RARELY have so many tennis players approached a Men's Grand Slam with something to prove. As far as spectacles go, this year's Wimbledon was a dazzling success, but in terms of hype the U.S Open might top it. We have a world number one attempting to win his third grand slam in a row, the deposed champion whose run of five titles came to an end last year, and a clustre of new talent and old veterans vying for titles.
The Rogers Cup in Toronto, Canada will start on Monday, while the Cincinnati Masters played the following week. Then after a week off, the best in the world will converge on Queens, New York.
ROGER FEDERER (five times champion)
Its hard to write off a player who has won 16 of the last 29 grand slam tournaments,
though some people will do it in the next month. As if defeat to Tomas Berdych was not bad enough, he slipped down to number three on the ATP tour rankings. It must have galled to perform so limply on his first attempt to equal Sampras' seven Wimbledon titles, but Roger will still have that fire. The question remains however, how extensive are his back and leg injuries? Will he be 100% in a month?
He doesn't have much to prove, but it will feel that way, as he steps out onto the court, if he makes it that is.
Federer might want to gain as many points as possible in the next two weeks, but he needs to go into the Grand Slam fully fit and fresh. Yet if he arrives at Flushing Meadows as the number 3 seed behind Novak Djokovic, we could have a Federer-Nadal semi-final. They have only met once in a Grand Slam outside of the final, with Nadal beating Federer in the 2005 French Open semi-final.
RAFAEL NADAL (never reached the final)
His record at the U.S. Open is comparably bad if you look at what he has done at other tournaments, considering he has made just two-semis in the past seven years.
Beaten in 2009 by Del Potro, he looked less than 100%, while in 2008 it was apparent in his defeat to Murray he had burnt himself out during the summer.
Considering what Nadal has achieved in the last three months, it would seem he too has nothing to prove,but if he were to triumph, it would complete his collection of Grand Slams, meaning that when January rolls around, he would have the chance to do something Federer has never done-hold all four titles at the same time. He would join Rod Laver, Andre Aggasi and Federer as the fourth player in the Open Era to win all four Slams. Now that he has eight, 16 does not seem so far away. See you in 2012 Roger?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
Doesn't that Australian Open win in 2008 seem like an awfully long time ago? To be fair to the Serb, who was brushed aside by Berdych at Wimbledon, and squandered a sizeable lead against Jurgen Meltzer at the French, he has been there or thereabouts in the Slams for a few years. He
Last year the world number two was angry at talk of Murray as a favourite for the Australian Open. The split between coach Todd Martin earlier this year has resolved issues with his serve, and there have been a few instances of the Serb retiring from matches due to 'illness.' Considering his game, it is all about what mental state he is in.
ANDY MURRAY (2008 finalist)
John McEnroe said before Wimbledon that he thought the Brit's best chance of winning a slam was the U.S. Open, because there would be less pressure, while the hard court would suit his game. It is also a place he feels comfortable at, having won the 2004 Junior U.S. Open title. Since Federer is so immense in Grand Slam finals, Murray would have a better chance of beating the Swiss, if he faced him before the final. However, if the rankings stay the same, Murray could play Djokovic in the semis, with the possibility of facing the winner of a Federer-Nadal match in the final, where he to triumph.
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO (2009 winner)
What a body blow 2010 must be for the Argentinian. Just as he broke into the top four, he succumbed to a wrist injury, and has been unable to compete at the French, or Wimbledon. He'll watch from the sidelines as others compete for his vacant crown.
LLEYTON HEWITT (2001 winner)
Having surgery on both his left and right hips might have taken its toll on the Aussie. He might have beaten Federer at Halle, snapping a 15 game losing streak against the Swiss, but it remains to be seen if Hewitt can challenge for a Slams. In the end victory was easy for Djokovic over the former winner in the fourth round of Wimbledon, as the two time Grand Slam winner had lost too much pace on the baseline. Retirement beckons?
ANDY RODDICK (2003 winner)
He won in Miami by beating Almaggro, Nadal, Berdych on the way to the title. However his defeat to the world number 82 Lu Yen-Hsun was an episode in overindulgence. Relegated from the show-courts, the American threw a hissie-fit, and basically threw the match. He actually lost two of three tiebreaks, unheard of for Roddick, with the Chinese Taipei player taking the fifth set 9-7. Life in the old dog yet (although he is younger than Federer)?
TOMAS BERDYCH (flavour of the month)
Did you hear? Bird is the word. Watch McEnroe commentate on Berdych and see how many times he shoehorns the name Ivan Lendl in there. Its a lot. Beating Federer twice in a year, how many people have done that? The 24-year-old is starting to show the sort of form those in the know expected years earlier. Outclassed by Nadal in the final on Centre Court, Berdych could find himself a regular at the pointy end of future grand slam events.
Honourable mentions
Marian Cilic: the Croat should be a feature in the quarter-finals
John Isner: picked as a potential upset at Wimbledon, the American will be hoping for no more marathon matches
Robin Soderling: the world number five did beat Federer in the French, but remains on the fringe of the top four.
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