The 2017 US Open is here, it’s time to take a look at which players are in form, and which are likely to crash out early at the national tennis center in Flushing Meadows.
2017 US Open Stock Watch: Denis Shapovalov Primed to Perform in New York
Hot
5: Roberto Bautista Agut
8-2 in his last 10 matches, and with a title in Winston-Salem under his arm, RBA is in great form and the Spaniard, always under the radar, has a real chance to battle his way into the second week of the US Open. Bautista Agut has never reached a quarterfinal in a slam, but he’s a solid ball striker and his most likely opposition in the third and fourth rounds are Juan Martin Del Potro and Dominic Thiem, both of whom are not red hot in terms of form like Bautista Agut is.
4: Grigor Dimitrov
Grigor Dimitrov is 34-14 this year and has three ATP titles, including the Masters in Cincinnati. The Bulgarian is finally living up to his promise as Gael Monfils or David Goffin are seemingly the only players with a chance of stopping his bid for a first ever US Open quarterfinal. Rafael Nadal stands in his way at the stage, but he could pull it off and breakthrough into the semifinals.
3: Alexander Zverev
The 20 year old Zverev has 89 ATP match wins over the last two years, and should eclipse 100 by the end of the year. He has yet to make the quarterfinals of a slam though, even though as a top 4 seed he could reach the final this US Open, in what would be a career watermark for the young gun. Zverev has a big game and has 10 of his last 11 matches (two straight titles on hard courts, Washington and Montreal). Kevin Anderson, and the top three Americans John Isner/Sam Querrey and Jack Sock are seemingly standing in his way towards making a deep run. He’s in the much weaker bottom half of the draw overall, and he’s the highest seed in the bottom half. This tournament is his oyster.
2: Nick Kyrgios
I don’t see Nick Kyrgios beating Roger Federer in the fourth round, but he seems to have regained his confidence in recent weeks. Kyrgios has the skill to win his first three matches, he’s 7-2 in his last two tournaments. Presuming he serves well and hits through the ball with some focus, he should reach week two. It’s also good to see Kyrgios back healthy at this point in his still young career.
1: Denis Shapovalov
A semifinalist at the Rogers Cup, Canadian young gun Denis Shapovalov has a big game and plays with a ton of swagger, making him perfect to make a big breakthrough after qualifying for the US Open. Shapovalov will need to step up against Daniil Medvedev and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but if he wins those two matches he could well go as far as the quarterfinals or semifinals in a weak bottom half. Shapovalov should power his way to a deep run in New York.
Cold
5: Tomas Berdych
Berdych went just 2-2 on hard courts this summer, the veteran has a draw that could result in a solid showing, but he’s not had the best of seasons, and overall the Czech’s career appears stalled at 31 years old. Ryan Harrison is a threat to upset him in round 1.
4: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
The 32 year old Tsonga didn’t win a match this summer, he’s fun to watch and remains a fan favorite, but health and form are a serious problem for him. I’d be surprised if he makes it to the second week in New York.
3: David Goffin
Goffin enters the US Open ice cold after going just 1-1 on hard courts this summer. Goffin remains a talent, but he’s undersized, and when his ball striking his off he gets himself into trouble. Goffin probably makes the third round, but he could be upset earlier than that.
2: Marin Cilic
Cilic reached the final at Wimbledon, and that in theory should set him up for a potential run to a second US Open title. That is negated by the fact he hasn’t played a match since that final because of injury. Despite the fact he’s the top seed in the bottom quarter, he’s at risk of being upset early on the in the tournament if his game is rusty.
1: Lucas Pouille
Pouille has lost both of his matches on North American hard courts this summer. The Frenchman has had a solid season and he’s a big talent, but it’s unlikely that’s going to make his mark in New York this year. Something has gone wrong with his form in recent weeks, and he’s seriously underperformed.
Main Photo:
