This Week In Tennis
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ATP SINGLES DRAW
(1) Rafael Nadal
Nadal's resurgent 2017 has seen him reach the Australian Open final, win Roland Garros, and regain the world #1 ranking. For all the positives and success that Nadal has achieved this year, he enters the U.S. Open after back-to-back unimpressive losses in Montreal and Cincinnati. After a shock defeat to Shapovalov in Canada, Nadal was unable to trouble Kyrgios in a straight-sets loss at the Western & Southern Open. With Federer hot on his heels for the top ranking, Nadal will look to score his first quarterfinal in New York since winning the title in 2013.
Best Result: W - 2010, 2013
2016 Result: 4R - Pouille
(2) Andy Murray
Slated to be the second seed in New York, Murray withdrew from the event on Saturday after being unable to sufficiently rehab his ongoing hip injury Marin Cilic slides into Murray's place in the draw and will face Tennys Sandgren on Monday. The Brit hopes to return to the court as soon as possible, and does not plan (at this point) to take the rest of the season off.
Best Result: W - 2012
2016 Result: QF - Nishikori
(3) Roger Federer
Despite concerns about a back injury he sustained in the Montreal final, Federer remains the bookmaker's favourite in New York. He won his 18th and 19th Slam titles earlier this year in Australia and at Wimbledon, to go along with back-to-back Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells and Miami; simply put, Federer has had an awesome 2017 campaign. If he is healthy, and especially with a depleted field in New York, his status as front runner is well earned. A first ever meeting with Nadal in New York looms in the semifinals, as well as the prospect of regaining the #1 ranking for the first time since November, 2012.
Best Result: W - 2004-2008
2016 Result: DNP
(4) Alex Zverev
The ATP has been in search of it's "generation next" for years and, in Zverev, the tour seems to have found its heir to the "Big Four." At only 20-years-old, Zverev has already won six ATP titles, including two Masters 1000 titles this year in Rome and Montreal. Still, Zverev is in search of a breakthrough at a Grand Slam event, having never advances past the fourth round at any of his nine previous main draw appearances. He followed his Rome win on clay with a first round exit at the French Open. All eyes will be on him this time around to see if he can announce, in full, his arrival on one of tennis' biggest stages.
Best Result: 2R - 2016
2016 Result: 2R - Evans
(5) Marin Cilic
A consistent spring for the Croat culminated in his second career Slam final at Wimbledon. However, the 2014 U.S. Open champion has not played an event since, due to injury, and questions remain about his readiness to take advantage of sliding into Murray's (weak) spot in the bottom half of the draw. If healthy -- the most common question asked of ATP players these days -- Cilic stands as good a chance as any to emerge from the non-Fedal half of the draw.
Best Result: W - 2014
2016 Result: 3R - Sock
(6) Dominic Thiem
The 23-year-old has shown his pedigree on the Grand Slam stage before, reaching the semifinals of the French Open the last two years. His emphatic win over Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros this year appeared to set him up for bigger things the rest of the season. However, the Austrian has since struggled to maintain -- and regain -- that form, most recently turning in a surprising straight-sets loss to David Ferrer in Cincinnati. Undoubtedly better on clay than hard courts, Thiem will not be aided in New York by his draw: del Potro looms in the fourth round (a repeat of last year), before potential back-to-back matches against Federer and Nadal.
Best Result: 4R - 2014, 2016
2016 Result: 4R - Del Potro
(7) Grigor Dimitrov
Amidst all the talk of Zverev's arrival, Dimitrov followed the German's Masters win in Montreal with one of his own in Cincinnati a week later. After a very good start to the year -- highlighted by a five-set tussle with Nadal in the Australian Open semifinals -- Dimitrov slowed up until his big breakout in Cincinnati. Once considered the ATP's next best, the Bulgarian carries momentum into the season's last Slam, and might be primed to translate that into a career-best performance. If he is to breakout on tennis' biggest stage, he might have to get past Nadal in the quarterfinals to do so.
Best Result: 4R - 2014, 2016
2016 Result: 4R - Murray
(8) Jo Tsonga
Despite winning three of his 15 career ATP titles earlier this year, Tsonga begins the U.S. Open as more of a candidate to crash out early than better his quarterfinal showings in New York the last two years. After a great start to the year, Tsonga has been unable to sustain that level in recent months. In his favour, the Frenchman is drawn into arguably the weakest quarter, one that is now devoid of Andy Murray since his withdrawal. If he is able to get past one of Shapovalov or Medvedev in the second round, he could score a career-best result at the Open.
Best Result: QF - 2011, 2015, 2016
2016 Result: QF - Djokovic
A consistent spring for the Croat culminated in his second career Slam final at Wimbledon. However, the 2014 U.S. Open champion has not played an event since, due to injury, and questions remain about his readiness to take advantage of sliding into Murray's (weak) spot in the bottom half of the draw. If healthy -- the most common question asked of ATP players these days -- Cilic stands as good a chance as any to emerge from the non-Fedal half of the draw.
Best Result: W - 2014
2016 Result: 3R - Sock
(6) Dominic Thiem
The 23-year-old has shown his pedigree on the Grand Slam stage before, reaching the semifinals of the French Open the last two years. His emphatic win over Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros this year appeared to set him up for bigger things the rest of the season. However, the Austrian has since struggled to maintain -- and regain -- that form, most recently turning in a surprising straight-sets loss to David Ferrer in Cincinnati. Undoubtedly better on clay than hard courts, Thiem will not be aided in New York by his draw: del Potro looms in the fourth round (a repeat of last year), before potential back-to-back matches against Federer and Nadal.
Best Result: 4R - 2014, 2016
2016 Result: 4R - Del Potro
(7) Grigor Dimitrov
Amidst all the talk of Zverev's arrival, Dimitrov followed the German's Masters win in Montreal with one of his own in Cincinnati a week later. After a very good start to the year -- highlighted by a five-set tussle with Nadal in the Australian Open semifinals -- Dimitrov slowed up until his big breakout in Cincinnati. Once considered the ATP's next best, the Bulgarian carries momentum into the season's last Slam, and might be primed to translate that into a career-best performance. If he is to breakout on tennis' biggest stage, he might have to get past Nadal in the quarterfinals to do so.
Best Result: 4R - 2014, 2016
2016 Result: 4R - Murray
(8) Jo Tsonga
Despite winning three of his 15 career ATP titles earlier this year, Tsonga begins the U.S. Open as more of a candidate to crash out early than better his quarterfinal showings in New York the last two years. After a great start to the year, Tsonga has been unable to sustain that level in recent months. In his favour, the Frenchman is drawn into arguably the weakest quarter, one that is now devoid of Andy Murray since his withdrawal. If he is able to get past one of Shapovalov or Medvedev in the second round, he could score a career-best result at the Open.
Best Result: QF - 2011, 2015, 2016
2016 Result: QF - Djokovic
TOP 32 SEEDS
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1. Nadal
2. Murray 3. Federer 4. Zverev 5. Cilic 6. Thiem 7. Dimitrov 8. Tsonga |
9. Goffin
10. Isner 11. Bautista Agut 12. Carreno Busta 13. Sock 14. Kyrgios 15. Berdych 16. Pouille |
17. Querrey
18. Monfils 19. Muller 20. Ramos-Vinolas 21. Ferrer 22. Fognini 23. M. Zverev 24. del Potro |
25. Khachanov
26. Gasquet 27. Cuevas 28. Anderson 29. Schwartzman 30. Mannarino 31. Lopez 32. Haase |
PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Nick Kyrgios - Seemingly in a good place mentally, Kyrgios is coming off a runner-up finish at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 event.
- Juan Martin del Potro - The 2009 champ is a danger to any opponent on any given day. Unfortunately for the Argentine, he too is drawn in the lopsided top half of the men's draw.
- Diego Schwartzman - the world's greatest Jewish tennis player is having a career year, and could benefit from Marin Cilic taking Andy Murray's spot in the draw.
- Karen Khachanov - A huge talent steadily moving up the rankings, Khachanov landed in a fairly soft section of the bottom half.
- Denis Shapovalov - The 19-year-old Canadian had to qualify after failing to receive a wild card. He begins the event with three match wins already under his belt to go along with his run to the Montreal semifinals (including a win over #1 Rafael Nadal).
FIRST ROUND INTRIGUE
(15) Berdych vs. Harrison
(3) Federer vs. Tiafoe
Verdasco vs. Pospisil
(11) Bautista Agut vs. Seppi
(5) Cilic vs. Simon
Kohlschreiber vs. Paire
D. King vs. A. Zverev
Shapovalov vs. Medvedev
Kokkinakis vs. Tipsarevic
TOURNAMENT NOTES
- Five of the top eleven ranked players in the world are absent from this year's event, all due to injury: Murray, Djokovic, Wawrinka, Nishikori, and Raonic.
- Stan Wawrinka is out for the rest of the season, and will be unable to defend his title from one year ago.
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— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) August 22, 2017 |
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Lucky Loser Podcast - I Know What A Birthday Is
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