The 2017 US Open tennis championships is said to be one of the most open Grand Slams in recent times, on both the men’s and women’s side. Of course you have the favourites such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, but I have a feeling that the winner in the Big Apple will be Nick Kyrgios.
1. Game to Beat Anyone
The Australian #1 is one of the most talented players on the planet. Experts of tennis (including former Federer coach Paul Annacone) are even saying he is the hottest talent since the great Roger Federer. Kyrgios makes the game look so easy and even effortless at times. He is blessed with a thunderous serve, already statistically up there as one of the best of all time. Unlike most big servers, Kyrgios has a very effective game from the baseline. His forehand is hit with so much weight and spin, which is a complete contrast to his very flat backhand that is unexpectedly brilliant. This contrast causes havoc for his opponents because they are not given a consistent ball–one second they are scooping a ball from their ankles and the next they are hitting a shot above shoulder height on the back foot.
It is not just his raw talent that is spectacular, but more how he uses his tools. The Australian can play both the power and touch games to devastating effect. He can vary between the two within a few shots, let alone a few points. Kyrgios used his game intelligently to defeat Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer at the first time of asking (the only other player to achieve this is fellow Aussie Lleyton Hewitt). If you can defeat arguably three of the greatest players of all time, then you most certainly have the game to beat anyone. Why can he not do it in New York?
2. Return to Form
2017 has been a roller coaster ride for Nick Kyrgios. The year started in disappointment when he was eliminated in the second round of his home Grand Slam, yet the tough loss seemed to make him stronger. He then enjoyed an unbelievable run of form that saw him defeat Novak Djokovic twice, reach the quarterfinals of Indian Wells, and the semifinals of Miami. A tough time followed for Kyrgios off the court–his grandfather, who Nick was very close to, sadly passed away. This tough time could explain why he struggled during the clay season. Injuries haunted his grass season and lingered on to some of the summer hard court events. However, a week in Cincinnati could prove to be very important.
This was the week that the big talent made his first Masters 1000 final. Kyrgios looked as poised as ever and strung together some very good wins along the way. The tournament started off in emphatic fashion when he dispatched David Goffin and made him look like he was a qualifier, let alone the #9 seed. He backed this up with solid victories over Alexandr Dolgopolov and Ivo Karlovic before the real big test came. Next up for him was soon-to-be World #1 Rafael Nadal. The match went completely against the script as Kyrgios absolutely outplayed the Spaniard to race to a straight sets win. The Australian clinched his first Masters final with a gutsy victory over the rejuvenated David Ferrer. The week ended in defeat to Grigor Dimitrov, but only positives can be taken from this week for Kyrgios. He was playing inspired tennis and notching up wins; maybe he can continue this form into the US Open?
3. Superb US Hard Court Record in 2017
On American hard courts this year Kyrgios has arguably been the second best player in the world (behind Roger Federer). The Australian has produced his best tennis in every tournament in the States. Like I mentioned earlier, he reached the quarterfinal stage of Indian Wells and the semifinals of Miami, where he lost an epic match to Federer that could have gone either way. Kyrgios retunred to US hard courts in Cincinnati where he famously made the final. The fourth and final US hard court event of Kyrgios’ calendar is the US Open and there is no reason why he cannot produce his best tennis yet again on the American acrylic.
On American hard courts, Kyrgios boasts a 13-2 record–a phenomenal statistic that shows just how confident he is. In each of the Australian’s three US hard court events (Indian Wells, Miami, Cincinnati) he has gone one stage further each time (quarterfinal, semifinal, final). The next stage for him is to win the whole tournament which is very possible–it is part of the pattern, after all.
4. Inspired By Zverev
Although Sascha Zverev and Nick Kyrgios are great friends, they are also fierce rivals. Kyrgios will not like seeing Zverev do better than him, which benefits both and keeps them striving for more. The German has been sensational this year, winning five titles (two of them being Masters 1000) and cracking the top 10. The healthy competition between the two can only be good and I know it has driven Kyrgios in the past. For example, just take the recent US Open series. Zverev wins his second straight Masters title in Montreal, defeating Kyrgios along the way. What does Kyrgios do next? Reach his first ever Masters final immediately after. Nick is super competitive and he wants to be the best young prospect himself, not Sascha Zverev.
Kyrgios is on the opposite side of the draw to his young rival, which could prove to be very enticing. They will constantly want to do better than the other by impressing the New York crowd. You never know, a Kyrgios-Zverev final could be on the cards, and what an ocassion that would be! Zverev won a Masters before Kyrgios, and how much would the Australian love to beat him to a Grand Slam; what better time to do it than now?
5. Personality to Ignite New York
Nick Kyrgios is a showman and loves playing to the crowd. He takes great pleasure in showing arenas what he can do with a tennis racket and audiences around the world love it. Kyrgios is a box office blast and keeps people glued to their seats because they do not know what is going to come next. He is the type of personality that suits the US Open crowd. They love entertainment and big shows and Nick Kyrgios is exactly that. He plays a brand of tennis like no other, which will gain him many fans in New York. It is no surprise that last year they scheduled his match against Ilya Marchenko on Arthur Ashe ahead of the then two-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka. Kyrgios is what the people of New York want.
Playing in front of 23,771 fans will only make Nick play better. He feeds off the crowd and elevates his game. Kyrgios has said before that his problem is playing lesser-known players on small courts; he thrives playing the best players on the biggest courts. You cannot get a bigger court than the Arthur Ashe Stadium, and what better place is there for Nick Kyrgios to win his first Grand Slam?
Of course it will be difficult, but I still believe the Australian will capture the title in New York. Federer is lurking in his draw and the two could face in Round 4–a match I see Kyrgios winning. All six sets contested between the two have been tiebreaks, and Kyrgios does have a win against the great Swiss so it is definitely possible. Kyrgios would love to silence everyone by getting revenge on Federer after a tough Miami defeat. Nadal could be his potential semifinal opponent but the Spaniard has never defeated Kyrgios on a court other than clay–I would favor the Australian in that matchup, especially after their Montreal match. If he can defeat these two greats of the game then why can’t he win the final?
Everything seems to be falling in place for the Australian at just the right time. Can he win his first Grand Slam here at the US Open? I believe so.
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