Ahead of the 2018 US Open here is your look at which players should spring a surprise run and the players who look set to crash out in an early exit including Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem.
Hot
5: Stan Wawrinka
A former US Open champion, Wawrinka has regained form after a rough comeback from injury earlier this year. Wawrinka is 5-2 in his last 7 hard court matches and should upset the seeded Grigor Dimitrov before running into Milos Raonic in round 3. If Wawrinka can keep his errors down and move well he could perhaps reach the second week as an unseeded player.
4: Marin Cilic
The former US Open Champion continues to be highly competitive at this stage in his career. I’ll back him to reach the semifinals after losing only to top players Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on hard courts this summer. Cilic still struggles against the game’s very best, but when he’s not facing a top 5 player he should be favored most of the time on a hard court surface. The question is after Cilic makes a deep run can he get over the hump when it counts like he did once before at the USO.
3: Fabio Fognini
Italy’s Fognini is looking to build upon his best ever US Open showing (4th round) as he has a relatively easy draw before hitting Roger Federer in the second week. Fognini has had a great summer winning Cabo on hard courts and Bastad on clay. With his focus clearly on he could even challenge Federer when he gets to that stage.
2: Stefanos Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas reached the second week of a slam for the first time in his career at Wimbledon and he reached his first Masters final at the Rogers Cup this Summer. The young Greek is looking like tennis next big thing, he has the game and the flair to be a genuine star, and this could be his breakthrough slam. I have Tsitsipas reaching the second week and challenging Juan Martin Del Potro in round 4.
1: Novak Djokovic
Djokovic doesn’t have his own section of the draw but he’s the betting favorite for the US Open as he aims for his third career title in New York. Djokovic has recovered nicely from elbow problems as he won Cincinnati, the one Masters he had never won in his career, and prior to that he took Wimbledon. While Novak is by no means a lock for the title, Roger Federer’s section looks like the better section compared to Rafael Nadal’s and the Serbian superstar seems to have the inside track right now.
Cold
5: Andy Murray
Murray has won the US Open and reached a final but recovering from hip surgery there is a decent chance he doesn’t make the second week this time. The British star has dropped his last two matches and Juan Martin Del Potro looks menacing in round 3.
4: Philipp Kohlschreiber
Kohli hasn’t won a match since Wimbledon and he seems to be fading at this stage in his career. His countryman Yannick Hanfmann could knock him out in round 1 despite the fact he’s reached the second week in New York 4 times, including last year.
3: John Isner
Isner is the American #1 in his home slam but he’s dropped his last two matches (both on hard courts) and he’s never made it beyond the quarterfinals in New York (a feat he only achieved once). Given his mediocre history in New York and his shaky form I don’t expect Isner to be a factor this year.
2: Dominic Thiem
#9 seed Dominic Thiem should be on upset alert, Thiem hasn’t been great on hard courts this year and he’s dropped 3 straight matches meaning he enters the USO in terrible form. I have Steve Johnson upsetting him in round 2 and if Johnson doesn’t win, Roberto Bautista Agut should be favored against Thiem in round 3.
1: Jack Sock
Sock needs to go back to the challenger tour and try to find himself, he’s been floating on an artificially high ranking this season and hasn’t won a match since Rome on the clay. Sock exited both North American hard court Masters tournaments in three sets this Summer and he looks to be a complete non-factor in his home slam. He has truly gone through one of the worst seasons a normally top 20 ATP player has had in the modern era with his best result a quarterfinal in Houston (a 250) this Spring.
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