| COVER STORY: SEPTEMBER 2008 |
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The Men
Rafael Nadal is the new No. 1, but he’s been a far cry from that in NYC, where his best result was a ‘07 quarterfinal drubbing at the hands of Mikhail Youzhny. The Spaniard can play on anything now; just witness what he did in ripping up the Toronto Masters field. But he’s never come into Flushing completely healthy. If he is to impose his speedy, tireless game and prevail over more accomplished hardcourt players like four-time defending champ Roger Federer, Aussie Open champ and ‘07 U.S. finalist Novak Djokovic, and ‘03 victor Andy Roddick, he’ll have to come with a full set of tread on his tires.
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Federer needs this title very badly. Either that or he’ll end the year with Slam-less for the first time since ‘02. Imagine that for the man who wowed crowds and the likes of Agassi, Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt at Ashe Stadium. His confidence is clearly shaken, but he’s a gamer and if he can learn to trust his shots again he may become the first man since Bill Tilden in the ‘20s to win five straight.
Djokovic dominated the year’s first quarter with Aussie and Indian Wells titles but looked tired at Wimbledon and the didn’t regain his step until Cincy, when he stopped Nadal’s 34-match winning streak before falling to Andy Murray in the final. The Serbian can win this title if he pushes himself to take a few more chances within his steady, thoughtful game.
Murray, who won his first Masters Series title in Cincy, is finally approaching his vast potential. The Scot is smart, creative and gritty. He’s sporting an improved serve and forehand, and has beaten everyone significant with the exception of Nadal. He likes to fight, too, and like Nadal, if he can keep the injury bug from biting, has a fine shot at his first Slam.
Then there’s Roddick and Blake, the U.S.’ two great hopefuls who have produced so many fireworks at Ashe Stadium, both positive and negative. Both were in danger of falling out of the top 10 before the first ball was tossed in Flushing. Both are hoping for good draws and to regain some lost mojo after ho-hum years. They will need to lock in early, play intelligent and decisive yellowball and hope the crowd can lift them into the second week, because neither man has been around at closing time in ‘08’s big events.
There are a slew of semifinal hopefuls, including two of last year’s final four, David Ferrer and Nikolay Davydenko. Throw Frenchmen Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon, Swiss Stan Wawrinka, Croat Marin Cilic and Latvian Ernests Gulbis into that mix, too. It’s hard to see any other U.S. player, save for a wakeup call from Sam Querrey, doing much.
THE WOMEN
Who has been playing consistently better than Dinara Safina since early May? No one. Marat Safin’s once little sisters and now better sibling has won 27 of her last 29 matches. She’s fitter, smarter and more self-assured. Does that mean that the Russian will win her first U.S. Open and seize the No.1 ranking shortly after? No, but she’s a top-five contender and you couldn’t say that about the broad-shouldered coach’s daughter last year.
With ‘07 champ Justine Henin retired, ‘06 champ Maria Sharapova out with a shoulder injury, ‘05 champ Kim Clijsters playing new mom and ‘04 titlist Svetlana Kuznetsova wondering whether she’s still a top player, the field is wide Open.
Serena Williams is aching to win her first Slam of the year, while Wimbledon champion Venus Williams would love to win her first major off grass since ‘01 which. of course, was her second and last U.S. title. In fact, neither of this once-dominant sister duo (whose popularity spurred the primetime Saturday night women’s final) has won a U.S. crown since ‘02, when Serena beat Venus for the title. It’s been a long time coming, and, with no other woman being an out- and-out dominator, there will be no greater opportunity than ‘08 for the Williamses.
Serbs Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic have split the No. 1 ranking as of late. Roland Garros champ Ivanovic owns the most feared forehand on tour and has all the physical tools to win anywhere, but she’s still not a mental rock. Jankovic doesn’t have Ivanovic’s weaponry, but on her great days, the speedy and headstrong J.J. has beaten all the rest of the elite. The question is: can the enigmatic Serb stay serious and put together seven great matches in a row? Maybe, but the jury’s still out.
There are a slew of potential
final- four candidates: last year’s semifinalist Anna Chakvetadze, ‘04 finalist
Elena Dementieva, Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli, weho rebounding, and her compatriot,
Alize Cornet, who is
sizzzling; risisng Eastern Euro youngsters Agnieszka Radwanska, Agnes Szavay,
Victoria Azarenka and Dominika Cibulkova; China’s Jie Zheng, Japan’s Ai Sugiyama
and if the U.S. tennis gods go really crazy, ‘98 champ Lindsay Davenport.
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