US Open 2011

Just a quick congratulations to Novak Djokovic, Samantha Stosur, Melzer/Petzchner, Huber/Raymond, Oudin/Sock they definitely provided one of the most exciting US Opens ever and America should be very happy with their wins in the women's, mixed and girl's singles.

Whilst the highlight for me this year was definitely the men's final we shouldn't forget how amazing Stosur played to defeat Serena in the fashion she did. And a further congrats to Oliver Golding for providing hope to British men's tennis.

What a year it has been and I can't wait to be at the Barclay's ATP World Tour Finals which I have tickets for! 

Djokovic wins US Open

01:24 - No words can describe the match I just watched. Quick update later.

Djokovic wins in four sets 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1. I honestly couldn't watch the third set as it was so tense.

Firstly Nadal jogged into a 2-0 lead but Djokovic fought back and won six straight games. In the second set Nadal yet again broke Djokovic to lead 2-0 and then the two players started to peak with Djokovic winning the set 6-4. The peak of both players definitely came around the start of the third set with breaks in nearly every game, by then it was verging on three hours having not even past three sets. Then agonisingly for all Djokovic fans Nadal got angry and started ripping into Novak Djokovic at the end of the third set. Looking exhausted Djokovic called a medical time out early on the fourth set. An agonising wait ensued but Djokovic managed to fight on and ironically it looked like Nadal that was tiring allowing Djokovic to quickly close the fourth set and claim his third grand slam title of the year.

Sam Stosur wins US Open

In an incredible twist Samantha Stosur from Australia claimed her first Grand Slam title against outright favourite Serena Williams. This is definitely one of the biggest shocks in recent women's tennis, not that Serena didn't win the US Open but that Sam Stosur beat her in the final after her sporadic year. But I am pleased that Samantha Stosur manages to reclaim the dignity of the players of the WTA as if Serena could easily win a Grand Slam in the fashion she did, until the final, it would bode very badly for the tour. But you just need to look at Stosur's Grand Slam record this year to see how much of an underdog she was. 

So we've had three first time Grand Slam champions this year; Na Li, Petra Kvitova and now Samantha Stosur, three women who were definitely not considered favourites for their respective titles or even winning a slam this year. Now I wonder when the teen players like Wozniacki and Azarenka will mature and take their place on the winner's podium or will we see Serena, or other more experienced players, dominating again? 

And finally just a tidbit for you Samantha Stosur becomes only the third woman to have beaten Serena in a slam final, the other two were Venus and Sharapova!

US Open 2011 Day 12 and 13

So just to update all the way back to Day 12 Murray beat Isner in four sets whilst Nadal beat Roddick in three easy sets, which meant that once again the top four in the world all made the QFs. For all the talk of a possible shock it seems like ATP really is at a three way tie plus Murray.

In the SFs Djokovic beat Federer in five sets, I'm ashamed I didn't have enough trust for Djokovic but he'll go into the finals as the favourite. Murray could not find a way to beat Nadal but managed to take a set off of him.

In the women's draw it looks like Serena Williams will claim another Grand Slam after she thrashed Caroline Wozniacki. She will face Samantha Stosur in the final after she beat Angelique Kerber in three sets. I really doubt Stosur will have anything to give against Serena but hopefully it'll be a decent competition.

US Open 2011 Day 11

The weather has not been nice to the US Open for the past two days, no matches were completed on either day thus putting the scheduling into chaos. However today the weather gave a window for the tournament to complete some necessary matches.

MEN'S SECTION

Both Nadal and Murray progressed in straight sets whilst Djokovic took was leading 2 sets to 1 and 3 games to love before Tipsarevic called it quits. The Americans are staying strong however with Isner beating Simon in four tough sets and Roddick shocking Ferrer in four sets as well. The Federer/Tsonga match has been suspended so I'll update this post when that finishes.

WOMEN'S SECTION

No shocks here as Serena continues to steam-roll her way through the draw. Stosur beat Zvonareva comprehensively and is looking like a potential shocker. Wozniacki is staying strong beating Andrea Petkovic but her next opponent will be much tougher whilst could Angelique Kerber create a German quartet of dangerous players? She has a lowly ranking but managed to make the SFs beating Flavia Pennetta. Pennetta must be cursed in the QFs, she fell at the same stage in 2008 and 2009.

BIGGEST LOSS OF THE DAY David Ferrer

US Open 2011 Day 8

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 1 & 2

Everything went according to plan, for me anyway. Djokovic beat Dolgopolov in straight sets though needed to extend the tie break to 16-14 in the first set. He will next face fellow Serb Janko Tipsarevic which I imagine should be no problem. Federer stormed past Juan Monaco and is looking increasingly threatening with as a SF opponent against Tsonga. Whoever wins between Federer and Tsonga will be a tough match for Djokovic I think. And yes Tsonga made it past Mardy Fish in five sets.

WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 1 & 2

Wozniacki exceeded my expectations by beating Kuznetsova however the draw is only going to get tougher with Andrea Petkovic next and the promise of Serena in the SFs. Speaking of which Serena beat Ivanovic comprehensively and will next face Pavlyuchenkova, whom I predicted over Schiavone.

BIGGEST LOSS OF THE DAY Mardy Fish (though it was predictable)

US Open 2011 Day 7

One week into the US Open and it's definitely shaping up as one of the more unpredictable slams, at this moment the favourites for the titles seem to be Djokovic and Serena.

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 3 & 4

The biggest shock for me was Del Potro losing to Simon. Whilst I knew Simon would provide a tough challenge I was really expecting to see a Del Potro/Murray QF. Simon will now face Isner and the winner of that will play Andy Murray who stormed past Feliciano Lopez unlike his previous match against Robin Haase. Besides Fish and Isner Donald Young and Andy Roddick are flying the flag for Americans in the 4th Round but I doubt Young has a chance against Murray whilst Roddick is on the back foot against Ferrer. Finally Nadal beat Nalbandian in a tough three sets but will next face Gilles Muller, which should be easier.

WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 3 & 4
So Kerber will face Pennetta in one QF. I have full faith that Pennetta will be able to make her first US Open SF and be a contender for the finals. In the other QF Sam Stosur will face Vera Zvonareva. Zvonareva has looked the more prepared of the two beating Sabine Lisicki in two easy sets whilst Stosur has had two tough matches against Petrova and Kirilenko already, can she face another Russian test?

BIGGEST LOSS OF THE DAY Juan Martin Del Potro

US Open 2011 Day 6

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 1 & 2

Djokovic continues to move through the draw with his next opponent being Alexandr Dolgopolov. In the bottom section both top seeds Berdych and Granollers retired whilst trailing their opponents. Federer and Monaco both took four sets to beat their opponents Cilic and Haas respectively. And finally Tsonga moved swiftly past Verdasco who will next play Fish. So this is how the fourth round looks.

Djokovic (1) VS Dolgopolov (22)

Tipsarevic (20) VS Ferrero

Federer (3) VS Monaco

Tsonga (11) VS Fish (8)

So I got 5 out of 8. Instead of Dolgopolov I chose Gasquet who lost to Ivo Karlovic. Instead of Ferrero I chose Monfils who lost to Ferrero in five sets and finally I chose Stepanek who retired against Monaco.

For the QFs I think it would be

Djokovic (1) VS Ferrero

Federer (3) VS Tsonga (11)

WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 1 & 2

Wozniacki and Kuznetsova both won in straight sets. Their next opponent could potentially be Petkovic who will next play Carla Suarez Navarro. Serena Williams stormed past Victoria Azarenka so I'm not convinced anyone in her section of the draw could beat her. She next faces Ana Ivanovic who should be pretty simple. Jelena Jankovic continues to disappoint as she loses to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova who now faces a very shaky Francesca Schiavone.

So the draw looks like this for the women's 4th round.

Wozniacki (1) VS Kuznetsova (15)

Petkovic (10) VS Suarez Navarro

S.Williams (28) VS Ivanovic (16)

Pavlyuchenkova (17) VS Schiavone (7)

Niculescu VS Kerber

Peng (13) VS Pennetta (26)

Kirilenko (25) VS Stosur (9)

Lisicki (22) VS Zvonareva (2)

There are a lot of difficult matches to predict here. Wozniacki has been strong in the past at the US Open but she generally falls against power players like Kuznetsova. I wouldn't like to predict this match but at the moment I think Kuznetsova edges it.

Whoever wins there should face Petkovic.

I think there's no doubt in my mind or anyone's mind that Serena will beat Ivanovic. The question is who will face her in the QFs Pavlyuchenkova or Schiavone? I edge towards Pavlyuchenkova but probably only by 60/40.

Niculescu Vs Kerber and Peng Vs Pennetta should be 50/50, I really can't decide in either match but Pennetta does have a strong record here.

Finally I think Stosur will beat Kirilenko and then I think she'll face Lisicki who will beat Zvonareva in a rematch of the French Open but with Lisicki pulling through.

BIGGEST LOSS OF THE DAY Victoria Azarenka (though it was predicted)

US Open 2011 Day 5

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 3

Day 5 saw a few shocks in the men's section but all of the favourites progressed safely. Isner beat fellow American Robby Ginepri in straight sets and will now face another American Alex Bogomolov Jr. But the main interest in this mini section is Del Potro who beat Diego Junquiera to play Gilles Simon in the third round.

Stanislas Wawrinka lost to an American Donald Young in five sets, surely this makes Andy Murray's draw even more simple until the possible match up against Del Potro. However Murray himself nearly got knocked out by Robin Haase who took the first two sets against Murray before Murray fought back in the final three sets. His next opponent is Feliciano Lopez who could test Murray further if he's not in form.

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 4

Another few small shocks came in this section. Ernests Gulbis, who finally made the 2nd Round, lost against Gilles Muller in four sets. He will next face Igor Kunitsyn who beat Jurgen Melzer the 17th seed. Whilst David Nalbandian beat 30th seed Ivan Ljubicic meaning Nadal will not face a seed until the QFs.

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 3

Just when I thought Lucie Safarova had a chance of making her first US Open QF she gets thrashed by Monica Niculescu 6-0,6-1. But the shocks of this section was not Lucie Safarova but the loss of Maria Sharapova, arguably the 2nd favourite. I've been rather disappointed with Sharapova because we have all been hyping her to win another Grand Slam but she hasn't lived up to expectation. This leaves this part of the draw wide open with Shuai Peng or Flavia Pennetta the most likely to benefit.

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 4

However unlike Section 3 Section 4 still has a lot of tough contenders. In the third round Kirilenko will face Stosur after Stosur beat Nadia Petrova in the longest US Open women's match in history. Whilst Lisicki will face 2nd seed Vera Zvonareva which promises to be another tough match. 

BIGGEST LOSS OF THE DAY Maria Sharapova

Sharapova is out!

Flavia Pennetta, one of my favourite underdogs, defeats Maria Sharapova in three sets! Pennetta has always been a dark horse especially in the US Open but I honestly thought Sharapova would be too much for her to deal with. When I saw that Sharapova was one set down and a few games down in the second set I was already worried, she managed to win back the second but lost in the third. Pennetta now has a really strong chance of making her first semifinals as Radwanska and Kvitova are both out of this section, if not Shuai Peng will be happy to take it.

US Open 2011 Day 4

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 1

Djokovic stormed through Carlos Berlocq 6-0,6-0,6-2 even I was shocked how easy it was for Djokovic. He will face Davydenko next which might be tougher. Dolgopolov faces a scare against Flavio Cipolla but safely made it through in five sets with Karlovic in the next round after he beat Richard Gasquet. The French suffered heavy losses today with Gasquet, Monfils and Llodra all out.

Berdych now looks favourite to make the QFs after Monfils was ousted by Ferrero in five tough sets.

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 2

Federer also made it safely through against Dudi Sela. He will face Marin Cilic next. Quite amused how everybody doubted him but he thrashed Bernard Tomic 6-1,6-0,6-2.

My early predictions are starting to fall now as Radek Stepanek retired against Juan Monaco. The other matches were quite predictable with Llodra the only casualty. 

WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 1

Nothing particular special happened here though Andrea Petkovic did face a tough match against Jie Zheng. It now looks increasingly likely that Wozniacki will make the SFs as her draw looks relatively simple.

WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 2

Serena continued to storm her way through the rounds but her next opponent is Victoria Azarenka. Whilst I really do hope Azarenka could make it through I really doubt it. The winner of this match will probably play against Ana Ivanovic after Cetkovska retired.

Nothing much happened in the lower half of this section with Jankovic and Schiavone scheduled to play in the 4th Round.

BIGGEST LOSS OF THE DAY Gael Monfils (finally a male shock)

US Open 2011 Day 3

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 3 TOP HALF
Robin Soderling retired before playing Irish qualifier Louk Sorensen leaving this section of the draw for Del Potro's taking. Isner fought a tough match against Marcos Baghdatis and now looks the favourite to make the fourth round against Del Potro as he plays fellow American Robby Ginepri next and the possibility of another American, Alex Bogomolov Jr.


MEN'S DRAW SECTION 3 BOTTOM HALF
Nothing special though Murray did spend much longer than anticipated against Somdev Devvarman


MEN'S DRAW SECTION 4 TOP HALF
Almagro lost to Benneteau, something I wasn't expecting though it gives Roddick a huge boost in chances.


WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 3
The player that ousted Petra Kvitova, Alexandra Dulgheru loses to Romania compatriot Monica Niculescu. But the shock of this section was the loss of Agnieszka Radwanska. Just when everybody was hyping her as a possible contender she loses to Angelique Kerber. This opens up so many possibilities in this mini section with the 20th seed Yanina Wickmayer having to retire. Lucie Safarova must favour her chances in the QFs now. Whilst in the bottom half of this section all seeds made it through.

WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 4
More shocks came in section 4 with the 8th seeded Marion Bartoli losing to American Christina McHale. However with Kirilenko and Petrova/Stosur up next I don't see McHale moving any further. Dominika Cibulkova also lost to Irina Falconi, another American. Venus Williams retired before playing against Lisicki unfortunately so a number of huge names have been eliminated in this section leaving Stosur, Zvonareva and maybe Lisicki the favourites to make it through here.

Also I was rather shocked that the Bryan Brother's were ousted in the first round in the doubles, first time in ages.

BIGGEST LOSS OF THE DAY Agnieszka Radwanska

US Open 2011 Day 2

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 1 TOP HALF

The Djokovic/Dodig (or should I say Davydenko) section wasn't played on Day 1. Djokovic flew past Conor Niland until Niland decided to retire. Whilst the most interesting match of this section was Davydenko Vs Dodig, a tough first round match which took five sets to decide a winner. Will Davydenko be competition to Djokovic? I doubt it in his form.

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 2 BOTTOM HALF

Tsonga and Verdasco both made it through to Round 2, no shocks here. I was slightly surprised that Andreas Haider-Maurer lost to Sergei Bubka though, but that's irrelevant really because Tsonga will beat whoever won that match.

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 3 BOTTOM HALF

No shocks here besides a minor upset for me of Tursunov losing in five sets.

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 4 TOP HALF

Ferrer will play Blake in Round 2 after both took four sets to beat their respective opponents. I'm not convinced that Blake can beat Ferrer but the men's draw is in need of a shock.

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 4 BOTTOM HALF

Another Top 16 seed is out and that is Mikhail Youzhny, that means Ernests Gulbis finally made the 2nd Round! It also means the first loss of my predicted final 16. Youzhny's draw was a shambles really so I wouldn't be shocked now if Gulbis makes it all the way.

The other point to make about this section was Nadal beating Andrey Golubev, but it wasn't the cleanest of wins. His draw is rather simple but could he survive Ferrer?

WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 1 TOP HALF

Wozniacki makes it past Llagostera Vives as planned. The shock here was Hantuchova's loss to Pauline Parmentier. Hantuchova was improving on her consistency this year so I think most expected her as a threat to beating Wozniacki. 

WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 1 BOTTOM HALF

The shock of the day definitely came in this section where we witnessed another Grand Slam champion lose in the first round. This means there will be four different Grand Slam winners this year. I feel really disappointed that Na Li has slumped since winning Roland Garros. This definitely gives Wozniacki a very good shot of making the SFs with Petkovic her main threat.

WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 2 TOP HALF

Everything went according to rank here which means we are moving ever closer to an Azarenka/Williams third round.

WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 2 BOTTOM HALF

The 32nd seed Martinez Sanchez lost to Mona Barthel and in British interest Anne Keothavong lost in straight sets to Chanelle Scheepers.

Out of the matches that were left from other sections there was nothing of note.

BIGGEST LOSS OF THE DAY Na Li

US Open 2011 Day 1

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 1 TOP HALF

Dolgopolov and Gasquet, the two seeds that played, both made straight sets wins. Ivo Karlovic beat Fernando Gonzalez quite simply as well whilst Kei Nishikori retired two sets down. The Djokovic/Dodig section will be played on Day 2. Gasquet is still my pick to push through to the 4th Round.

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 1 BOTTOM HALF

Monfils, Berdych, Tipsaveric and Granollers all went through in straight sets. No shocks here. All the unseeded matches went to four sets or more. My picks here are Tipsaveric and Monfils.

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 2 TOP HALF

The first seed out in the men's draw is Viktor Troicki, he fell in five sets to Alejandro Falla. I wasn't convinced Troicki could make the 4th Round for starters. My pick here was Radek Stepanek. Though I do think Tommy Haas has the potential to make the 4th Round, in fact all of those four do. Whilst the one possible slight shock above is Dudi Sela beating Thomaz Bellucci. Not really a shock but I did tip Bellucci here. Whilst many thought Ryan Harrison would knock out Marin Cilic, me NOT included. Instead Harrison imploded. Stepanek and Federer are my picks here.

MEN'S DRAW SECTION 2 BOTTOM HALF

The Tsonga/Verdasco section will be played on day 2. The other matches here were quite predictable with Mardy Fish producing an impressive display. Here my choice is Tsonga and Fish.

WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 3 TOP HALF

The main shock on Day 1 was the loss of Petra Kvitova. She hasn't been as sharp since winning Wimbledon losing to Andrea Petkovic twice in relatively simple straight sets. I already did a little individual post on her shock lost considering Alexandra Dulgheru hasn't been in great form either. The main benefiter from this is definitely Agnieszka Radwanska as she looks to make the QF at least. I didn't post this beforehand but I'd probably have put Kvitova Vs A. Radwanska as the most likely fourth round matchup.

WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 3 BOTTOM HALF

No shocks here really but I do applaud Heather Watson for pushing Sharapova to three sets. My choice here would probably have been Shuai Peng Vs Maria Sharapova

WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 4 TOP HALF

No shocks here. Both Marion Bartoli and Samantha Stosur made it through in straight sets. Maria Kirilenko had a scare against Ekaterina Makarova and will face another Russian in Round 2, Vera Dushevina. My picks here would probably have been Bartoli vs. Stosur despite Petrova's improved form.

WOMEN'S DRAW SECTION 4 TOP HALF

Yet again no shocks here but a huge congratulations to Laura Robson for making the 2nd Round, she has the potential to get to the third as well. I really wouldn't know who to predict between Cibulkova/V.Williams/Lisicki. I would chose Zvonareva on the other side because she doesn't have a difficult draw.

BIGGEST LOSS OF THE DAY: Petra Kvitova

Ana Ivanovic 2.0?

Petra Kvitova the reigning Wimbledon champion was ousted earlier today by Alexandra Dulgheru 7-6(7-3), 6-3 in the first round. She becomes the only woman in the open era to have lost in the first round of the US Open after winning Wimbledon. So why do I compare her with Ana Ivanovic? Well the fact that since Ana Ivanovic's 2008 Roland Garros title she hasn't made it past the 4th Round of a Grand Slam. I just wonder if it was a little too much too early for Kvitova, is she finding it difficult to handle her new found success? I never really liked Ivanovic because she peaked too early and thus blew herself out before she could even solidify herself as a top player but I hope Kvitova can move on from this as she's a talented player.

US Open 2011 Women's Draw

I'm exhausted after posting the men's draw so I'm going to keep this short.

Wozniacki stays as the No.1 seed for the US Open. Since becoming No.1 I think the main question on everyone's mind is when will she win a slam, sadly I don't think this will be the one. She had her chances a few slams ago but now a new breed of opponent has developed, she's no longer a favourite to win any slam. Coupled with her poor results pre US Open I think Wozniacki will be happy to even make the SFs.

I'd expect Wozniacki to be safe for the first three rounds but then there's Hantuchova and Kuznetsova on the horizon. Both are not in great form but both are capable of beating Wozniacki. It will depend what type of form Wozniacki is in herself.

Even more danger lurks after the 4th Round with Petkovic and Na Li being the main contenders for a SF spot. Petkovic possibly is the favourite here as Na Li hasn't been as strong since winning Roland Garros, the French Open must be cursed. It all depends on Wozniacki's own performance because in a way she has been given a good draw.

Azarenka is being considered the unlucky Top 8 player because she has been drawn against Serena Williams. I am so disappointed for her because I think she's ready to win a slam but facing Serena this early could be too much to handle. If she makes it through Peer and Ivanovic wil not be dangers. In fact if Azarenka manages to survive Serena she has a relatively OK draw with Jankovic, Pavlyuchenkova and Schiavone being her main threats. Jankovic saw a resurgence in Cincinnati but is she ready to become a top player again? Her Grand Slam record has been rather average since 2008. Schiavone is yet again seeing a slump after Roland Garros, she might as well hibernate for the year until Roland Garros comes around.

I remember when Wozniacki, Azarenka and Radwanska were named as the three rising stars of tennis. Wozniacki and Azarenka have both taken their places amongst the elite but it has only been the past month or so that Radwanska has finally responded. She has Petra Kvitova in her draw as well as dangers such as Lucie Safarova and Yanina Wickmayer so there's a lot to contend with. Unluckily enough she'll face her sister in the first round, Urzula Radwanska.

On the other side is Maria Sharapova who has Heather Watson as her Round 1 opponent. I think Sharapova must be second favourite to win the title. In her way are Flavia Pennetta, Julia Goerges and Shuai Peng. All have the potential to do damage but aren't really title contenders.

Finally there's Zvonareva's section which would be rather boring if it weren't for Venus Williams and Sabine Lisicki's 2nd Round match off. Besides Vera there is Bartoli, Stosur and Cibulkova looking to make the SFs. It's quite difficult to predict who will make it out of these six names because they're all rather unpredictable.

Sorry for the rather rushed analysis, I'm just really tired after typing up the men's draw.

US Open 2011 Men's Draw

I missed out on Wimbledon but I definitely won't miss out on the US Open, from the looks of things it'll be a very interesting slam.

So Novak Djokovic begins his first Grand Slam as the No.1 seed his first opponent will be qualifier Conor Niland from Ireland who at 29 years of age is a rather slow burner. You just need to compare their Grand Slam records to realise how incomparable these two players are. Niland is playing his second Grand Slam whilst Djokovic is coming off two Grand Slams this year. There's no doubt that the US Open is where Djokovic is most consistent so I'll be shocked if he doesn't at least make the SF where he is drawn to play Roger Federer.

Round 2 should be nothing to worry about either. He has either Carlos Berlocq or Pere Riba, ranked 69 and 70th respectively. Both haven't been impressive in the ATP circuit but Berlocq seems to have the edge here.

Round 3 could potentially be more dangerous with Ivan Dodig and Nikolay Davydenko being potential opponents. Dodig is seeded 32nd and whilst having a slightly shaky season he has beaten Robin Soderling and Rafael Nadal this year. Davydenko has really nosedived these past two years but I wouldn't count him out just yet. Other potential, though unlikely, round three opponents are Potito Starace; who is coming off five first round losses in Grand Slams and six consecutive first round defeats at the US Open, and Michael Berrer.

If the first three rounds haven't yielded anything spectacular Round 4 might be a tougher contest, just. I'd say the most likely 4th Round opponent for Djokovic is Gasquet. Dolgopolov started the year well but has been much more shaky recently. He also lost to his potential first round opponent, Richard Gasquet, recently so I'm not convinced Dolgopolov can emulate his Australian Open performance. Kei Nishikori prefers the US Open but he doesn't look like a potential 4th Round opponent to Djokovic. Though rusty Ivo Karlovic and Fernando Gonzalez could be dangers, they will play each other in the first round. 

Most likely 4th Round opponents

DJOKOVIC (1) VS GASQUET (13)

Leading Section 2 is Gael Monfils and Tomas Berdych. Despite a rather quiet year for Berdych he has consistently made it deep into tournaments and recently defeated Federer. Berdych is one of the more unpredictable top players so I wonder how he'll fare. He faces Romain Jouan in the first round so he should be safe from a 1st Round defeat at least. However most of us believed that for him at Roland Garros but he lost to Stephane Robert another Frenchmen.

Berdych's second round opponent could be Fabio Fognini but Fabio has never made it past the 1st Round in 3 attempts. Potential third round opponent Janko Tipsaveric could be Berdych's main test as he recently lost to him but if Berdych is in form he should stroll safely through.

On Monfils side Marcel Granollers poses the main threat but I'm unconvinced that Monfils wouldn't at least make the 4th Round. Another three Spaniards look to topple the Frenchmen but it will be an uphill battle. Monfils will face rising star Grigor Dimitrov in the 1st Round

Most likely 4th Round opponents

My brain screams for Tomas Berdych Vs. Gael Monfils but there's an inkling feeling in me that believes this won't happen so I'm going on a whim and saying...

TIPSAREVIC (20) VS MONFILS (7)

I might have to eat my words but it won't the first time.

Roger Federer leads Section 3 with supposedly a tough draw. His first round opponent is Santiago Giraldo, who I must agree is a tougher opponent than Djokovic's but it will be highly unlikely that we'll wave goodbye to Federer in Round 1. If he does luckily make it this far, I kid, he has the dangerous Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci to consider. However Bellucci is much more dangerous on clay than on the US hardcourts.

Moving onto the third round Federer has a number of young guns to look forward to. Helmed as two of tennis' brightest stars Bernard Tomic and Ryan Harrison will be amongst potential third round opponents but we should not forget Marin Cilic who is only 22 himself. Whilst Cilic lost in the first round at Roland Garros and Wimbledon I'm not going to write him off like some, I still think Federer's most likely third round opponent should be Cilic with Tomic never having competed at the US Open and the pressure on Ryan Harrison to do well.

So far so well for Federer but where is the supposed competition? If Federer is in good form then these opponents should not be worrying him. If Federer does want something to worry about the 4th Round might provide some danger in the form of Radek Stepnaek and Viktor Troicki but if Federer is eyeing on another US Open title these two should not be amongst his "to worry" list.

Most likely 4th Round opponents

A difficult one but purely on gut instinct I'm going for...

FEDERER (3) VS STEPANEK (23)

If you've been slightly disappointed by what is supposedly a tough draw for Federer don't be because his QF opponent will be one to look forward to. The most dangerous in the pack is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Tsonga has defeated Federer in their last two matches, one of which being the Wimbledon QFs. Now if that isn't a sign of a nemesis I don't know what is.

Tsonga's first three rounds look simple enough. He faces Yen-Hsun Lu in Round 1 and most likely Andreas Haider-Maurer in Round 2. If all goes according to plan then Tsonga will face Fernando Verdasco but Verdasco is not the player he once was a year or two ago despite pushing Nadal in Cincinnati.

On the other side is Mardy Fish who must be on a high after claiming the $1 million prize money for winning the US Open Series Title and being the No.1 American going into the US Open. With his current form and confidence he should be able to make the 4th Round. If I was pushed to name threats then Michael Llodra and Kevin Anderson might appear on the list.

Most likely 4th Round opponents

TSONGA (11) VS FISH (8)

The pair have never played each other before so I had to do a quick mock up.

Like Djokovic Soderling will have an Irish qualifier to contend with but unlike Djokovic Soderling has been out with an injury for the last six weeks.  Most will question whether Soderling is ready to play and win but we'll have to wait until his first match to know whether he is match ready.

Most experts believe that Soderling's loss will come at the hands of Alex Bogomolov Jr. A few strong runs especially to R16 at Cincinnati from the qualifiers have solidified him as a threat but I'm not willing to write off Soderling just yet.

If Bogomolov isn't enough to end Soderling then Baghdatis or Isner will relish in beating a Top 10 player, will that happen though? Baghdatis has had a very shaky year with a less than impressive 18-19 W/L record. Isner on the other hand has faired slightly better though will playing in the US help or hinder him?

Potential fourth round opponents for Soderling include Del Potro and Simon. The 2009 Champion of course being the danger here but Del Potro is still trying to find the form that led him to the title in 2009. His recovery to the Top 10 should be a slow and steady one. If Del Potro fails there's always Simon to step up so Soderling has a tough job in his hands.

Most likely 4th Round opponents

ISNER (28) VS DEL POTRO (18)

Sadly nobody seemed to care the last three times they played each other so I had to make a crap mock up again. Every slam needs a major loss early on, it's almost a prerequisite. The anomaly is normally the Australian Open when most of the Top 8 are rested and ready for battle. And if most major commentators believe Soderling will be our first major loss then how can I argue. Though I'd like to see Soderling prove them, and me, wrong.

Soderling, or should I say Del Potro's, direct opponent for a SF spot is Andy Murray. His recent title at Cincinnati redeemed his first round loss at Montreal. Murray's year has been rather awkward. He has either made it to the semis and finals of tournaments or lost in the very first round however I doubt he'll lose early in the US with a rather simple draw early on. I always say this but it's the best time for Murray to make a move as both Nadal and Federer are on the low and nobody knows how much Djokovic's shoulder inklings will effect him.

I honestly believe that Murray has yet again been handed a very simple draw. If there is anybody for him to look out for it'd be Stanislas Wawrinka in a possible 4th Round match and Robin Haase who could potentially be a 2nd Round opponent. His road to the QF's is by far the easiest atm.

Most likely 4th Round opponents

WAWRINKA (14) VS MURRAY (4)

Finally we're down to the last quarter. David Ferrer is an absolute workhorse, it will take a top player to topple him over. Some believe that player is in the form of a resurgent James Blake. It is possible considering Ferrer has in both their prior meetings but I'm not sure if James Blake is truly ready to take on the big guns. If Ferrer survive Blake then I don't see him losing before the QFs

Third Round opponents should be a breeze for Ferrer whilst what he may need to worry about is his potential 4th Round opponents. Nicolas Almagro leads a very varied bunch of players. What I'd love to say here is that Roddick is a favourite but I just can't. He has had a poor year and has seen his ranking slump to 21. He had better years in 2009 and 2010 but didn't manage to make it past the third round in both so are we ready to call Roddick a threat?

Most likely 4th Round opponents

FERRER (5) VS ALMAGRO (10)

Not really a VS picture but it was the best I could find. And similarly I don't think Almagro should really make the 4th Round but he was the best I could find amongst that bunch.

Finally in Section 8 is Rafael Nadal with Mikhail Youzhny at the other end. Mikhail loves the US Open but he hasn't been on the best of forms. Ernests Gulbis is his first round opponent. Most believed he was a future star  but with eight consecutive first round losses in Grand Slam level and a 16-16 W/L record this year it will really come down to who has luck on their side. Luckily Youzhny doesn't have a tough draw before he meets Nadal so Youzhny could make it through from pure grit. His main opponent after Ernests Gulbis is Jurgen Melzer but he himself has also been facing poor form and injury.

And finally Nadal, he has been given a very good draw, better even than Murray's so he better run with it. His first round opponent is Andrey Golubev, a talented player but has had an awful record this year of 5-23 and an 18 match losing streak. 

Most likely 4th Round opponents

YOUZHNY (16) VS NADAL (2)

so an update,

DJOKOVIC (1) VS GASQUET (13)

TIPSAREVIC (20) VS MONFILS (7)

FEDERER (3) VS STEPANEK (23)

TSONGA (11) VS FISH (8)

ISNER (28) VS DEL POTRO (18)

WAWRINKA (14) VS MURRAY (4)

FERRER (5) VS ALMAGRO (10)

YOUZHNY (16) VS NADAL (2)

I highly doubt it would be all seeds though!

For now I would guess

DJOKOVIC (1) VS MONFILS (7)

FEDERER (3) VS TSONGA (11)

DEL POTRO (18) VS MURRAY (4)
FERRER (5) VS NADAL (2)

Oh how I wish.

I'm too tired now, I'll do the women's draw later.

US Open will be very interesting...

I say this because of the shock I'm in to see Nadal and Federer lose before the semis again, together! I'm so used to seeing either of them making it to the semis or finals, at least, that it seems weird when both are missing, twice! A few years ago we all thought Federer was on the out but he rose back but unfortunately this time it's for real. Federer no longer has that edge amongst most of the other players and one thing that helped him to YTD records of like 80-5 was because people "feared" him. The mentality was "oh no I've got Federer in my draw, I'll be lucky to get a game" but now his invincible status has well and truly be vanquished. He's still definitely a strong player and deserves a Top 3 spot, for now, but from now on it's only down for him I believe. And what's with Nadal, losing to Dodig now Fish. Fish is undeniably on a high but Nadal is definitely not the player he was even just a year ago. This however bodes extremely well with Djokovic who has only lost once throughout the year!

Montreal and Cincinnati 2011 must be two tournaments Nadal and Federer would like to forget about.

Just a side note what is happening to Wozniacki? Arvidsson, Vinci now Mchale! A 3 match losing streak one week before the US. She has one more tournament to redeem herself. I guess her maiden Slam will have to wait. Whilst I love Serena I hope the US Open won't be the Serena show.

Djokovic NO.1

I read about this yesterday but my awfully slow internet connection meant I wasn't able to share my joy. I am so happy that Djokovic finally grabs the No.1 spot, next year will be difficult but I'm sure Djokovic will get better and better. 

So it's Nadal Vs Djokovic and Sharapova Vs Kvitova. I hope Djokovic wins it because I don't want to see Nadal making another double. Djokovic and Sharapova to win! Though I can equally see Nadal and Kvitova making the headlines.

Wimbledon 2011: Draw

I'm currently working on another post so sadly this will have to be relatively short and lacking in depth because I'm going to Sydney tomorrow but here are my two cents.

Rafael Nadal will have a relatively simple first three rounds I believe. None of those names besides Tommy Haas really stand out on grass but Haas is near the end of his career really. For some reason instinct tells me to look out for Ryan Sweeting though Andujar will be a tough opponent. Del Potro is stationed as a potential fourth round opponent but Gilles Simon is in the way.

A weaker field makes up a potential QF opponent for Nadal with Fish, Verdasco and Berdych the main names. However none of them have played well recently.

Andy Murray has a few dark spots to look out for but they shouldn't be too much of a hindrance. Ljubicic, Cilic, Gasquet and Wawrinka are his main threats. However if he is to make the semis he might have Monfils or Roddick, potentially much tougher opponents.

Roger Federer has been handed a rather simple draw. His draw is dotted with clay court specialists like Ferrer and Almagro. His biggest threat might be Tsonga though I'll wait to see his form.

Whilst Djokovic has some potential dangers but it all lies down to Robin Soderling as I don't think any of the other players can beat him yet.

On the men's I think we'll be seeing Federer taking another Wimbledon but Djokovic shouldn't be far behind, it'll be interesting seeing where Djokovic is at on Federer's favourite surface. Murray has potential to make it whilst I don't see Nadal doing another double this time.

The women's side should be more interesting with the inclusion of the William's sisters. What makes it better is that both lost last week in their return so they aren't necessarily guaranteed the win but it is very well possible.

I'm going to keep this short btw. Section 1 I can only see Cibulkova breaking Wozniacki, but Goerges has beaten her twice this year already so...

Sharapova will be an obvious favourite. Stosur who played well last week will be her main opponent. Safarova and Peng can also do some damage.

Na Li is seeded 3rd here, could she do a double? She has an ok draw early on with most journalists agreeing that Sabine Lisicki could do damage. I don't see Ivanovic or Radwanska making a move though. Bartoli is stationed next to Serena, could be interesting because Bartoli has the potential to do some damage with her win at Eastbourne. Maria Kirilenko is also somebody to look out for.

Will Schiavone go out in Round 1 like last year? She has Jelena Dokic in Round 1 and could see Makarova, Peer or Petkovic. If she manages to survive that she has a few dangers lurking beneath. Pavlyuchenkova, Hantuchova and Azarenka are all thirsty to do some damage here.

Finally we have a pretty tough draw in Sections 7 and 8 with Kvitova, Wickmayer, Kuznetsova, V. Williams and Zvonareva all looking to do well here.

I really don't want to predict the winner because there are so many what ifs.