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The last Grand Slam of the year is upon us and the biggest names of the sport are vying for top honours in New York. After two Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati, stage is set for tennis extravaganza in the Big Apple. While the courts in Flushing Meadows are slower than those in Cincinnati, one can expect players in the top 10 to make an easy transition come August 31. The long break after Wimbledon did help players get into the groove on the hard courts and give it their all ahead of the 2015's final major. With that said,let us look at the chances and current form of some of the top contenders for the title in New York.
#1 Novak Djokovic
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is coming to New York at the back of losing two Masters events in a row. His attempt at winning the elusive Cincinnati Masters crown was foiled by Roger Federer in the final. Nonetheless, the Serb is playing great tennis and with courts being slower than those in Cincinnati, it should help Djokovic.
After having problems with his serve due to a shoulder injury in Montreal, Djokovic served reasonably well at the Western and Southern Open. With a week to go for the US Open, he is aiming to be fully fit in order to capture his second US Open title. The World No. 1 has reached the finals of the US Open on four of the last five occasions and a win here would mark an incredible year for the Serb.
Djokovic won three majors in 2011 that saw him rise to the No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career. With over 6,000 points difference between him and Federer in the ATP rankings, he is by far the best player in the world at the moment.
The losses in Montreal and Cincinnati can only make him stronger. We saw how he bounced back from losing the French Open in June this year. Djokovic had mentioned on numerous occasions that winning the French Open was his main focus this year, but he put that heartbreaking loss behind him to win his third Wimbledon title in July.
He doesn't look as invincible as he did in the middle of the year, but taking down Djokovic in best of five sets requires a very,very special effort.
#2 Roger Federer
With a record seventh Cincinnati title under his belt, Roger Federer is looking confident as ever as he tries to win his sixth US Open title. The Swiss was not broken in the entire tournament highlighting his serving prowess.
The World No. 2 has fine tuned his game adding more aggression as far as his returns are concerned. He hit some incredible half volley returns to unsettle the likes of Kevin Anderson, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic in Cincinnati. Federer missed Montreal Masters with an aim to concentrate his energies on Cincinnati and New York.
His move paid off at the Western and Southern Open, but will he taste success in Flushing Meadows? Federer lost in the semifinals of the US Open to an inspired Marin Cilic,who went on to win his maiden Grand Slam.
Stan Wawrinka was ruthless in his straight sets win at the French Open this year. The World No. 5 resorted to powerful groundstrokes to unsettle the 2009 Roland Garros champion.
Federer last won the US Open in 2008, the last of five consecutive titles in New York. He has failed to reach the finals in Flushing Meadows since 2009(lost to Juan Martin del Potro). The 17-time Grand Slam champion should replicate his Cincinnati exploits to have any chances of winning major No. 18.
#3 Andy Murray
Touted by many as the strong favourite for this year’s US Open, Andy Murray shrugged off his first round exit at Washington with a win in Montreal.
The win was crucial for Muray for more reasons than one. It was his second Masters 1000 title of the season after winning in Madrid (beat Rafael Nadal). The Scot also ended his eight match losing streak against Novak Djokovic in the final.
His run at Cincinnati ended in the semifinals thanks to a sublime effort from eventual champion Roger Federer. Murray has reached semifinals or better in each of the three majors this year, but Grand Slam glory has eluded him. His last major win came on the lawns of Wimbledon in 2013(beat Djokovic).
He needs to work on his second serve, which has proved to be way too easy for top players to handle.
#4 Kei Nishikori
Kei Nishikori reached a career high ranking of No. 4 earlier this fall. However, the Japanese has been inconsistent on the American hard courts.
He started off by winning the Citi Open in Washington beating John Isner in the final. Andy Murray thrashed him in the semifinals of Montreal, which included a second set bagel. Nishikori withdrew form the Cincinnati Masters due to a hip injury.
The US Open will be a huge challenge for the Nishikori as he is defending finalist points from last year. After an incredible win over World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinal at Flushing Meadows, Nishikori was blown away in straight sets by Marin Cilic in the final. The World No. 4 is still chasing consistent results at this level and a disappointing showing in New York will slide him further down the rankings.
He has the game to trouble anyone in the world, but the big question is: Can he do it on a regular basis?
#5 Stan Wawrinka
The 2-time Grand Slam champion has showed in the past that he loves performing on big occasions. Throw your mind back on the clay court swing earlier this year. Apart from a semifinal appearance in Rome Masters, Stan Wawrinka did not reach the last eight in Monte Carlo and Madrid.
He bounced back brilliantly at the French Open beating an in-form Novak Djokovic in the final. Cut to August 2015, the Swiss retired in his match against Nick Kyrgios at Montreal, before losing to Djokovic in Cincinnati. He tried to keep all the attention surrounding his personal life away from the courts in order to notch up wins.
While his best performance at Flushing Meadows has been a semifinal showing in 2013, Wawrinka looks poised to better it this time around with an improved game and renewed confidence. If he avoids any of big three before the quarterfinal stage, he could prove dangerous come the semis and the finals. It will be interesting to see if he can play a consistent game without committing too many unforced errors in crucial matches.
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