held.  And as an update (on 18.08.14) Rafa has now announced his withdrawal from the US Open due to his wrist injury, which could open the draw for the players.  So with that let's have a look....

Novak Djokovic



Right so at the top of the tree I've put Novak Djokovic on here and why not?  And yes OK the hard court swing in America has not been kind to Nole so far since he has returned after his Wimbledon triumph as he has lost out early in both Toronto and Cincinnati to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (the eventual champion in Toronto) and Tommy Robredo.  What is behind this slump is anybody's guess, but again Nole has had some recent changes in his personal circumstances as he recently got married to his long time girlfriend, Jelena Ristic, who is also pregnant with their first child, so perhaps these are distractions for Nole that are getting in the way of his game.  And even though Nole is the Wimbledon champion this year, the same thing happened to Andy Murray last year as well where he won the biggest title in the sport and everything after that was a hangover and he has won nothing since.  I don't foresee this however happen to Novak though as he is a somewhat more resilient player than Andy is and when the US Open comes around I think he will work his way into the tournament and before you know it he will be in the final.  So for me despite Nole's recent dip in form, I don't think its enough to keep him down for long and I personally think he will have an excellent chance of lifting the title in just over three weeks from now or if not, then he will be in the final.  Prediction: champion or finalist.


Roger Federer




Next up I put Roger Federer and the reason why is because he has shown great form this year and after having lost out to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon I think he has a chance to take things that step further this time round.  The only problem for Roger however is he has been prone to making alot of unforced errors in key matches this year most notably in the Wimbledon final and also even in Masters series finals he has been in such as Indian Wells, Monte Carlo and Toronto where he got himself back into the match in the final set or blown a few key points and if he does that in the final in New York then he is sure to come up second best depending on who he faces, especially if its Rafa or Nole.  But Roger has definitely shown very promising form in 2014 and has much improved his fitness from last year and I think he might just find that extra gear to take over the finish line this year at Flushing Meadows, which amazingly enough he hasn't won the title there in six years!  And Roger has also just won his 6th title in Cincinnati which sees him cap his first 1000 Masters series title in two years, which shows he really is in top form going into New York.  And now that Rafa has withdrawn from the US Open this really opens up the draw for Roger and right now there aren't many players apart from Nole that the Swiss maestro can't beat.  And given the right draw this could well be Rog's year to claim his 6th US Open title as he's already claimed title no. 6 in Cincy, why not in New York????  Prediction: finalist or champion.

Grigor Dimitrov




Next up is Grigor Dimitrov who has had some mixed fortunes this year but he also shown he has great potential to become a future slam champion and he has already shown he can go deep into the big events this year having reached the semis at Wimbledon.  And out of the new young guns, Dimitrov is without question the best and most well equipped to win a major, and he also has all the shots, the speed and movement to succeed.  The only thing however that could derail Dimitrov is of course his lack of experience in the reaching the latter stages of the big events as he could well come up against one of the top three guys (sadly I have to discount Andy here).  But he did show real grit against both Rafa in the Australian open quarter finals this year and also Novak in the semis at Wimbledon, and in both matches he had a chance to take them to a 5th set, so he definitely is edging closer to his goal to win that first maiden slam.  So whilst I don't quite see Dimitrov as the outright favourite I think he definitely has a shot at going deep here into the second week and maybe earn a place in the last four.  Prediction: semi finals.

Milos Raonic



After that is big Milos Raonic, the giant serving Canadian, who also has shown some impressive form in 2014 and also has proven he can reach the latter stages of the slams by reaching the quarter finals of the French open and the semis at Wimbledon.  The big guy also has one of the best and most powerful and accurate serves in the game as well, which quite often can get him out of trouble in most situations.  The problem with Raonic however is that he doesn't have much variety in his game and he hasn't quite got the tennis to win a major just yet and that big serve on its own won't be enough against the game's top returners such as Nole or Rafa or even Roger.  So in order to Raonic to win he would need to inject a bit more variety in his game and become a better returner as that big serve will only get him so far against these guys.  And he also has endured two straight set defeats this year in his slam quarter final and semi final exits at the French and Wimbledon, which isn't good enough for him to make a real dent against the big three guys.  But given that Raonic has a favourable draw he is more than good enough to take down most other players that stand in his way so I think he could also make a good run to the 2nd week and maybe reach the last eight or four.  Prediction: quarter finals or semi finals.

Stanislas Wawrinka



Then we have Stan Wawrinka, who this year surprised everyone by claiming his maiden major title at the Australian open and stunning the three time defending champion Novak Djokovic in the quarter finals there.  Stan has really been progressing well with his career this year but he has also had some ups and downs and shown that he still lacks overall consistency with on tour events as he has suffered some puzzling early defeats.  This shows that when Stan is on he is very tough to beat and is almost unplayable, but when he is off he lacks the confidence to see things through and can succumb to the pressure.  So while I think Stan has a good chance of making a fine run in New York I don't quite see him as the outright champion because of the mixed success he has had this year.  But you can never count Stan out and he has at one time or another beaten all of the top three guys this year, except Andy (whom he has never played except in an exhibition match at the end of last year and lost to!).  So whilst he can make a good run in New York I don't quite see him as the eventual champion so the last eight or four is on the cards.  Prediction: quarter finals or semi finals.   

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga



Next is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who has had a real up and down year so far but he did hit a big high in Toronto this month and he made a killer run to claim the title there after beating four top ten players in a row.  Tsonga also has previously reached the final of the Australian open back in 2008 where he lost to Novak Djokovic, so its a fair beat that he can do deep here again in New York.  The only thing with Tsonga though is he is a very streaky player and he can be very up or down and his game is either on or off.  But when Tsonga's game is on he can just about beat anyone as he proved in Toronto there where he claimed his 2nd Masters career title, which given the big four's dominance of these events over the last eight or nine years, is quite impressive that he was able to claim a second one.  So Tsonga will need to rekindle that form he discovered in Toronto in order to have any chance of winning his first slam in New York.  So while I don't quite see him as a favourite to win the title I think he can have a decent run there at Flushing meadows and maybe make the last four or eight.  Prediction: quarter finals or semi finals.


David Ferrer



Then there is David Ferrer who is without a doubt one of the best players to have never won a major title and has only so far reached one slam final at the French open last year where he was soundly beaten by his compatriot Rafa.  Ferrer however lacks confidence in his game when it comes to the big four (and I will include Andy this time!) in the slams and he has not claimed a win over them except Andy Murray at the French open, which was to be expected given clay is Andy's weakest surface and arguably Ferrer's best.  Ferrer also has just capped off a very impressive week in Cincinnati where he reached the final and lost to Federer but he managed to nab a set in the process and put up a good fight before going down in three sets, which shows he is in good fettle going into New York.  And Ferrer is a such a consistent player on all surfaces so he does have a great chance to get into the 2nd week.  But will he be the eventual champion???  Don't think so, but reaching the last eight or maybe even the last four is a fairly safe bet here.  Prediction: quarter finals or semi finals.

Andy Murray



Next we have Britain's No.1 player, Andy Murray (OK as usual this will be a big one and split into two paragraphs!) and former 2012 champion in New York, who made his major breakthrough at Flushing meadows.  Andy has proven over the years he has had remarkable consistency in the majors and has reached the quarter finals of his last 14 slam events and with Ivan Lendl in his corner he was able to claim two major titles, which is remarkable in itself, the other of course being Wimbledon last year.  But.... all has not been good this year in the Murray camp as Andy has suffered a pretty woeful 2014 by his lofty standards and that is why he is so far down this list.  Andy made a good start in Australia where after having just returned from back surgery, he put in a valiant effort against Roger Federer in the quarer finals there but eventually succumbed to defeat in four sets.  Since then however Andy's resilience in tennis matches has dwindled somewhat dramatically and he has often put himself in a winning position in matches and blown his lead in the decisive set, a factor of this maybe attributed to the depature of Ivan Lendl, who was a big influence in improving his mental focus and determination.  And Andy has worryingly squandered the lead in just about every tournament he has played this year, where he has had the advantage against players such as Raonic, Rafa, Tsonga and most recently Federer in the 2nd set of his match in Cincinnati, where he lost a 4-1 lead in the 2nd set to go on and lose the match in straight sets.  Not only that Andy's two other grand slam losses were both in straight sets, where he lost emphatically to both Rafa at the French and Dimitrov at Wimbledon.  This is not a good sign for Andy and it shows with these defeats piling up it will be a big dent to his confidence.  And another concern is that Andy could finish 2014 without a single title to his name, especially given after the US open that he will only play the Shanghai and Paris Masters events before the ATP world tour finals (which he may not qualify for depending on his results as he is currently outside the top 8) where he is up against the rest of the field and not guaranteed any chance of a title win there.  And in that regard I think it would be better if he were to even enter some of the smaller tournaments such as the China or Tokyo open before Shanghai to give himself an extra chance to win some more ranking points to increase his chances of winning a title and also qualifying for the year end championships.   

And once again in regards to his game his main problem is his serve, as his first serve percentage is hovering about 50% which simply isn't good enough combined with a 75-80 mph second serve average speed, which leaves him wide open to attack.  And after his crushing defeat at Wimbledon to Dimitrov it was a real wake-up call to the fact that he most likely will not win a major this year.  Which begs the question: can Andy win the US Open????  In one word: no.  Andy's level of tennis simply hasn't been good enough for him to win a slam this year and he has not even beaten a top 10 player this year or since his victory over Djokovic last year at Wimbledon.  However I think he can still make the 2nd week, but once he faces a top 10 opponent he could come undone, especially if its Roger, Nole, Dimitrov or Raonic and again if he does get beaten it will most likely be because of a poor performance on his serve.  So its a disappointing prediction but most likely a realistic one as the tennis Andy has played this year just hasn't been good enough to win him a major title (or any title!).  So I think Andy could reach the last 16, 8 or at very best the semis, and if he could even get a top 10 win in the tournament maybe it will give him a boost to move a bit further.  So to say that Andy will win the US open right now is highly unlikely, and even though its not impossible, I have to say at this stage I just don't see him as the eventual champion.  But then again he has in the past saved his best for the slams and he did put in a good run at the French open this year, and with no pressure on his back to defend a title this year in New York, things could yet go well.  Also on the bright side with Rafa now having withdrawn from the US Open, it means Andy will be seeded 8th again and that means he won't face either Roger or Nole before the quarter finals and he might even have a chance to avoid either of them before the semi finals if he is very lucky he could face possibly someone like David Ferrer or Tomas Berdych (neither a pushover though!) in the last eight.  But that all lies ahead and so we will have to wait and see what the big apple has in store for Andy.  Prediction: 4th round, quarter or semi finals.

Marin Cilic




Up next is Marin Cilic who has had quite an impressive 2014 so far and won some tournaments already and his partnership with Goran Ivanesivc has so far been fruitful and he has made a quarter final appearnce at Wimbledon, where he lost a tight match to Novak Djokovic.  Cilic has also beaten top 10 players as well this year such as Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych, which show he has improved his mental toughness when facing adversity.  However Cilic still shows signs of fragility and against the very top guys he often finds it tough to break through, so while he has the chance to go fairly deep into the tournament I think the big Croat while find himself sooner or later coming unstuck against the top 10 players, but a last 16 or 8 result is sure to be a good bet.  Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.

Tomas Berdych

And right at the end we have Tomas Berdych the big Czeck who has also had a bit of an up and down season but he made a good effort at the start of the year by reaching the semis at the Australian open for the first time and by doing so he has reached the semis of all four majors.  Berdych also when he is on his game is very tough to beat and he has the power and the net game to turn out anybody's lights and he also holds a good record against players such as Andy Murray and even Roger Federer, who he defeated two years ago in the quarter finals.  But Berdych lacks the mental edge to really make the breakthrough and while he reached the final of Wimbledon four years ago he folded against Rafa that year, which yet again shows when he comes up against the likes of Rafa or Novak, he just hasn't a chance.  Berdych can also be quite erratic in the slams and he has off and on suffered some early exits, so whilst I don't think he will go out in the 2nd round here I think he will eventually fall in the last 16 or 8.  Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.

Soooooo that's it for my look at my contenders for the US Open title, one of them is sure to do it but who will remain to be seen.  Rafa might also make his comeback depending on his wrist injury and if so he could be looking at a 3rd US Open title, but that will just have to wait for now and in a week's time we will see how things go.

And I shall leave you there.