Top 5 contenders to win the US Open 2014

The US Open – The last Grand Slam of the calendar year is just a couple of days away. The draws are out and the players are ready. Flushing Meadows is getting ready to host the final showdown of this year. World number one Novak Djokovic and five-time champion Roger Federer will be looking to take full advantage of Nadal’s withdrawal from the tournament.Federer benefits from more as he escapes a potential semi-final match up with the defending champion. Djokovic and Federer are the firm favourites to reach the final and battle it out for the US Open crown, but they could be stopped by some other exciting players looking to make their mark on the big stage.Here is a list of my predictions for the Top 5 Contenders to win the US Open 2014.

#1 Roger Federer

youtube-cover

At 33, and after his poor 2013 seasonsome people might call it absurd to name him as the top contender to lift the trophy, but his performances this year tell us a different story. It certainly feels like we have gone back in time as Roger Federer has been able to play his natural attacking form of tennis with ease once again, which we did not see in 2013.

Federer has been in red hot form this year, winning the Gary Weber Open, Dubai Open and the Cincinnati Open last week. He has reached 12 semifinals out of his previous 16 tournaments and has won 15 out of 23 matches against the top 10 this year.

With Rafael Nadal out of his way, he will look to take complete advantage of that. The fast paced courts at Flushing meadows will certainly suit Federer as he looks to win his 18th Grand Slam. His title challenge will start againstMarinko Matosevic, and is likely to face big servingIvo Karlovic in the thirdround. A big challenge would await him in the quarter-finalas he is likely to face the youngster Grigor Dimitrov, whohas been called baby Federerby many.

The question here is will Roger Federer be able to end his two-year wait for a Grand slam?Or will he bite the dust?

#2 Novak Djokovic

youtube-cover

Even though, he was knocked out early in the Rogers Cup and the Cincinnati Masters, The world number one is definitely one of the favourites to win the title. His record in the Grand Slams over the past few years has been terrific and he never ceases to dissapoint on the big stage. The Djoker has reached the finals of the previous four out of five Slams and will be looking to reach his third consecutive final at Flushing Meadows.

With his recent success at Wimbledon, he will be booming with confidence. There are a few tricky faces in his path to the final with the likes of Guilermo Garcia Lopez in the third round, big serving crowd favourite John Isner in the fourth round, Andy Murray or Jo WIlfried Tsonga in the quarters, and also a potential match up with Australian Open winner Stanislas Wawrinka in the semis.

He usually takes some time to find his form, so one could expect him to drop a few sets at the early stages of the tournament, but he would definitely pick his game up at the later stages.

#3 Milos Raonic

youtube-cover

The odds might be 20/1 for him to lift the US Open, but if there is someone who can cause an upset, it is this exciting prospect from Canada – Milos Raonic. He reached his first slam quarter-final at Roland Garros this year and bettered that by reaching the semi-final at Wimbledon where he fell to Roger Federer. He arguably posseses one of the best serves in the world, and the fast paced courts at flushing meadows will definitely suit him.

He will also get a lot of crowd support which would boost his confidence. He seems full of confidence after his recent success on the court. “Now I go into every tournament, as I have for the past few weeks and months, believing I can win every tournament. In 2012 and 2013, it sort of had to be the right tournament for me. Now I feel like I can win any and every tournament.” Raonic said.

All eyes would be on this youngster as he looks to win his first ever Grand Slam.

#4 Andy Murray

youtube-cover

Former champion, Andy Murray has been completely out of touch since his WImbledon victory in 2013 and has failed to reach a single final since then. His injuries have finally gone and he looks to redeem himself at this year’s US Open. The quarter-final stage has not been a happy hunting ground for the Scott this year as he has bowed out at this stage seven times. The US Open did not spare him as he faces a potential match up with Djokovic in the last eight.

He could also face an extremely stern test against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who is in top form after winning the Rogers Cup, in the fourth round. Murray had an excellent outings against John Isner in Cincinnati where he showed us a glimpse of his old self and was able to save 2 match points and win that match. He then lost to Roger Federer, against whom he had lost a two game break before losing the match.

Murray will have to look to be more consistent if he wants to get back to winning ways. He will be looking to regain his form which saw him win the US Open in 2012 and the Wimdledon in 2013. It is going to very difficult for him to win his third Grand Slam over the next fortnight, but Murray will be looking to silence all his critics and show everybody what he is truly made of.

#5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

youtube-cover

After Federer, the Frenchman probably looks the strongest coming into the US Open. He was able to put away the likes of Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer with ease at the Rogers Cup, earlier this month. He suffered a bad defeat against Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, losing in straight sets but has been training hard since then. His Rogers Cup victory is proof that his game has massively improved.

His biggest test at this years US Open would be a potential match up against 2012 champion Andy Murray. Tsonga will be looking to take advantage of the inconsistent form Murray has been showing over the past year. The Frenchman would rely on his big serve and his hard hitting and his fast paced game to really impose himself at the fast paced courts of Flushing Meadows.

Tsonga will be looking to reach his second Grand Slam final, his first being 6 years ago at Melbourne, and will be looking to win his first ever major.

#6 Dark Horses

In addition to the top 5 contenders, there are also a couple of dark horses who have a chance of making it big.

Youngster Grigor Dimitrov heads the list. Dubbed as ‘baby Federer’, he will be looking to make his mark on the big stage after having recent success in some major tournaments. Of the younger guys coming to the fore, he easily has the most complete game. His most notable success would include reaching the semis of Wimbledon where he gave Novak Djokovic, the eventual winner, a run for his money.

Stanislas Wawrinka, has had a pretty bad summer after winning the Australian Open at the beginning of the year and is looking to prove a point at the US Open. He would want to silence the critics and prove that his Austrlian Open win was not a fluke.

Who Are Roger Federer's Kids? Know All About Federer's Twins