The Open is Coming....

The start of 2010 didn’t look promising for Rafael Nadal. He looked out of sorts and still troubled by the persistent knee injury in his Australian Open quarter final surrender to eventual finalist Andy Murray. People questioned whether his best was past him. If the physical toll from all those hours pounding his body with such desperation and determination had finally caught up to him at the awfully young age of 23. Oh how wrong they were!

You can never write off a champion, especially one with the guts and pride of the fighting Spaniard. His triumph four months later at the French Open was an uplifting time for tennis. Whether you like him or not you have to admire him. His fought injury, criticism, and the sudden divorce of his parents. He dropped from number one to three in the rankings, and failed to win a match at the year ending masters in London. To see the young warrior come back and raise the French Open trophy again was a truly a special moment.

Nadal’s triumph one month later on the grass courts of Wimbledon was the title that showed he was once again the best player in the world.

Now two weeks out from the US open one must wonder what it takes to beat the number one player. He is like the modern day Gladiator, so brutally destructive inside the arena, yet so humble and gracious outside. His opponents know they must go outside their comfort zone on both a physical and tennis level to have a chance of defeating him.

However, the US Open is the only Grand Slam Nadal hasn’t captured in his steller career, and there are a handful of players who would like their chances, and a number of reasons why the Open is unique from all the other slams. To win the Open it takes a great amount of concentration, attempting to stay focused while dealing with the elements.

The New York crowd is loud and tough. If they are on your side it’s a great advantage, but the smallest outburst or show of frustration can turn them, subsequently making the player feel like they are playing against 20000 people.

The planes which constantly fly over flushing meadows can break a player’s focus. This may sound insignificant but when a player is playing an important point and is already feeling the pressure an unexpected noise can lead to an error.
The noise between change over’s can also be tough to deal with, especially on Arthur Ashe stadium. If the sheer size of the world’s largest tennis stadium isn’t enough, the players whilst sitting have to deal with highlights of them on the over head screen playing to the latest modern music.

So who are the players best equipped to stop Nadal’s slam run and win the years last major?

1. Roger Federer hasn’t won a title since the Australian Open, and by his lofty standards 2010 has been a year for him to forget. However, he is a five time US Open champion, and loves the fast hardcourt surface. The addition of Paul Annacone as his coach shows the intent and passion for the game is still there. Annacone worked with Sampras and Henman, and posses an extensive knowledge of the game which can only benefit Federer. He guided Sampras to the 2002 US Open title when many experts believed he would not win another title. With the help of Annacone, and the sheer brilliants and gracefulness that has captivated audiences for so many years, Federer will give himself a big chance to hold that trophy for a staggering sixth time.
2. Andy Murray is my personal favorite to win the tournament. His year has been ok but many expected much more. He seemed to have an extended hangover after his shattering Australian Open final loss, and the great weight of expectation to break the British Grandslam drought. However, he is a former US Open runner up, and has tremendous versatility in his game especially on his backhand side. He has the personality of a Scottish winter, but an exceptional tennis IQ. Being out of Britain will help him, and I get the feeling this may be his year.
3. Novak Djokovic is currently the number two player in the world, a grandslam champion and former US open runner up. He is always a threat in majors, and must be a contender. However the brutal summer will not help him, as he struggles with heat and his breathing. His groundstrokes at his best are phenomenal, but can break down along with his serve. It really comes down to how mentally prepared Djokovic is coming into the tournament.
4. The two other players who would give themselves a good chance of winning their first major are Robin Soderling and Thomas Berdych. Both players are tall and extremely powerful. Both players have had an exceptional year, and can play well on all surfaces. They also have the advantage to be able to keep points short by hitting winners. To win a granslam you have to winner seven matches so to posses weapons like both these players have is a real benefit.
5. The other notable players who I don’t believe can win the tournament but may cause some damage are Andy Roddick and David Nalbandian. Roddick has the best serve in tennis, is playing in his home country, has won here before, and has a great coach in Larry Stefanki. However his early form hasn’t looked great and I don’t think he longer has the game to beat the very best over five sets. Nalbandian has been plagued by injury but looked magnificent in his win at Washington last week. He is very talented and has some of the smoothest strokes in tennis. The fact that he will not be seeded will make the best players nervous. However he just won’t have the match fitness to go all the way.

The US open adds further pressure because the next major is over four months away. Players have four long months to reflect before they get the chance to play in another slam. The state of men’s tennis is exciting with so much versatility, youth, and experience. This will be a great two weeks to watch.