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The third edition of the New York Open will commence later today, with plenty of top players set to take centre stage. Kevin Anderson, Sam Querrey and Reilly Opelka have all made the final in New York in the past, with the surface aiding the big servers on the ATP tour.
The courts in New York are among the fastest on tour and players often find it difficult to break serve. This was the case last year as the 2019 edition of the tournament witnessed the most service holds of any tournament on the ATP calendar.
On that note, we look at three possible winners of this year's New York Open:
#1 Milos Raonic
Milos Raonic returned to form at the Australian Open, where he managed to reach the quarter-finals before being defeated by Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Raonic's serve was impeccable in Melbourne, as he managed to hold serve 97% of the time.
Considering the conditions in New York, Raonic will fancy his chances of making a deep run.
The Canadian has been plagued by injuries the past few seasons and it will be interesting to see if he can stay fit for the entire tournament. However, if his form in the Australian Open is anything to go by, Raonic looks primed to have a great run in New York.
#2 Tennys Sandgren
Tennys Sandgren will begin his campaign with a tricky first-round encounter against Steve Johnson. His fellow countryman has had a good start to the season, winning the Challenger tournament in Bendigo.
However, Johnson's reputation on indoor hard courts is not too impressive, which makes Sandgren the favorite in this clash. If he can get past the first round, Sandgren should be able to make inroads considering the draw he has been dealt.
Sandgren enters this tournament on the back of a heartbreaking loss against Roger Federer in the Australian Open, and he will be keen to put that behind him once and for all.
The American has a great chance of going all the way this week in New York if he can maintain the level of play he displayed in Melbourne. Sandgren has won only one ATP title so far in his career, in Auckland last year, and he will be looking forward to the opportunity to add to his tally in his home country.
#3 Kevin Anderson
Although Milos Raonic enters this tournament as the hot favorite, it would not be wise to discount Kevin Anderson.
The South African defeated Raonic in very similar conditions in 2012, in San Jose, and has the ability to go toe-to-toe with the Canadian.
It will be interesting to see how fit Anderson is this week. He looked in good shape at the ATP Cup earlier this year but suffered a disappointing exit in Melbourne, falling to Taylor Fritz.
The South African will be looking at this tournament as an opportunity to get back to winning ways. Anderson is motivated and fit and there is no reason why he cannot go all the way this week.
