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En väldigt läsvärd US Open preview av en rätt som har rätt bra koll på tennis för den intresserade:

Spoiler:

2011 US Open Preview – Men’s Singles

In this final Grand Slam of the season, it seems we can only consider to have one real favourite to win this tournament. However, I believe Djokovic is not unbeatable and I expect some upsets to happen in a tournament that has everything to get messy, even an hurricane!


The Favourite

Novak Djokovic: With a 59-2 season record, he has to be the favourite in every tournament he enters. Not only he has been amazing this season, as Nadal, Federer and Murray are currently struggling or have recently struggled, so it will be a surprise to see anybody but Djokovic to lift the trophy in Flashing Meadows. However, Djokovic is not unbeatable, as shown in the Cincinnati final. A downgrade in terms of form can always happen and if that happens, this tournament can get a real mess, with about a dozen players having a decent chance to win it. Djokovic has never won this tournament, but he has been to the final twice. This is the Grand Slam which favours his game the most and unless a major drop in terms of form happens, this tournament is his to lose.



The Outsiders

Rafael Nadal: Even though he won this tournament last year, we can't put him as a favourite, but more like an outsider. His last results have been poor (loss to Dodig in Montreal; clear loss to Fish in Cincinnati) and maybe the domination of Djokovic over everybody may be getting on his head too much. He doesn't appear to be in very good form right now and this is the Grand Slam where he can see his struggles be more easily exposed, due to the fast nature of the surface. However, he is still one of the strongest players in the draw and he should go far in the tournament, maybe even into the final. But it seems clear that he isn't the same form he was last year.

Roger Federer: Things are not looking very well for Federer right now, as two losses to Tsonga in Wimbledon and Montreal, followed by a loss against Berdych in Cincinnati shows that the Swiss player continues to struggle. However, this is a Grand Slam and Federer is still a dangerous player, especially in the US Open, as he won this tournament from 2004 to 2008, reached the final in 2009 and had two match points to reach the final once again last season. Sure he is more prone to get upset by other players than before, but never discount a player like Federer. Everybody did that in the Roland Garros semi final against Djokovic and look what happened...

Andy Murray: After a terrible performance in Montreal, it looked like Murray was going to slump again like in the Spring. Fortunately, he didn't and won the title in Cincinnati, with a great win over Djokovic in the final, even though the Serbian had to retire in the middle of the 2nd set. He sure looks as the second best player in the world right now, however we know how he underperforms in late stages of Grand Slams and so, it's hard to predict him to win the title. He looks well, he will go far, but I think he is going to fall short of winning a Grand Slam once again.


Who should go far

Juan Martin Del Potro: He isn't looking very well right now, but the last time he played this tournament, he won it. He has a nice draw and his powerful game should put out of trouble against most players. A potential QF match against Murray should be very good.

Mardy Fish: He looked extremely well in Cincinnati, with a great win over Nadal. I don't think he has the game to win the tournament, but he is surely one of the most dangerous players in the draw. A fourth round match against Tsonga should be explosive.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: He is another in-form player, who has the perfect game for this surface. He had a bit of physical troubles in the end of Montreal and in Cincinnati, but he should be recovered by now. I look forward to his match against Fish in the fourth round.

Tomas Berdych: He looked really well in Cincinnati (with a great 6-2 7-6 win over Federer). He has the game for the surface and he has a quite easy draw until the quarter finals, where he will have Djokovic waiting for him most likely.

David Ferrer: He broke a finger and couldn't play Montreal, while he wasn't very impressive in Cincinnati, even though that was mostly he was lacking rhythm. However, he has good results in previous editions of the US Open and he has a very nice draw, with no major opposition until the fourth round, where he is also likely to beat Almagro or Roddick. Another quarter final is possible for him.


Who may disappoint

Robin Soderling: An injury prevented him from playing since Bastad and so, he will enter this tournament with no rhythm. His draw isn't very easy and I doubt he will get past Isner in the third round, with no practise.

Andy Roddick: He isn't a top player anymore, but his name recognition puts him always as a player to watch on paper. However, I don't see him getting past Almagro in the third round, with his current form.


Seeded players who may go out in the first round: Ivan Dodig (vs Davydenko), Marcel Granollers (vs Malisse), Radek Stepanek (vs Kohlschreiber).

Players coming for a nice pay-check: Daniel Gimeno, Pere Riba, Maximo Gonzalez, Diego Junqueira, Eric Prodon, Filippo Volandri


Conclusions:
Novak Djokovic is the only favourite to win the tournament.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer look beatable against some good players
Aggressive players like Tsonga, Fish, Berdych and Del Potro should go far
No non-seeded player should make the second week (4th round)