2012 US Open Preview

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WHAT’S INSIDE LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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ALEKSANDRA WOZNIAK BATTLES BACK

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DJOKOVIC: A SEASON OF CHANGE

SOMETHING TO PROVE: MEN’S DRAWS

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HANDICAPPING THE AMERICAN MEN

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CLOSING OFF THE SUMMER: WOMEN’S DRAWS

ROAD TO THE US OPEN

RANKINGS

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Editor

Theodore L. LePak ted@tennisnow.com Erwin Ong Blair Hemley

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The final Grand Slam of the tennis season has always been the largest, and the loudest. This year, the excitement in Arthur Ashe will be unrivaled yet again.

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are the buzz in the big apple right now. Djokovic will have to defend his title with the threat of the World No. 1 Roger Federer sitting on the other half of the draw, while Andy Murray will be sitting in the shadows of his quarter, hungrily awaiting the chance to finally clench a Grand Slam.

Like the men’s draw, the women’s has several question marks floating in the air. Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova should be well rested and back to competing shape after taking some time off to recover from injury and sickness. Agnieszka Radwanska might have ascended to a career high second place in the rankings, but her shoulder inflammation is a big worry heading into the tournament.

Serena Williams could dominate or crash out early depending on how the week plays out.

Writers

Erik Gudris

Letter from the Editor

Erwin Ong Though the action to come is unpredictable, we can promise that it will be big, loud, and crazy in New York during this fortnight.

Blair Henley

Chris Oddo

Nick Georgandis

Design

Thanks to the editors, writer, and graphics team for their hard work heading into the US Open. I also have some special thanks for both Gonzalo Cisterna for capturing the action in Cincinnati with his camera work, and to Natasha Peterson for her work at last years US Open.

I hope you enjoy this issue, and the excitement at the US Open!

Alberto Capetillo Juan Esparza

Photography

Gonzalo Cisterna Scandoval Natasha Peterson

TennisNow

200 West 39th Street, Suite No. 11 New York, NY 10018 914-595-4211

Theodore LePak Editor, Tennis Now Magazine Ted@tennisnow.com

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Every defending champion, no matter what event they’ve won, always remembers the good feelings from the previous year when they claimed the title. And while Novak Djokovic is certainly looking forward to returning to New York where he claimed his first ever U.S. Open title, it’s safe to say that Djokovic isn’t the same man he was twelve months ago at this time.

A Season of Change

Can Djokovic Defend New York After a Successful Yet Tumultuous 2012? ­– Erik Gudris

“I think it was many things combined really, because I did go through the stage of my career where I was doubting if I can really reach my lifetime goals to be No. 1, to win Wimbledon and many Grand Slams,” Djokovic said about his near-historic 2011 season.

“Obviously I had a very strong competition with Rafa and Roger. I was very consistent with my results, but I just wasn’t managing to make that final step because they were so dominant. You know, I figured some things out. I matured and got better on and off the court and realized what I need to do. That’s how it all came together.”

While everything came together for Djokovic on the court, his new status as the best tennis player on the planet pushed the Serbian superstar to even greater heights when 2012 began including increased worldwide awareness. And though he defended his Melbourne title after beating Rafael Nadal in an epic five set-battle, the rest of Djokovic’s season, while very good, certainly hasn’t matched his 2011 results.

That Djokovic came down to earth was probably to be expected but it also didn’t help his cause that Rafael Nadal resumed his success on clay including defeating Djokovic in a closely contested final at Roland Garros while Roger Federer posted consistent results right through winning his seventh Wimbledon title where he took over as No. 1 in the world and has remained there this summer. It was these losses combined with Djokovic failing to make the medal stand at the recent Summer Games, that had some wondering why the man who had dominated the sport last year couldn’t maintain his grip over the ATP Tour.

Speculation is always inevitable, especially when a player loses the No. 1 ranking, but with Djokovic it seemed to come in waves. First there was an interview in Serbia media with Djokovic’s very first coach Jelena Gencic who claimed that her former pupil was dealing with personal problems, a claim that was never substantiated, and that she was concerned he was battling fatigue. And while Djokovic himself said several times in North America that losing at the Olympics was an “emotional moment” for him, we didn’t know how emotional it was until a report from a Serbian website Vesti Online reported that, Vlade Divac, head of Serbian Olympic Committee found Djokovic cutting up his racquets with a handsaw because he felt that he had let his entire nation down by not winning a medal.

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Whether you choose to believe these stories or not, one can certainly agree that Djokovic is coming into New York more vulnerable whether it’s due to disappointment from his recent losses or even physically considering he was one of the players to play a full hard court schedule after the Olympics. Will he have enough left in him especially in the second week when the tournament’s schedule gets more compressed even without weather delays?

“Sometimes it’s really hard to try to stay, you know, fit for every single tournament and try to perform your best, you know,” said a weary Djokovic at the start of Cincinnati. “I mean, in last three, four weeks, I have changed three different, you know, cities, places, surfaces, conditions. Still trying to figure out where I am.”

Though Djokovic came up short to Federer in the Cincinnati finals, perhaps a troubling omen for the defending champion as he enters

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New York, it might be the quest for No. 1 that could fuel Djokovic going down the stretch at the end of the two weeks.

“You can definitely argue that whoever wins between Federer and Djokovic wins the Open, will more than likely be the Player of the Year and will almost certainly be the No. 1 player in the rankings at the end of the year,” said Brad Gilbert, ESPN tennis analyst.

For someone who probably got used to being picked the favorite every time he entered an event last year, now Djokovic must deal with Federer and even Andy Murray being the top two favorites to win it all. But as we saw last year with his stunning comeback in the semifinals against Federer, it never a safe bet to count out Djokovic especially when his back is against the wall. 2012 might not match all the glory of Djokovic’s 2011 season, but a repeat as U.S. Open champion would certainly turn what some view as a disappointing season into one that any player would wish they could have.

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Handicapping the American Men Which American Men Are Poised to Make the Most of their New York Minutes?

Twenty years ago, the landscape of American men’s tennis was vastly different. A generation of legends—Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe—was giving way to a new generation that would prove to be even more legendary—Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Andre Agassi.

It truly was the best of times.

At the 1992 US Open, for the second time in three years, five Americans reached the quarterfinals, which were then whittled down to a semifinal round that featured three Americans.

Let’s just say that things were different back then. Very, very different.

Fast forward twenty years, and the reality is that all we have left of the glory days of American tennis are a lot of scrapbooks, records and YouTube videos.

In 2009, for the first time in the US Open’s then 129-year-history, not a single American man reached the quarterfinals. Was it an aberration? A down year?

Well, it happened again in 2010.

Last year, Andy Roddick and John Isner reversed the trend as both reached the quarterfinals, but as we look ahead to this year’s open, it’s pretty difficult to imagine any American reaching the final eight.

But I’m not here to lambaste the American men. If fact, quite the opposite. I’m here to sing their praises, to trumpet their talents and to prognosticate on which one of them might have enough magic to make a deep run in New York.

Things have changed over the years. Dominance has dwindled. But always, we can count on a few captivating stories—think Jesse Witten coming from out of nowhere to reach the third round in 2009, Taylor Dent on Grandstand high-fiving the fans in that same year, Ryan Harrison cutting his teeth in a classic match against Sergiy Stakhovsky in 2010, Donald Young beating Stan Wawrinka in 2011—that make the US Open special for the American men.

We may not be the tennis behemoth that we were in the past, but that doesn’t mean that the American men aren’t worth rooting for.

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­– Chris Oddo

Here’s a look at some American men who might be poised to make a splash in 2012:

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Brian Baker

The Baker story is well-documented, but that doesn’t make it any less mind-blowing. And hey, the last time Baker played the US Open in 2005, he upset the No. 9 seed Gaston Gaudio in the first round.

Baker’s matches at the US Open are sure to be electrically charged, and if he gets a win or two under his belt, they are more than likely going to be—as Serena Williams would say—bananas. Could he go deep, say, into the quarters? Hard to imagine, but keep in mind, he did reach Wimbledon’s fourth round just a few short weeks ago.

2

Mardy Fish

Fish has gone on record as saying he’d love, love, love to reach a Grand Slam semifinal someday, and if he’s ever going to do it, you would think New York would be the place. Let’s not forget, Fish did reach the quarters in 2008 and actually took the first set against Rafael Nadal before bowing out in four. Last year, Fish lost a heartbreaking five-setter to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round, but this year, with Nadal out of the draw and so many other men ailing due to the rigors of the Olympic year schedule, Fish might be in good position to surprise a lot of players.

3

John Isner

If Isner plays his best, most smash-mouthy tennis in New York, there’s no reason he can’t make a deep run. He’s got the biggest, baddest serve in the game, and he’s a clutch player in big-match situations. He just has to stay aggressive and let the chips fall where they may. In reality, Isner is probably America’s best hope at a quarterfinal, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee he’ll get past the first round.

Let’s not forget, also, that Fish’s return from career-threatening heart surgery (to repair an arrhythmia) will make him a sentimental favorite on par with Baker.

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Andy Roddick

One thing’s for certain: Roddick is going to give it everything he’s got in New York. Sweat will drip from his ball cap, obscenities may or may not fly, and what Roddick may currently lack in momentum and fitness he will make up for in blue-collar doggedness. The 29-year-old has had a good summer when he hasn’t been sucked up by the undertow of injury problems that have plagued him for what seems like an eternity. If he makes it to Labor Day weekend he could become the dark horse in the draw.

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Ryan Harrison

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Denis Kudla

Very low expectations based on a season that has been marred by a lot of “average” results could actually work in Harrison’s favor.

He’s got nothing to lose, save his temper.

The scrappy kid with a well-balanced ground game is built in the David Ferrer model. He’s not on many people’s radar but the World No. 163 could be if he makes good on his wildcard.

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6

Jack Sock

The wildcard will need to serve and hit his forehand like he never has before, but he made a lot of fans in New York last year when he pushed Andy Roddick in a spirited affair under lights in the second round last year. He’s still very green at 19 years of age and a current ranking of No. 252, but Sock has game, and energy to burn.

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Steve Johnson

The two-time NCAA champ is fresh off his biggest pro title at the Aptos Challenger in July.

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Sam Querrey

The wildcard will need to serve and hit his forehand like he never He’s ninth on this list, but Querrey has the potential to end up as the top-ranked American before long. He’s already a top-five server on tour; he’s extremely powerful and possesses the ability to dictate against anybody. The next step for Querrey is to stop being so trigger happy. He’s a home-run hitter, but he needs to know when to settle for a single, to use a baseball analogy.

That said, he’s doing fine right now pulling the trigger. And with his aggressiveness, he’s capable of upsetting anybody on the US Open’s fast-playing hard courts. Querrey, like Baker and Fish, has rebounded surprisingly well from an elbow surgery last year, and he appears to be appreciating his success rather than being overwhelmed by expectations, which might have been the case for him a few years back.

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Donald Young

Have you ever heard of a guy coming into the US Open after such a long losing streak and then winning the whole thing? Me neither, but Donald Young finally broke the streak, he might have his act together now. I’m not saying he has a shot to win the whole thing, but he could possibly chalk up a couple wins.

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Road to the US Open Bank of the West Classic The first tournament of the hardcourt season, held on the campus of Stanford University, saw Serena Williams dominate the draw, ending it with a 7-5, 6-3 win over qualifier Coco Vandeweghe.

Up-and-coming Americans Mallory Burdette and Nicole Gibbs, both of who attend Stanford, were awarded wildcards into the event.

Sara Errani, playing on clay in Palermo, also won that week.

Mercury Insurance Open / Sony Swedish Open / Baku Cup In Carlsbad, the top two seeds of the Mercury Insurance Open played in the final, with the second seed Dominika Cibulkova beating France’s Marion Bartoli 6-1, 7-5. Cibulkova celebrated her

win by taking a water slide into a swimming pool. Polona Hercog won the Sony Swedish Open in Bastad and Bojana Jovanovski earned a title in Azerbaijan.

Summer Olympic Games, London / Citi Open Serena Williams was a favorite to repeat as a winner on the lawns of the All-England Club, where she had just captured another Wimbledon title weeks before. She beat Maria Sharapova in the final 6-0, 6-1. Victoria Azarenka won her bronze medal by winning

her match against Maria Kirilenko 6-3, 6-4. Some of the women not in attendance at the Olympics opted to play in Washington, D.C. Magdalena Rybarikova won the Citi Open title over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Rogers Cup Montreal The women’s draw of the Canadian U.S. Open warmup saw most of the women in action except for Maria Sharapova. Petra Kvitova, who

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won the title over Li Na, faced Caroline Wozniacki in the semis; Li needed three sets to overcome Lucie Safarova in the other semifinal.

Western and Southern Open Cincinnati marked the final stop for most of the top women before heading into the US Open. In the quarters: Angelique Kerber upset Serena Williams; Sam Stosur won over Venus Williams, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova lost to Petra Kvitova, and Li Na upset the top seed,

Agnieszka Radwanska. Li beat Kerber in three sets to take the title – her first since 2010. Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka both withdrew due to medical issues

New Haven Open / Texas Tennis Open The week immediately preceding the U.S. Open had events in New Haven (at the Yale campus) and in Dallas, where Roberta Vinci edged out Jelena Jankovic for the title. New Haven’s draw included four-time and defending champion Caroline Wozniacki, who retired

with injury in the semifinals against Maria Kirilenko. Petra Kvitova, who played Sara Errani in the other semi, won the final by beating Kirilenko. The score: 7-6(9), 7-5.

BB&T Atlanta Open

Farmers Classic

Andy Roddick shushed the naysayers by taking the first trophy of the U.S. Open Series. He needed three sets for each of his semifinal (beating John Isner) and final (against Gillers Muller).

The Los Angeles stop for the men saw a title defense by Sam Querrey, who beat Ricardas Berankis 6-0, 6-2.

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Summer Olympic Games, London Andy Murray won Olympic gold by beating Roger Federer 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. Bronze medalist Juan Martin del Potro lost an epic semi to

Federer, which went 19-17 in the third set. The Argentine bounced back and beat Novak Djokovic, who placed fourth at the event.

Citi Open Alexandr Dolgopolov ended Tommy Haas streak of being undefeated in finals played on American soil with his 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-1 win over the

German in Washington, D.C. Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey also made the semifinals.

Rogers Cup, Toronto

Winston-Salem Open

Novak Djokovic won in straight sets against Richard Gasquet in the final of the Rogers Cup. Federer and Nadal had withdrawn from the event.

John Isner and Tomas Berdych played each other in the final of the Winston-Salem Open, with Isner winning 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(9). JoWilfried Tsonga and Sam Querrey also made the semifinals.

Western & Southern Open In Cincinnati, Roger Federer beat Novak Djokovic to take his fifth trophy at the event. Defending champion Andy Murray was upset

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by Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in the round of 16; Chardy also beat Andy Roddick in the first round.

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Aleksandra Wozniak Battles Back The friendly Canadian star is healthy and ready for a rankings rebound. Just don’t call her Caroline.

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Often in tennis it’s a parent who pushes a child toward a professional career. But that was certainly not the case for bubbly Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak.

Inspired by the play of her older sister, Dorota, it was Wozniak who asked her father if he would coach her full time as she pursued her dream of a pro tennis career.

Though the coaching arrangement has not been without its challenges, Aleksandra (or Aleks, as she likes to be called) says she’s glad to have her father with her on tour.

“He tries to be a dad and a coach, so it’s not easy,” she said. “But it’s nice to share the dream with him.”

Wozniak got her first taste of that elusive pro tennis dream in 2008 when, with a win at Stanford, she became the first Canadian to capture a WTA title. Her exceptional play continued in 2009, helping her reach a career high rank of No. 21.

Continued improvement seemed inevitable for Wozniak, but with lingering tendonitis in her forearm, she was forced to miss much of her 2010 season. She then struggled to find her rhythm in 2011,

endangering her dream of playing in the Olympics like her tennis idol, Monica Seles.

“I didn’t know how strong I would come back to tennis after all my injuries and obstacles. It took a lot of hard work, but also the right attitude, and for an athlete it’s not easy to be patient,” she said with a laugh.

With a gritty, second round win at the French Open, the 24-yearold cemented her spot as one of the top 56 players with direct entry into the Olympic main draw. She describes her journey back to No. 50 after starting the year ranked 105 as a “hustle,” adding that the Olympic experience was something she’ll never forget.

“In the cafeteria and the village, everyone is looking at you,” she said. “The athletes check themselves out, thinking what sport is she or he. It was very special.”

Wozniak made the trip to London with another Canadian star, world No. 16 Milos Raonic. Along with the several other Canadians in the top 200, including her Dallas doubles partner Eugenie Bouchard, Wozniak believes she and her countrymen (and women) are having an impact on the next generation.

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“We’re definitely rocking our Canadian way,” she said. “It’s nice if we can be examples to little kids to start playing tennis. It’s encouraging to see Canadian tennis growing on the pro tour.”

Despite her success, Wozniak admits she occasionally gets confused for another tennis player with a similar last name – former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki.

“At the beginning there were a lot of mix ups,” she said with a laugh.

“People would ask if she was my sister. I would explain that, no, it’s two different names.”

Coincidentally, Wozniak and Wozniacki met just weeks ago in Montreal at the Rogers Cup. Though Wozniak lost in a tough twosetter, she reached her first WTA quarterfinal of the year in front of a warm, welcoming Canadian crowd.

“It’s always very special to play at home,” she said. “They give you so much energy when you step on the stadium court, which helps you surpass yourself in difficult times and points.”

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The U.S. Open is next up for Wozniak, where she’s looking to improve on her heartbreaking first round loss to American Christina McHale last year.

“My game is different now, “ she explained. “It’s much more consistent at that level against the best.”

Off the court, Wozniak is known as one of the nicest players on tour, describing herself (only when asked) as generous and down to earth.

“Try to be nice no matter how bad you feel,” she said, explaining her philosophy. “If you’re having a tough day, always try to treat people the same no matter who they are.”

There’s no doubt Aleks Wozniak is poised for a late season run up the rankings. And with an attitude like hers, she’ll have plenty of people cheering for her along the way.

­– Blair Henley

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Something to Prove: US Open Men’s Draw Preview Even with the absence of Rafael Nadal, this year’s U.S Open could well decide the player of the year with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray all coming in with impressive results this season. But it could be a potential American semifinalist that could end up making the most headlines at the last Major of the year.

­– Erik Gudris

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Federer’s Section Top seed Roger Federer once again has been granted a kind draw that should allow him easy passage into the semifinals. Federer opens up against American Donald Young who finally won a tennis match in Winston-Salem and then a possible third round match against No. 25 seed Fernando Verdasco. Federer could get tested later on by either No. 16 seed Gilles Simon, who has beaten Federer twice, No. 23 seed Mardy Fish who appears to have put his health concerns behind him or even Ivo Karlovic who can be a headache for anyone if his big serve is on.

No. 6 seed Tomas Berdych is Federer’s potential quarterfinal foe, but Berdych has been struggling all summer with confidence and might not even make it to the last eight. No. 11 seed Nicolas Almagro is here along with No. 27 seed Sam Querrey who has used the hard court season to fuel his return to the top 30. If Querrey hasn’t worn himself out by playing five straight events before New York, he just might find himself in his first U.S. Open quarterfinal.

Still, it would take Federer having a very bad day plus his opponent having a great one to stop the World No. 1 from reaching his 33rd career Grand Slam semifinal.

Pick: Federer Darkhorse: Querrey First Round Match to Watch: Nicolas Almagro vs. Radek Stepanek 25

Murray’s Section Andy Murray became many’s pick to win New York after his bravura performance to win Olympic Gold over Federer a few weeks ago.

But though Murray loves playing in the Big Apple, he’s also had some unexpected early round losses there as well. Murray will be forced to hit a lot of balls in his opening round match against Alex Bogomolov Jr. before then possibly meeting No. 30 seed Feliciano Lopez. No. 15 seed Milos Raonic looms as Murray’s fourth round opponent and since Raonic has only played once at the event, losing in the first round in 2010, it’s hard to know what to expect from the big serving Canadian who’s been expected to breakout at a Major for some time now.

Raonic beat Murray on clay in Barcelona this year, but if Murray’s return game is on that might just give the Scot the edge if it goes five sets. No. 5 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who just missed out on being part of the top four after Nadal’s withdrawal, could meet Murray in the quarters, but as we all know Tsonga can be brilliant and baffling at the same time on a given day. No. 12 seed Marin Cilic or No. 17 seed Kei Nishikori could play spoiler to a Murray/Tsonga quarter, but it doesn’t look likely.

Murray will have to fight his way through a tough section especially if he plays both Raonic and Tsonga, but if he can persevere, he will be battle tested as he enters Super Saturday.

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Pick: Murray Darkhorse: Raonic First Round Match to Watch: Pablo Andjuar vs. Thomaz Bellucci

Ferrer’s Section

Pick: Isner Darkhorse: Hass First Round Match to Watch: Grigor Dimitrov vs. Benoit Paire

No. 4 seed David Ferrer certainly proved he can do well at the Open when he reached the semis there back in 2007. And though he’s had yet another solid year, Ferrer hasn’t looked all that great during his matches on hard courts this summer. Ferrer will get tested right away in his first round match by big serving and unseeded Kevin Anderson and then may be forced to grind it out against Lleyton Hewitt or No. 28 seed Mikhail Youzhny in the third round.

The resurgent No. 21 seed Tommy Haas is also in this section along with No. 13 seed Richard Gasquet who reached the finals of Toronto and is playing some fine tennis of late. Simply put, Ferrer is going to have his hands full just trying to reach the quarters and an upset to any of the men mentioned above is a real possibility.

No. 8 seed Janko Tipsarevic is at the top of this part of the draw but all eyes will be on No. 9 seed John Isner who has to like his chances here. If Isner can avoid getting bogged down in another long early round match, especially against No. 19 seed Philipp Kohlschreiber, Isner would likely get past Tipsarevic should they meet in the fourth round.

Having played a conservative hard court schedule leading into New York, Isner should have enough left in the tank to reach the second week. Isner will have to deal with the pressure of being America’s best hope to reach the semis, but if can handle that along with a draw filled with tricky opponents, he just might be the first American semifinalist since Andy Roddick in 2006.

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Djokovic’s Section Defending champion Novak Djokovic might not get back his No. 1 ranking, but another U.S. Open title would certainly prove he should be considered player of the year. Djokovic opens his title defense against Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi and then should have a comfortable few rounds before he either possibly faces No. 18 seed Stanislas Wawrinka or No. 14 seed Alexander Dolgopolov in the fourth round.

No. 7 seed Juan Martin Del Potro will once again be closely watched as a possible title contender though it’s unclear how his recent left wrist injury will hamper his chances. Del Potro will have to get past his fellow Argentine David Nalbandian in the first round before possibly meeting No. 20 seed Andy Roddick who is continuing to deal with a nagging shoulder problem. Del Potro leads 3 to 1 over Roddick and it would take a massive effort from the American to get past Del Potro should they meet.

Djokovic handled Del Potro with ease when they met in the semis of Cincinnati and unless Del Potro summons the form that took him to the title in 2009, it’s hard to see anyone stopping Djokovic from reaching the semis.

Pick: Djokovic Darkhorse: Del Potro First Round Match to Watch: Juan Martin Del Potro vs. David Nalbandian 28

Semis Federer v. Murray and Djokovic v. Isner. - Federer may have said it took him only five minutes to get over his loss to Murray at the Olympics, but you can be sure he will be ready to handle a likely weary Murray in their semifinal. Isner may have beaten Djokovic at Indian Wells earlier this year, but the best of five format gives Djokovic the edge in this one.

A Djokovic versus Federer final would be the perfect climax to the final Major of the year and though Federer would be the favorite, don’t be surprised if Djokovic uses the disappointments of this summer to fuel himself to a title defense on the biggest stage in tennis.

Winner: Djokovic

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Capping off the Summer: US Open Women’s Draw Preview The chink in Serena Williams’ armor has made itself apparent in past years at the U.S. Open, and her slight hiccups in mental focus, coupled by the surge of players like defending semifinalist Angelique Kerber and Li Na, could produce a new winner by fortnight’s end.

­– Erwin Ong

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Azarenka’s Section Top seed Victoria Azarenka has had a quiet summer save for her run to Olympic bronze in London. Because of lack of match play, it would not be a surprise if Azarenka loses to some of the seeds in her section: Zheng Jie or Germans Sabine Lisicki and Julia Goerges.

Li Na, who took the title in Cincinnati and made the final of Montreal, has also begun a new coaching relationship with Carlos Rodriguez. Rodriguez was with Justine Henin during the Belgian’s successful career. Li should come out of this section of the draw Kim Clijsters, who has not played since the Olympics, will make a final run here at the Open before retiring from the tour. We expect her to breeze through the opening rounds but hit a wall against defending champion Sam Stosur.

Pick: Li Na Darkhorse: Clijsters First Round Match to Watch: Sabine Lisicki vs. Sorana Cirstea

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Sharapova’s Section Third seed Maria Sharapova should breeze through her section of the draw through to the quarters without much difficulty, save for a possible run-in against the resurgent Lucie Safarova, who reached the semifinals of Montreal earlier this month.

11th seed Marion Bartoli, always a threat on the hardcourts – she made it to the final of Carlsbad earlier this summer – could give fifth seed Petra Kvitova some trouble in the fourth round. The Czech’s possible second-round opponent is American wildcard and Stanford University player Mallory Burdette.

Another American, Melanie Oudin, is also in this section of the draw. After her breakout run through the U.S. Open in 2009, Oudin has struggled with her form. This year, Oudin won an ITF title in Charlottesville this past April and beat Jelena Jankovic to take trophy on the grass of Birmingham in June.

Pick: Sharapova Darkhorse: Safarova First Round Match to Watch: Melanie Oudin vs. Lucie Safarova

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William’s Section There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that this tournament is for Serena Williams to lose. Her biggest challenge will be a mental one – making sure the distractions of bad calls do not affect her game.

Serena did have a hiccup in Cincinnati, losing in the quarterfinals to Angelique Kerber.

We expect Ana Ivanovic, Maria Kirilenko, and Caroline Wozniacki to be the other women left standing in the later rounds of this section. Kirilenko made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, the semifinals at the Olympics, the quarters at Indian Wells and the fourth round in Miami. She also reached the final of last week’s event in New Haven.

Pick: Williams Darkhorse: Kirilenko First Round Match to Watch: Mirjana Lucic vs. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez

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Radwanska’s Section The right shoulder of the no.2 seed has been a question as of late, affecting her play in Cincinnati and New Haven. As such, there could be players in her section of the draw who could give her trouble in the earlier rounds, including Yaroslava “Golden Set” Shvedova, Dominika Cibulkova, and Jelena Jankovic.

Sixth seed Angelique Kerber, a defending semifinalist, could face Venus Williams in the second round and Christina McHale in the round of 16. The American, seeded 21st, has been battling a GI issue that began after the Olympics which forced her to withdraw from Cincinnati and New Haven.

Pick: Kerber Darkhorse: Venus First Round Match to Watch: Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova

Semis Serena vs. Kerber, Li vs. Sharapova. Kerber already has a win over Serena from earlier this month in Cincinnati. This could get Serena fired up but also give Kerber the confidence to bag another win. We expect Li’s new coaching situation and her recent match successes to give her the edge against Sharapova.

Li has an edge over Kerber, with a head-to-head of 5-1, and we expect Li to win her first U.S. Open in three sets.

Winner: Li

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RANKINGS As of 08/20/12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Federer, Roger Djokovic, Novak Nadal, Rafael Murray, Andy Ferrer, David Tsonga, Jo-Wilfried Berdych, Tomas Del Potro, Juan Martin Tipsarevic, Janko Isner, John Monaco, Juan Almagro, Nicolas Cilic, Marin Gasquet, Richard Dolgopolov, Alexandr Raonic, Milos Simon, Gilles Nishikori, Kei Wawrinka, Stanislas Kohlschreiber, Philipp Roddick, Andy Haas, Tommy Mayer, Florian Fish, Mardy Granollers, Marcel

SUI SRB ESP GBR ESP

FRA

CZE

ARG

SRB

USA ARG

ESP CRO FRA UKR CAN FRA JPN SUI GER USA GER GER USA ESP

12,165 11,270 8,715 7,290 5,375 4,835 4,155 3,620 3,285 2,880 2,740 2,305 2,185 2,030 1,905 1,900 1,890 1,790 1,730 1,685 1,645 1,633 1,580 1,535 1,530

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Azarenka, Victoria BLR Radwanska, Agnieszka POL Sharapova, Maria RUS Williams, Serena USA Kvitova, Petra CZE Kerber, Angelique GER Stosur, Samantha AUS Wozniacki, Caroline DEN Li, Na CHN Errani, Sara ITA Bartoli, Marion FRA Ivanovic, Ana SRB Cibulkova, Dominika SVK Kirilenko, Maria RUS Kanepi, Kaia EST Zvonareva, Vera RUS Safarova, Lucie CZE Pennetta, Flavia ITA Lisicki, Sabine GER Pavlyuchenkova, Anastasia RUS Goerges, Julia GER Petrova, Nadia RUS Vinci, Roberta ITA McHale, Christina USA Schiavone, Francesca ITA

9025 8115 7695 7300 6170 5715 5700 4605 4570 3730 3400 2980 2945 2795 2514 2375 2210 2190 2142 2135 1970 1885 1875 1870 1861

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Andy Murray was quoted after the Olympics saying he would love to win the US Open this year. If Andy Murray wins the US Open he will silence critics and finally establish himself as a dominant force in the sport.

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Sam Stosur had a phenomenal run at the US Open last year and won her first Grand Slam. Odds are stacked against her this year, but she has a do-able draw and could possibly make it to the quarters.

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Last year’s US Open finalist, Rafael Nadal, will not be playing in New York due to his ongoing knee problems.

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Serena Williams will be out to avenge her loss in last years finals to Sam Stosur 6-2, 6-3. Williams has won three US Opens in the past and is the most favored American to win take this year’s title in New York.

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Arthur Ashe Stadium, built in 1997 in New York for the US Open, is the highest capacity tennis stadium in the world. The stadium can hold 23,200 people.

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