Right! So the US Open is now just a week away as the final major of the season is nigh and it will see the world's best compete against each other once more. So in this post I will look at my pick of the contenders for the title that include the top favourites to win and those who might go deep and make a good run in New York.
So let's take a look....
1. Andy Murray
Right, so at the top for a change is the British No.1 and current World No.2, Andy Murray who has had a terrific summer so far having nabbed three titles on the trot with Queens, Wimbledon and recently the Olympic gold. Andy has also recruited Ivan Lendl, his former coach, once again in the hope that he will be able to win more majors and replace Novak the summit of the game and no doubt they will be working together over the next two weeks or so in New York. And their parternship so far has gotten off to a great start with Andy winning his 2nd Wimbledon title and he is looking good to repeat that success at Flushing Meadows.
However there are still a couple of snags ahead for Andy, one is that his most recent defeat was at the hands of Marin Cilic in the Cincinnati Masters final yesterday, which ended his unbeaten 22 match winning streak. And this is a defeat that all of a sudden does make Andy looks somewhat vulnerable and beatable again so there is still a small room for doubt if he can somehow muster the energy and the belief to win the next seven matches to claim his 4th major title.
And the other reason is simply Novak Djokovic, who has dominated Andy in their recent grand slam meetings with Andy only having been able to have defeated his nemesis twice in grand slam matches. Novak has of course been looking in questionable however over the summer with his shock defeats at Wimbledon and Olympics, he also has looked more vulnerable that he had before, which came as a real surprise after his French open victory. But it is safe to say that Novak will regroup for the US Open, depending of course if his wrist is still a problem and as such he will remain a serious threat for Andy to overcome.
But I have to say I would still give Andy the edge overall for this tournament and I think with his new sense of focus and intensity at the hands of Lendl, could prove yet another winning combination for him. Andy knows a thing or two about winning this season and he is now equal on the major events alongside Novak this season so far (if you include the Olympics) so I think its fairly safe bet that even if Andy doesn't win the final he should sure be in it, but for my money right now he is the top man. Prediction: champion or finalist.
2. Novak Djokovic
Next is of course Novak Djokovic, the World No.1 who has looked less than himself in recent months after he sustained two shock defeats at Wimbledon to Sam Querrey and Juan Martin Del Potro at the Olympics. And no doubt these are two defeats that will have shaken his confidence somewhat and he was in tears after he lost at the Olympics to Del Potro, which saw chances of winning the career golden slam go up in smoke.
But this guy isn't the world's best player for nothing and no doubt Novak knows how to bounce back from tough defeats and he has done it many times in the past so its a fairly safe bet that he can do so once again in time for New York. Novak will also be back on his beloved hard courts for the US Open so he should also be considered a top favourite for that alone as its overall his best surface and when it comes to the majors he's won 8 of his 12 majors on hard courts.
However there are still other concerns for Novak and not just his recent defeats but also his wrist injury, which kept him out of playing in Cincinnati and he is still yet to announce if he will play in New York although at this stage we can only assume he will be. But even if Novak does play and his wrist isn't still 100 percent then there is still room for doubt over how well he will perform at Flushing meadows this year so for now its all a bit up in the air.
But... regardless of all that, Novak is the World No.1 for a reason and I'm sure he will do all he can to play and if he fit and well enough its safe bet that he will reach the final. And if he does that 13th major could well be his for the taking although I wouldn't rule out an upset that could see him fall but I think the last four or two is for sure if he plays. Prediction: Champion, finalist, semi finals.
3. Marin Cilic
Next is the former US Open champ, Marin Cilic who has had a bit of a turbulent time performance in the last year or so, however he has now shown signs of steadying the ship and he has put in some goof performances already this season. And Marin also won his first Masters title in Cincinnati at the weekend there by beating Andy Murray in the final, which shows when he is on he really can beat the best. There was also at that thrilling match between Cilic and Roger Federer at Wimbledon last month where Cilic took a two sets to love lead and then eventually lost in five sets to Roger and despite the defeat, it still showed Cilic is a dangerous player and one to be reckoned with.
The only snags I see for Cilic are purely down to his draw and who he will face as it could really have an impact on his performance there and Cilic will need to do the best he can to take care of his earlier opponents and not use up too much energy. Cilic also has proven he can be a bit inconsistent at times when taking on the top players and he can get off to a strong start but finish weakly as he did against Roger and even Andy Murray at the US Open four years ago is another example when he went a set and a double break up before Andy fought back and won the match in four sets.
But the good thing for Cilic is he appears to be finding his feet just time for the US Open and it is a tournament he has already won and he is obviously comfortable playing at the event so a 2nd title is far from impossible. So if Cilic does get a good draw he can definitely go on a deep run that could potentially see him win the title although I don't see him as the outright champion he still has a shot, so I think the last four or two could be a possibility. Prediction: finalist, champion, semi finals.
4. Kei Nishikori
Up next is Kei Nishikori who has had an excellent season so far and he has been very consistent throughout 2016. And so far Kei has reached two Masters finals in Miaimi and Toronto and then went on to play at the Olympics in Rio and claimed his first medal, wining the bronze by beating Rafa in three sets. Kei is also a former finalist in New York having lost out to Marin Cilic in the final, he also has managed to do very well at Flushing Meadows and could well go on another good run this year.
But the problems for me with Kei come down to the fact that he lacks any big weapons in his game that often sees him come up short against the likes of Andy or Novak, who he has seldom beaten. Kei also at times can be prone to injury and this could also hamper his progress at the event if it should occur and it would ultimatley see him potentially exit earlier on.
However I do think Kei should enjoy a good run this year and go deep into the tournament although I do have to say I don't see him as the champ but I do think he will make a good stab at it and should reach the final four. Prediction: semi finals.
5. Milos Raonic
At No.5 on the list is the big serving Canadian, Milos Raonic who also has had a very good season so far having reached the finals at Indian Wells and also his first major final at Wimbledon. Raonic's game is also fast improving under the coaching of John McEnroe who has taken him on over the grass court season and apparently appears to be still carrying out the role although on a part-time basis as he still has his commentating duties. Raonic also in recent times added to his powerful serve by becoming a decent volleyer aswell as improving his overall fitness and movement that makes him a formidable player.
The only problems for me with Raonic however is that he lacks the overall speed and athletism to really take it to the likes of Nole and Andy on a consistent basis as he has failed to beat either of them this year alone (and he has never beaten Novak for that matter). Raonic also needs to improve on when to use his aggression and power game and when not to use it as his potent shots can often misfire and let him down when he is pushed in longer rallies.
But depsite this I would still say that Raonic will have a pretty good run at Flushing Meadows and I do think its possible he could well reach the last eight or four before he eventually goes out. Prediction: quarter finals or semis.
6. Dominic Thiem
Next on the list is the fast rising Austrian player, Dominic Thiem who has exploded onto the scene this year having made his debut in the top 10 and at one stage he had won more matches than any other player this season (although he may have been overtaken since). Thiem also looks set to be a potential future World No.1 as he has the game, the speed and the ability and the mentality to make it to the top.
However right now I still think Thiem is a work in progress and he has much to learn before he can really get himself up to the very top of the game and so far he is still coming up second best against the likes of Novak, who thrashed him earlier this year at the French Open semi finals in straight sets. Thiem also appears to be stronger on clay than the other surfaces although he has won titles on all three surfaces this year alone but when it comes to the slams he will need to make further improvements on all surfaces before he will become the best there is.
But regardless of all that I still think that Dom should have a good tournament and I think he could possibly reach the last eight at Flushing Meadows before he potentially exits. Prediction: quarter finals.
7. Stan Wawrinka
Next up is Stan "the man" Wawrinka who has had a really up and down season so far, which is atypical of most of his seasons right neough. Yet, Stan is one of the two men in the last five years that has actually managed to win a grand slam outside the big four and the fact that he has won two makes him a formidable player when he is on his game.
But this season so far we have not seen a trace of that Stan of last year who defeated Novak Djokovic in the French Open final and instead he has been meandering in his results with a 4th round exit in Melbourne and a 2nd round defeat at Wimbledon. And Stan is very much a player who either blows hot or cold and when he is on he is near unbeatable but when he is off then he very much beatable. So Stan will really need to find his form and work his way into the tournament if he is to go on and win his first US Open title.
However regardless of that, Stan could still have a decent run in New York and even though I don't see him as the eventual champion either I think he could do well enough to reach the last eight. Prediction: quarter finals.
8. Rafael Nadal
Then we have the former two time champion, Rafa Nadal, who so far has had a season of mixed fortunes as early on he looked in good shape during the clay court season where he won his first Masters title in two years at Monte Carlo and also another title in Barcelona. However Rafa's season had been cut short temporarily during the French open due to a wrist injury that saw him wtihdraw from the event to undergo recovery. Rafa however did make a strong comeback at the Olympics where he put in a very good showing and he won the Olympic gold medal in doubles and he reached the semi finals of the singles event.
However there have been some real danger signs again for Rafa after the Olympics as he decided to go and play in Cincinnati, which I personally thought was a strange move given that before the Olympics he said he would not have played if it was any other event. And as a result of this Rafa's wrist troubles appeared to resurface during his 3rd round match in Cincinnati against Borna Coric, which saw him go out early and this left yet another big question mark over Rafa's fitness to play on the tour. So it still remains to be seen if Rafa will choose to compete or give the US Open a miss this year and even if he does can his wrist stand up to the pace of playing seven best of five set matches? In his current state probably not. But so far Rafa has claimed he full intends to play at the US Open despite any ongoing issues with his wrist.
So for me my prediction will depend purely on Rafa's attendance at the US Open in the first place but for argument's sake let's say he does play then I still think Rafa could have a fairly decent shot at getting into the 2nd week. However I don't see Rafa making it to the final as I'm sure he is bound to come up short against one of the other top players or maybe even this wrist could end up becoming an issue again. So I think that Rafa might or might not make the 2nd week so for me I think maybe the last 32, 16 or 8 could be a realistic guess. Prediction: 3rd, 4th round or quarter finals.
9. David Goffin
Next up is the Belgium No.1, David Goffin, who has also had a very good year so far in 2016 and he most notably was also part of the Davis cup team last year who played Great Britain in the final, which Goffin lost to in the deciding match to Andy Murray. But Goffin has shown great promise so far this season having reached back to back Masters semi finals at Indian Wells and Miami and he even reached his maiden slam quarter final at the French open.
However the problem I have with Goffin simply comes down to the fact that he lacks any big weapons in his game and his height of 5ft 11 leaves him at a disadvantage against taller opponents who have more firepower. So Goffin simply has to rely on his speed and athletism to combat against the top players but that in itself may not be enough.
But regardless of this I think Goffin could also enjoy a decent run at the US Open and he could very well make it into the last 16 or 8. Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
10. Juan Martin Del Potro
And last but not least by any means is the Olympic runner up, Juan Martin Del Potro, who stunned everyone with his impressive showing at the Olympics where he beat both Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal on his way to the final. Delpo has also had his misfortunes of late as he has just returned earlier this year from a continued wrist injury that saw him undergo two surgeries. However Delpo proved at the Olympics he belongs back in the top 10 and being a former US Open champ he knows already what it takes to win a major.
The only problem however for Del Potro is in how his draw will work out for him as he could easily come up short at any time if he plays the wrong opponent, however he could end up making a deep run in New York also. Del Potro is also still lacking in five set matchplay this year as he has only played at Wimbledon in the slams and he had that one incredible four set match against Andy Murray in the Rio Olympic final, which left him almost dead on his feet, so his fitness over five set matches at this stage could still possibly be an issue.
But....Del Potro is that one guy that can cause an upset out of nowhere and he is very much a top 10 player, even if his current ranking is inside the top 200, make no mistake he was playing top 10 tennis at the Olympics. And if he continues to do so at the US Open then I think he may yet have a shot at winning his 2nd title at Flushing Meadows. But if I'm being entirely honest I think that's a bridge too far at this point and more realistically I would say that Del Potro has a shot at reaching the last 16 or 8 before he exits New York: Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
Right! So that's it for now and I will be back to do some coverage of the US Open once it get's underway.
So until then its bye the now.
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