{"id":9482,"date":"2018-08-27T06:04:15","date_gmt":"2018-08-27T10:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/?p=9482"},"modified":"2018-08-27T01:49:29","modified_gmt":"2018-08-27T05:49:29","slug":"us-open-2018-roundtable-predictions-for-mens-and-womens-singles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2018\/08\/27\/us-open-2018-roundtable-predictions-for-mens-and-womens-singles\/","title":{"rendered":"US Open 2018 Roundtable Predictions For Men&#8217;s and Women&#8217;s Singles"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Last Word on Tennis Writers are fired up for the start of the 2018 <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordontennis.com\/us-open\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">US Open<\/a> and ahead of Monday&#8217;s start they have reviewed the men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s draws to offer up their predictions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Utkarsha Mitra<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1019650248\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/1019650248?et=IeO2egNsQh5NukSC0VmqCw&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=uYu-n6KUE4C9z_WOr9kuu7lb6h-ZXtzoStsWw7YHISE=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Men\u2019s Champion: Given his form astonishing form this season, I\u2019d go with<strong> Rafael Nadal<\/strong>. He\u2019s been pretty much unbeatable this year which I feel negates the fact that he\u2019s never successfully defended a title outside clay. Djokovic is a worthy contender too, but US Open hasn\u2019t exactly been his happy hunting ground.<\/p>\n<p>Women\u2019s Champion: Even though she hasn\u2019t got the easiest of draws, I\u2019ll pick<strong> Simona Halep<\/strong> for the title. She\u2019s shown consistency this year, justified her top position. She has Darren Cahill by her side. And, most importantly, her she overcame her Grand Slam demons in Roland Garros this year when she won.<\/p>\n<p>Men\u2019s Dark Horse: There are many potential dark horses \u2013 there\u2019s <strong>Milos Raonic<\/strong>, Nishikori, Isner, Kyrgios, Edmund and Tsitsipas to name a few. But, looking at the draw, it seems as though Raonic might have a fine run in the tournament. Never had much success here, but this time might be different.<\/p>\n<p>Women\u2019s Dark Horse: <strong>Kiki Bertens<\/strong> has been able to translate her clay performances on other surfaces as well, this year, having won Cincinnati beating Halep. She could be the dark horse this time! Elise Mertens could also carry on her fine run of form and go deep in the tournament.<\/p>\n<p>Men\u2019s Early Exit: The obvious answer will be <strong>Grigor Dimitrov<\/strong> who\u2019s drawn Wawrinka again. Stan looks like he\u2019s slowly getting his rhythm back, and Dimitrov\u2019s form has been wayward to say the least. A repeat of Wimbledon 1st round between these two might be on the cards! Also, 4th seed Sascha Zverev\u2019s has a manageable draw but you never know if he\u2019ll underperform again.<\/p>\n<p>Women\u2019s Early Exit: In the women\u2019s draw, there are always loads of players who exit early. This year, I think it\u2019ll be <strong>Garbine Muguruza<\/strong>. US Open has been the worst major tournament for her and her current form doesn\u2019t speak otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>Men\u2019s Qualifier to go furthest: Got to go with the kid in the draw! Depends on who he draws, but <strong>Felix Auger Aliassime<\/strong> of Canada has all the goods to upset a few big names in the draw, even if he\u2019s 18. He\u2019s immensely talented and I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if he does take out a few names.<\/p>\n<p>Women\u2019s qualifier to go furthest: <strong>Nicole Gibbs<\/strong>, She\u2019s played well in the qualifiers and her draw doesn\u2019t look too difficult to upset a few players, I think. With a little luck, the draw could really open up for her, and she can make a strong run this season. Eugenie Bouchard can take down a few names as well. She\u2019s slowly getting back her rhythm; the qualifiers were easy enough for her. But most importantly, she knows how to succeed at this level.<\/p>\n<p><strong>David Adair<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1017821036\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/1017821036?et=h8mfN2NcQV5QdUOASPABug&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=it2aZZ4yGHMhniHtz27D2D8nuUpC6mv8E0nbMsmZZrw=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Men&#8217;s Champion: <strong><u>Rafael Nadal<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 Sure people question his hard-court record overall, but he has won his only tournament this year on the surface and has prepared well for this Slam. He comes into it fresh and it will take an amazing performance to beat him.<\/p>\n<p>Women&#8217;s Champion: <strong>Madison Keys<\/strong> \u2013 The American underachiever comes in as a late substitute for Wozniacki given recent events. Keys has had her injury problems, withdrawing from San Jose earlier this month. That said, she put in a decent showing at Cincinnati and if she hits her stride early can have a decent shot at going one better this year.<\/p>\n<p>Men&#8217;s Dark Horse: <strong><u>Borna Coric<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 All that is missing so far in this young gun\u2019s careers is a decent Slam showing. He has shown more patience and maturity of late that could see him surprise many people with a deep run. Fellow NextGen star Tsitsipas is a potential 3<sup>rd<\/sup> round opponent. A victory over the Greek would galvanize Coric\u2019s tournament.<\/p>\n<p>Women&#8217;s Dark Horse \u2013 <strong>Aryna Sabalenka<\/strong> \u2013 The Belarussian has scored victories over Keys and Wozniacki this North American hard-court season. She had a great Connecticut tournament, it is just hoped that fatigue doesn\u2019t set in, as Sabalenka is dangerous in this draw.<\/p>\n<p>Men&#8217;s Early Exit: The eighth seed <strong>Grigor Dimitrov<\/strong> has a nightmare draw against Wawrinka. Given Wawrinka\u2019s pedigree at Flushing Meadows, it looks like the Bulgarian could be an early casualty. The match is a repeat of the 1<sup>st<\/sup> round at Wimbledon and Stan never really looked in trouble. I\u2019m afraid it\u2019s an early departure for Dimitrov.<\/p>\n<p>Women&#8217;s Early Exit: It pains me to say this, but I cannot see <strong>Petra Kvitova<\/strong> improving her Slam record this season. She looked a spent force against Bertens in Cincinnati and had to withdraw mid-match against Suarez-Navarro in Connecticut last week. Yafan Wang is a potential second round opponent who could send Kvitova out early. It\u2019s a shame as the Czech has had a great season, the Slams just keep on coming at the wrong time.<\/p>\n<p>Men&#8217;s Qualifier to get the furthest: 20 year old Nowegian <strong>Casper Ruud<\/strong> never lost a set in qualifying and looked to be increasing in stature as a player. He should beat Pella in the first round and will cause Kyle Edmund plenty of problems in the second if they meet. He could have a decent run.<\/p>\n<p>Women&#8217;s Qualifier to get the furthest:\u00a0<strong>Heather Watson<\/strong> \u2013 The Brit made the final of a strong ITF event in Canada recently losing to Doi in the final. Watson plays Makarova in the first round and if she plays to her current, revived form she has a great chance of getting through. Goerges is a potential second round opponent who seems to have gone off the boil lately. This is a good opportunity for Watson to have a decent Slam.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lukas Weese<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1023935296\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 68.181816% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/1023935296?et=QO3pOn0xQp9wp8ny6p7myA&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=6-IqqeZM9kkAqV6U4RuCBMbflnxnLTI3wbS6gD-mnXM=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"405\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Men\u2019s Champion: Rafael Nadal<br \/>\nWomen\u2019s Champion: Serena Williams<br \/>\nMen\u2019s Semifinalists: Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic Juan Martin Del Potro, and Marin Cilic<br \/>\nWomen\u2019s Semifinalists: Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, and Caroline Wozniacki<br \/>\nMen\u2019s Dark Horse: Stan Wawrinka<br \/>\n<span class=\"_3oh- _58nk\">Women&#8217;s Dark Horse: Kiki <\/span>Bertens<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #111111; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;\">Men&#8217;s Qualifier to go the farthest: Felix Auger Aliassime<br \/>\n<\/span>Women&#8217;s Qualifier to go the farthest: Eugenie Bouchard<br \/>\nMen&#8217;s Early Exit: Alexander Zverev<br \/>\nWomen\u2019s Early Exit: Garbine Muguruza<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo:<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1024040778\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 65.15151% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/1024040778?et=LfiDg949TfxbWBGwgNi-Sg&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=3pG0Q4c1Yf1AkXA2HhZ9sKrOQUQMeHIbnipZ_iF_v-Y=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"387\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last Word on Tennis Writers are fired up for the start of the 2018 US Open and ahead of Monday&#8217;s start they have reviewed the men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s draws to offer up their predictions. Utkarsha Mitra Embed from Getty Images Men\u2019s Champion: Given his form astonishing form this season, I\u2019d go with Rafael Nadal. He\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1442,"featured_media":9483,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,3,2,69,4],"tags":[3623,85,1766,1219,411,407,63,20,135,25,74,3634,3632,3616,3633],"class_list":["post-9482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-open","category-atp","category-featured","category-predictions","category-wta","tag-2018-us-open-predictions","tag-alexander-zverev","tag-aryna-sabalenka","tag-felix-auger-aliassime","tag-grigor-dimitrov","tag-kiki-bertens","tag-madison-keys","tag-milos-raonic","tag-rafael-nadal","tag-serena-williams","tag-simona-halep","tag-us-open-dark-horse","tag-us-open-mens-predictions","tag-us-open-predictions","tag-us-open-womens-predictions"],"modified_by":"Steen Kirby","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1442"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9482\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}