US Open Preview: Time for Federer/Nadal Showdown Or The Name ‘Djokovic’ Will Elude Them Again?

This Article was first published on 10sballs.com as : US Open Preview: Time for Federer/Nadal Showdown Or The Name ‘Djokovic’ Will Elude Them Again? Written by: ApekshaHA on 26th August 2011

The biggest GS is all set to start from Monday! And with the draws released yesterday, it promises to be one of the most entertaining events of the year.  Before we start with the preview: here are some interesting facts:

1)   In last 20 years, only 6 times, a player has won RC and US Open together in a year.

2)   In last 20 years, only 4 times a player has won Cincy and US Open together in a year.

3)  Only 3 players have won RC and Cincy in last 20 years (So not a surprise that Djokovic felt a bit tired at the end of Cincy. These back to back masters take a toll on players physically as well as mentally )

4)  In last 20 years, only two players (Pat Rafter and Andy Roddick) have won all RC, Cincy and US Open           together!

5)  Of the current lot, only 4 players have won US Open in last 8 years:Roger Federer (5), Rafael Nadal, Juan Martin Del Potro and Andy Roddick. Dominance of RF!

After watching the draws yesterday, it was no surprise that Federer/Djokovic ended in the same draw and Nadal/Murray in the other.  Such is the dominance of these 4 at present that it is hard to recognize the effort of Ferrer being No.5 or Gilles Simon climbing up from 43 to being seeded no. 12 at present in US Open. 

Novak Djokovic: He has an easy draw for US Open until SF where he can possibly meet Federer. If Nole’s shoulder is alright, he shouldn’t have much of a problem reaching SF. Berdych/Monfils might be waiting in QF but I don’t think they are still ready to take down the best player of the year so far.

Roger Federer: He has a comparatively tougher draw in the top 4 but it might be actually good for him this year. As we saw in FO SF, glimpses of old Roger, it’s a strong possibility that getting a tough draw might awaken the champion in him. Frankly speaking, after winning 16 GS, You need something extraordinary to reignite yourself and this might be the trigger to show to the whole world- What RF is all about! So Tsonga/Fish/Cilic might be there, but if I were you, I would want to put my money on RF. If he doesn’t win this one, after 2003, it will be the first year without a GS for him.

Rafael Nadal: For him, it is a perfect draw  where he can easily reach SF and must be feeling confident. His poor performances prior to US Open does not account for his competence as playing in a GS is a totally different stage. It could be a repeat of last year when he played his best tennis at US Open. He might face Ferrer against whom he has 13-4 record and not withstanding that Ferrer might still have after effects of left hand injury! So a cakewalk for Nadal if he doesn’t let his emotions get better of him and play it out tough.

Andy Murray:He looks quite upbeat after his Cincy win. He has one major threat though -Del Potro in his way. Since Soderling will be coming back from an injury, I don’t see him leaving any mark. Del Potro hasn’t been consistent this year so I would want to pick Murray till SF. Plus Murray has 5-1 record against him! Wawrinka is also there but I think this time Murray is well prepared to take him on and battle out the tough conditions in New York- Thanks to his training session in Miami at 100F!

My Semi-Final pick would be Djokovic/Federer and Nadal/Murray. Federer will be double motivated if he faces Djokovic as no one has been able to defeat Nole this year except him so he would want it to keep it that way. Although if Djokovic’s shoulder is fine by then , it will be a showdown to watch and probably the second best match of the year! (Also the most awaited match, more than Fedal or Nadal/Djokovic match). In Nadal/Murray - I will pick Nadal. Although Murray will be motivated to defeat him as already his counterpart Djokovic has done it-5 times a year- So he has a point to prove this year. But after seeing his match against Fish, at crucial moments, people will agree a touch of frustration still creeps up in his play. Although Mardy was not able to capitalize on it, Nadal is not that sort of a player to let go of this weakness easily. Wimbledon SF a perfect example!

In the end, I will go for a FEDAL final and Federer would be my pick this year to win!

I will pick Mardy Fish as my dark horse- he is the one out of all (Del Potro, Sodering/Ferrer etc) who can cause a real upset and if he does that, then I think there is no stopping Djokovic from claiming his first US Open title! Also one thing to remember- The curse of Federer is something to keep in mind: Del Potro, Tsonga & Berdych;) Need I say more!

(For exciting updates on US Open, you can follow my Facebook Page,Twitter Account or Site) 

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Also: Is Nadal ready for US Open?

Wimbledon 2011 Preview: Williams/Fedal Showdown or Sharapova/Nole Dominance

Article first published as Wimbledon 2011 Preview: Williams/Fedal Showdown or Sharapova/Nole Dominance on Technorati.

This Monday (20th June) will see the start of one of the most awaited Grand Slam of the year-Wimbledon. Last Year Winners (Rafael Nadal/Serena Williams) are back in action this time and looks formidable again 

this year.

Amongst men, the top 3 seeds are the likely contenders. Nadal seems to be back at his best. He might have been fatigued after clinching his record-equaling sixth French Open trophy and an incredible seven successive finals on the ATP Tour. After his exit in the warm up tournament recently by Tsonga, he is still pretty much confident to play well and possibly add another jewel in his crown.

Another player equally hungry to prove his critics wrong once again will be Roger Federer. For him, the stakes on line will not only be to equal Pete Sampras’ record of seven Wimbledon titles, but also to end his Grand Slam drought since 2010 Australian Open. For him, it will be tough physically also as he recently pulled out of the warm up tournament citing soreness in the groin. Also the big question looming around him is whether he will be able to get past the fortress of Nadal this year?

Another top favorite will be second seed Novak Djokovic who after his amazing run this season lost his first match in the semifinals of French Open. He was invincible before French Open and seems to be physically prepared to take a winning shot. In my opinion, all will depend on his mental toughness and how ready he is to handle pressure at key moments. If he can overcome this barrier, he will be someone difficult to stop even by FEDAL.

There are other players too particularly Andy Murray who might have the highest chance after the top three, but it seems unlikely with the form of the above three that he will have a chance to win his first major Grand Slam. It is a bit unfortunate, as a player with his caliber truly deserves a grand slam title. He will have to build upon his game physically and mentally to break into the Fedal and Djokovich Zone. (Probably something like what Djokovich did in the past year to enter in the Fedal Zone)

In the Women’s section, the good news seems to be the return of the Williams sisters. But with Clijsters pulling out of Wimbledon, the only closest threat seems to come from the French Open Champion Li Na and Maria Sharapova.

Although the Williams sisters will be out of match practice, it will still be interesting to see their form and fitness. Serena in the past has always been a main event player and has had very less match practice even when she was fit. Still she has been able to win 13 Grand Slams ranking herself fourth in Grand Slam women's singles titles won during the open era. Venus will be close on heels of her sister on her favorite surface where she has won 5 times already with Serena close behind at 4. This goes on to show the extraordinary dominance of these two players over the past decade on this surface.

World Number 1, Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova could be in the list. But I would tend more towards Sharapova who seems to be in striking form reaching to the semifinals of French Open. If only she can control her service and unforced errors, she will be a force to reckon with.

All in All, Women’s Draw will be wide open this year. In men’s draw, it would be intriguing to see who emerges out on top. Watching top 4 seeds, if they reach to the semifinals just as in French open, will be a mouthwatering prospect in Wimbledon and it would be fascinating to see them battle it out. All in all, it will all be dependent on who is mentally and physically tough enough to take it to the next level and clinch the coveted Wimbledon trophy.

Follow ApekshaHA on Twitter for Latest Updates: http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA