US Open: How do things look for the Top 4 Men

The US Open is just a couple of days away and the seedings and the draw have been announced. The Top 4 seedings follow the ranking pattern. Thus Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray will be expected to make the semifinals as usual according to the seedings.

Not exactly happy times for the World no.2

Rafael Nadal will be looking to defend his title against all odds. He has hit a rough patch ever since Novak started getting the better off him, in every final they’ve met until now in 2011. The French Open title for Nadal must also be partly attributed to Roger’s dismantling of Novak in the semifinals. Plus, Nadal’s hard-court Masters season has been disastrous. He has already had defeats at the hands of Ivan Dodig and Mardy Fish at Montreal and Cincinnati respectively. A QF appearance here is the maximum we can expect from the Spaniard. David Nalbandian and Andy Roddick would potentially look to spoil his party in the first week.

Novak Djokovic is the red hot man in form. The sky is the limit for him and he would be expected to continue his winning streak and make it 64-2 by the end of 2 weeks. He would go into the tournament as the red hot favourite among the bookies and the neutrals.

Roger Federer might be Nole’s SF opponent and there would be expectations of a Paris repeat. But, Roger has had an ebb in his form as he lost to Tsonga and Berdych in the QFs of both the preceding Masters. Federer would be up against either Cilic or the prodigiously talented Aussie teenager Bernard Tomic in the 3rd round. Familiar 2011 nemesis Tsonga might also loom in the QFs to once again spoil the party for Federer. Mardy Fish, the true comeback man of US tennis and the winner of the Olympus US Open series is another potential opponent for Federer in the QFs. That means Tsonga and Fish would collide in the 4th round. That would be an epic clash between 2 real physical heavyweights.

Another legend who is staring at the sunset

On the whole, things definitely don’t look too rosy for the 30yr old Swiss genius. It would be a major surprise if he adds on to his 16 Slam titles and 5 US Open titles.

Before Novak expectedly makes the SFs he would have to get past some dangerous opponents in Nikolay Davydenko (potential 3rd round) and Gael Monfils or Tomas Berdych (in the QFs). But despite the obvious talent of some of these opponents who have had their moments under the sun in the past few seasons, Novak should just run over these men with the odd set loss here and there.

Andy Murray is fresh off his Cincinnati Masters triumph. The last time he did this was in 2008 when he followed it up with a run to the finals where he was stopped by the then unstoppable Roger Federer. But times have changed now. Murray can be expected to defeat the likes of Federer and Nadal on the hard-courts of New York at-least and progress to the finals again.

But for this to happen, he has to get past some really dangerous men like Robin Soderling (who has sort of gone off the boil since his 2010 French Open finals defeat to Nadal) and Juan Martin Del Potro (who is recovering from the wrist injury that marred his 2010 season).Juan Martin has hit a nadir following a promising start to the season and recently he lost to the aging Federer at Cincinnati. It wouldn’t be surprising if he lost to Murray in the last 8 stage.

The mind says that the same thing is gonna repeat itself … But the heart wishes otherwise

This is Murray’s best chance to win a maiden Slam title what with Novak having minor niggles with his serving arm that caused him to throw away his finals against Murray at Cincinnati. But as me and many other tennis writers have said numerous times, Murray needs to get his mental faculties intact.

Djokovic has done that in style this season and he is way ahead of the likes of Rafa and Roger now. Murray also has the game, the physical aspects, the work ethic and the natural talent, to win in the truly big stage that matters. Murray now follows the same diet that has made Novak what he is today. Hope he sets his mind right for he is in no way inferior in skills. Wish Murray doesn’t repeat the sorry show of the Melbourne finals loss to Novak this year.

In all probability it is going to be another NOVAK DJOKOVIC VS. ANDY MURRAY finals and a diametrically opposite result this time around, would do the game of tennis a world of good in innumerable ways.