Monday, April 1, 2013

NOT WITHOUT MY BROTHER


The women’s game has seen some famous sister acts in recent times. Venus and Serena Williams have both won multiple grand slams in singles and doubles and have been world no.1s. Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska is currently ranked no. 4 in the world while younger sister Urszula is currently ranked no. 33. And the 20 year old Pliskova twins, Karolina and Krystina from the Czech Republic, have both recently cracked the top 100 in singles.

In the men’s game though, there hasn’t been a famous brother act since the McEnroes or the Sanchezs. That could change soon. If you scroll down the current world rankings, you would find several famous last names – younger brothers of more established players trying to follow in their sibling’s footsteps and make a name for themselves in the tennis world.
Having an older more established brother in the same sport comes with its own pros and cons. A famous last name can get you wild cards into high-profile events. Besides having a role model, a readily available practice and doubles partner within the family, having someone who has tread the same path that you are setting out on and being able to learn from their mistakes as well as the financial support has great advantages.

But along with those benefits also comes increased expectations and scrutiny. Just ask Marko and Djordje Djokovic. Marko, the middle Djokovic brother, is currently 21 years old and ranked no. 656 in the world, having peaked at no. 581 last October. Marko has won 1 match in 4 events this year –competing in mostly the minor league ITFs. The highlight of his 2012 season was an ITF Futures title back in Serbia. At 21, Novak had already won his first grand slam title and was ranked in the top 3 in the world. That’s a high bar for anyone to match.

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Sunday, March 3, 2013

RISING STAR - ANA KONJUH


It’s suddenly fashionable once again to be a teenager in women’s tennis. The days of teenaged grand slam champions like Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis may be far removed, but over the past year, a bunch of teenagers have been making their move on the WTA Tour. After the Australian Open, there were 10 teenagers in the WTA’s top 100 – the most since 2010 – ranging from 16 year old Donna Vekic, of Croatia, to 19 year old Sloane Stephens, of the United States.

But one of the most exciting prospects in the women’s game is not featured on that list. She is currently ranked way down at no. 867. 15 year old Ana Konjuh has made people sit up and mark her out as a potential champion after an incredible run over the past three months.

In November, while she was still 14, the Croatian won the Eddie Herr International junior title – which brings together the top juniors 18 and under from across the globe. Konjuh followed that with a win in December at the Orange Bowl junior championships – the most prestigious event outside of the grand slams. And topping it all, Konjuh swept the field to win the girls singles and doubles title at the Australian Open in Melbourne in January – making her the world’s top-ranked junior following that incredible 18 match winning streak....

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Thursday, February 7, 2013

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TennisWorld offers online videos, interactive games, links with websites and online pages as well as the most updated news and happenings from the world of tennis.

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Sunday, August 28, 2011

Breaking down the US Open women's draw



The big question on everyone's mind for the US Open women's draw was which of the top players would draw the Williams sisters in the early rounds. With Serena down at no. 28 and Venus being unseeded, there was a real possibility of some blockbuster clashes in the first week itself. The speculation can stop as we break down the draw quarter-by-quarter.

TOP QUARTER -
World no. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, badly in need of a good showing in New York to justify her top ranking, opens up against an easy opponent – Nuria Llagostra Vives – but will then find the going tough against some big hitters. The Dane would be severely tested in the second round against Russian Elena Vesnina and in the last 32 by 29th seed Jarmila Ggajdosova – both big hitters capable of outhitting the Dane.

Wozniacki's round of 16 opponent could be the the unpredictable Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, a former champion and seeded 15 here, or the 21st seed Daniela Hantuchova – both with the ability to match the best on their day.

French Open champion Li Na, seeded sixth, is the Dane's projected quarter-final opponent. But Li has been struggling since her win in Paris and will need to be careful in her early matches in New York. The Chinese player opens against a talented teenager – Simona Halep – in round one. German Andrea Petkovic, coming off some big wins on the summer hardcourt series, will also be a handful in the last 16. The other seeds in this section are the struggling Estonian Kaia Kanepi, seeded 31, and Italy's Roberta Vinci, a winner of three titles this year but not known to be a big match player.

Upset Watch – Tamarine Tanasugarn to beat (31) Kaia Kanepi

Unseeded players to keep an eye on – Tamira Paszek, Kimiko-Date Krumm

Predicted Quarter-final – Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Andrea Petkovic
Winner – Andrea Petkovic

SECOND QUARTER -
Victoria Azarenka, at no. 4, is the top seed in this section. The Belarusian, whose grunts have been known to rival the planes flying overhead the US Open grounds, is the unfortunate top seed to have Serena Williams in her section.



Seeded 28, Williams opens up against a 19 year old Serb Bojanna Jovanavski, who should give her a good match and could meet Azarenka in round three. Serena has won her last 12 matches and is the consensus favourite in the women's draw this year. Ana Ivanovic is the scheduled fourth round opponent for the winner of the Azarenka-Williams clash. But the Serb will need to beat her own nerves and the in-form Petra Cetkovska, New Haven finalist this week, in the second round to reach the second week. 23rd seed Shahar Peer is also in Ivanovic's section.

Former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone is the other top 8 seed in this section. The Italian, a firm favourite with the New York crowd, reached the quarters last here and could repeat her 2010 performance – one obstacle getting there will be the winner of the third round clash between 11th seed Jelena Jankovic and 17th seed Anastasia Pavyulenchkova, slated to be a future Slam winner by some. Spanish volleyer (no, that's not an oxymoron) Maria Jose Sanchez Martinez, seeded 32nd, is Schivone's projected third round opponent in what could be a fun match to watch.

First round matches to watch out for - (23) Shahar Peer vs. Sania Mirza

Potential matches to look out for -
(4) Victoria Azarenka vs. Rebecca Marino
(7) Francesca Schiavone vs. Mirjana Lucic
(11) Jelena Jankovic vs. Jelena Dokic

Upset Watch – Ksenia Pervak to beat (16) Ana Ivanovic

Unseeded players to keep an eye out on – Sloane Stephens

Predicted Quarter-Final – Serena Williams vs. Jelena Jankovic
Winners – Serena Williams

THIRD QUARTER -


3rd seed Maria Sharapova and 5th seed Petra Kvitova could replay their Wimbledon final as early as the quarter-finals here in New York. Sharapova, winner in Cincinnati, plays the talented Brit teenager Heather Watson in the first round in what could be a dangerous match if the Russian's serve fails her. 13th seed Shuai Peng, coming off an injury, slumping German Julia Georges, seeded 19th, and pretty Italian Flavia Pennetta, seeded 26th, are also in Sharapova's section.

Kvitova, capable of playing Wimbledon-winning-tennis one day and first-round-losing tennis the next, will need to be wary of Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in the fourth round. Radwanska, who won the Carlsbad title last month, will open against her younger sister Urszula who qualified for the event. 20th seed Yanina Wickmayer, a ball-striker as good fine as Belgian chocolate, and 27th seed Lucie Safarova, now the ex-girlfriend of ATP player Thomas Berdych, are also in this section.

First round matches to watch out for - Jill Craybass (oldest player in the draw at 360 vs. Madison Keys (at 16, the youngest)

Upset Watch – Aravane Rezai to beat (26) Flavia Pennetta

Unseeded players to keep an eye on – Melanie Oudin, Sorana Cirstea

Predicted Quarter-final – Maria Sharapova vs. Agiezska Radwanska
Winner – Sharapova

FOURTH QUARTER -
2010 finalist Vera Zvonerava, seeded 2nd, is the highest ranked player in this section. The Russian is not playing as well as last year and will be under pressure to defend those runner-up points. Still she should easily beat 30th seed Anabel Medina Garrigues to make the last 16.

The Russian's scheduled fourth round opponent is the 14th seed Dominika Cibulkova – but many people, me included, will pick Sabine Lisicki to get through this section. The German is seeded 22nd and coming off a title win on Saturday in Dallas.



She could play an unseeded Venus Williams in the second round in what could be a big-serving blockbuster. But Williams who has played only 3 events all year due to various injuries, comes into the Open with no hardcourt match practice and it might be too much to expect her to beat an in-form Lisicki.

France's Marion Bartoli, seeded 8th, and Australian Sam Stosur, seeded 9th, will likely fight for the last quarter-final spot. Bartoli will have to first deal with an in-form American teen in Christina McHale in the second round while Stosur, who rebounded well on the hardcourt stretch after a forgetful first half of 2011, will find the going tough against 24th seed Nadia Petrova in round three. Another Russian – the 24th seed Maria Kirilenko – is also in this section.

First round matches to watch out for - (25) Maria Kirilenko vs. Ekaterina Makarova

Potential matches to look out for - (24) Nadia Petrova vs. Bethanie Mattek-Sands

Unseeded players to keep an eye on – Coco Vandeweghe, Irina Falconi, Laura Robson

Predicted Quarter-final – Sabine Liscki vs. Marion Bartoli
Winner – Lisciki

SEMI-FINALS
Serena Williams beats Petkovic
Sharapova beats Lisicki

FINALS
Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova

Saturday, August 27, 2011

After Team Anna, can Team India make us proud in New York??



India's top singles players, Somdev Devvarman and Sania Mirza, have had a reasonably successful 2011 season - both currently ranked inside the world's top 65 after beginning the year at no. 110 and no. 166 respectively.

But concerns over fitness and form, combined with a tough draw, means that they are unlikely to cause much damage in the singles draw of the US Open.

Devvarman, currently in the best shape of his life, has won only 3 matches in 4 hardcourt events leading into the year's final Grand Slam and has drawn world no. 4 Andy Murray in the first round. Murray, winner of the Cincinnati Masters last week, is seen by many as a potential winner in New York; and has too many weapons and too much court savvy for the Indian to have realistic chances for an upset.

On the other hand, Mirza is still battling the knee injury she suffered a few months back. The Indian has won only 2 matches in her 4 hardcourt warm-up events and meets world no. 24 Shahar Peer, of Israel, in round one.

If Sania is physically fine, she should have a good shot at upsetting Peer, who she has beaten in 4 of their 5 career meetings, including the last four in a row. Peer is in a slump of her own, having dropped from her peak ranking of no. 11 earlier this year, and if Sania can keep her unforced errors in check, she could easily win this one and go further with potential clashes against American teenager Sloane Stephens in round two and the struggling Ana Ivanovic in round three.



As usual, Indian fans will have to look towards the doubles if they hope to get some silverware. After a scintillating start to the year, the Indian Express - Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi - have had some medicore results (second round of French and Wimbledon) before winning the Cincinnati Masters title last week. The duo also scored a first win over the top-ranked Bryan brothers in 3 meetings this year in the semis there and followed it with a win over the second seeds Llodra/ Zimonjic in the final - nicely setting themselves up for a good run in the Big Apple.

The Indo-Pak Express, Rohan Bopanna and Aisam Ul-Haq Qureshi , have failed to breakthrough to the winners circle after making the finals here in 2010. The duo are also struggling to win matches - 2 wins in 4 events post Wimbledon - which means they will be running short on confidence.



Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina have played only 2 events post Wimbledon, due to Mirza's knee problems and Vesnina's own fitness concerns (the duo had to reitre in one of those events due to the Russians hand injury). But look for them to reach the second week in New York atleast as they hope to make a push to qualify for the year-ending WTA Tour Championships (only the top 4 teams qualify, Mirza-Vesnina care currently third in the race).

Paes, Bhupathi, Bopanna and Mirza will also be competing in the mixed doubles draw though at the time of writing, it is still not certain who their partners will be. Given Paes and Bhupathi's excellent track record in this version of the game, there is a good chance for them to go deep in this draw.

Team Anna scored a historic win on Saturday. Lets hope Team India can score a big one in two weeks time.

Breaking down the men's U.S. Open Draw





One of the most anticipated events around any Grand Slam is the unveiling of the draw - picking out exiciting first round matches and looking ahead to potential blockbuster encounters. Will Federer draw Djokovic or Nadal as his projected semi-final opponent? Will any of the top 4 players get the dangerous Juan Martin Del Potro in the third or fourth round?

The draw for the 2011 US Open is out and here is a breakdown quarter-by-quarter.

TOP QUARTER -
Two words are suffice to analyse this section of the draw. Novak Djokovic.

But for the other 31 players who had the misfortune of being drawn in his quarter, let's go through the motions anyways. Djokovic, 60-2 for the year, opens up against qualifier Conor Niland, a 29 year old Irish qualifer ranked no. 199 who is making history by ensuring that Ireland has two players in the main draw of a Grand Slam event for the first time – that's one more than their illustrous British counterparts.

Djokovic is not likely to have many problems until the quarter-finals. His projected third round opponent could be the 32nd seed Ivan Dodig, winner over Nadal in Montreal, who will first need to get past the slumping Russian Nikolay Davydenko, a former world no. 3 now ranked no. 39 in the world.

The Serb's projected fourth round opponent is the no. 13 seed Richard Gasquet, him of the single-handed backhand and half-mental resolve fame, or the 22nd seed Alexandr Dolgopolov, him of the free-swinging, weilding-racket-like-a-paint-brush fame.

Djokovic's first real test is likely to come in the last eight where he could run into the 7th seed Gael Monfils or the 9th seed Thomas Berdych. Monfils, who at times plays to thrill the crowds rather than to win matches, opens up against the talented Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, a 20 year old ranked 52 in the world, whose Federeresque game has earned him the nickname 'Baby Fed' and a heap of early attention. Dimitrov will be playing in the main draw in New York for the first time and has won only 2 matches in four other Grand Slam appearances.

Spain's Marcel Granollers, seeded 31st, is in Monfils section but the hard-hitting but harder-thinking Serb Janko Tipsarevic, seeded 20th, is likely to play Berdych in the third round.

Potential mouth-watering clashes
2nd round (7) Gael Monfils vs. Juan Carlos Ferrero
2nd round – (13) Richard Gasquet vs. Fernando Gonzalez
2nd round – (22) Alexandr Dolgopolov vs. Kei Nishikori

Upset Watch - Sergiy Stakhovsky to beat (13) Richard Gasquet in first round

Other unseeded player to keep an eye on - Xavier Malisse

Projected Quarter-final - Novak Djokovic vs. Thomas Berdych
Winner – Novak Djokovic

SECOND QUARTER -
Roger Federer, at no. 3, is the highest seed in this section which means he is drawn to play Djokovic in the semi-finals, should they both get there. Federer is one of only two players (the other one being Andy Murray) to beat the Serb this year but might face a few difficulties in keeping his appointment with the Serb.

After a relatively straight-forward first round against Colombia's Santiago Giraldo, the 16-time Grand Slam champion could meet a tricky foe in Brazil's Thomas Bellucci in the second. The Brazlian has a wicked forehand which could trouble Fed if the Swiss is off his game.

Federer's scheduled third round opponent is the 27th seed Marin Cilic but the Croatian will first have to negotiate a tough first rounder against 19 year old Ryan Harrison. The American has had some good wins over the summer and is touted to be the future of American tennis. Last year, Harrison beat the seeded Ivan Ljubicic in the first round before losing in a fifth set tie-breaker in the second to Stakhovsky. Should Cilic manage to defeat the young American, he could face the young Australian Bernard Tomic next. Tomic was the youngest player in over two decades to reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in June and another high-rated prospect in the men's game.

The seeds in Federer's sixteen are Serbia's Victor Troicki, seeded 15th, and the 31 year old Radek Stepanek, seeded 23rd – both of whom Federer should have few problems with. But Federer will have to battle hard in the quarter-finals where he is drawn to meet 8th seed Mardy Fish or the mercurial Frenchman Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, seeded 11th.



Fish, having the summer of his life, will be the top American hope in the men's draw and should easily get past his scheduled third round opponent - 29th seed Michael Llodra while Tsonga, winner over Federer twice in the last three months, should also be able to defeat the struggling Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, now down to no. 19 in the seedings.

Other first round matches to watch out for -
(11) Jo-Wilfred Tsonga vs. Yen Hsun-Lu
(23) Radek Stepanek vs. Philip Kohlschreiber

Upset Watch – Ryan Harrison to beat (27) Marin Cilic

Other unseeded players to keep an eye on - Tommy Haas, Kevin Anderson and Jarko Niemenin

Projected Quarter-final - Roger Federer vs. Mardy Fish
Winner – Mardy Fish



THIRD QUARTER -
Andy Murray, riding high after winning the Cincinnati Masters, is the top dog in this section. After opening against India's Somdev Devvarman, who Murray should beat easily, the Brit could run into Dutchman Robin Hasse, capable of playing breathtaking power tennis when his game is on, in the second round and then meet Feliciano Lopez, seeded 25th in a third round match that could test the loyalities of mother, Judy Murray, once again. (For the uninformed, Judy drooled over the Spainiard during Wimbledon calling him 'Deliciano' and then had to watch Andy beat Deliciano in the quarters there).

Murray's scheduled fourth-round opponent is the 14th seed Stanislas Wawrinka, if the Swiss reaches there. Wawrinka's seciton also includes the 24th seed Jaun Ignacio Chela, Russian Dimitry Tursunov and 22 year old Donald Young, looking for redemption from home fans.

Murray's drawn quarter-final opponent is the 6th seed Robin Soderling. The Swede has missed the entire summer hardcourt stretch due to injury and could be marked out for an early upset. American John Isner, seeded 28th, would love to take advantage of Soderling's lack of preparedness and reach the second week. But Isner will have a tough opponent straight off the blocks in Marcos Baghdatis, who the American has beaten in all three of their previous encounters.

If Isner hopes to reach his first Slam quarter-final, his most dangerous opponent will be the 2009 champion Juan Martin Del Potro. The 18th seeded Argentine was unable to defend his title last year and has returned to the top 20 following months away due to wrist surgery. Also in this section is the 12th seed Giles Simon, of France.

Potential mouth-watering clashes
2nd round – (28) John Isner vs. Robby Ginepri

Upset Watch - None

Other unseeded players to keep an eye on - Alex Bogomolov Jr.,

Projected Quarter-final - Andy Murray vs. Juan Martin Del Potro
Winner – Andy Murray

FOURTH QUARTER -
Defending champion Rafael Nadal heads this section where he opens up against Kazakh Andrey Golubev, who only recently ended an 18 match losing streak on the ATP tour. Nadal's scheduled third round opponent is the veteran Ivan Ljubicic, seeded 30th or the unseeded David Nalbandain, capable of alternating brilliant with forgetful tennis.

The seeds in Nadal's sixteen include No. 16 Mikhail Youzhny and No. 17 Jurgen Melzer – both of whom the Spaniard should be able to beat even with a half-burnt right hand.

Nadal's projected quarter-final opponent is compatriot David Ferrer, who knocked off an injured Nadal out of Melbourne. 5th seeded Ferrer's potential second round against popular American James Blake, possibly playing his last US Open, could be a thriller – the winner of that match should be the favourite against 26th seed Florian Mayer.




Nicholas Almagro is the 10th seed in this section and could face former champion Andy Roddick in the third round. The American. down to no. 21 in the seedings after an injury plagued couple of years, will be hoping for a good run in his home Slam to redeem his season but will need to be wary of a second round clash against Jack Sock – an 18 year old American who is considered by many to be a potential future star of the game.

Other first round matches to watch out for -
(5) David Ferrer vs. Igor Andreev

Upset Watch – Julien Benneteau to beat (10) Nicholas Almagro
Ernests Gulbis to beat (16) Mikhail Youzhny

Other unseeded players to keep an eye on - Nicholas Mahut

Projected Quarter-final - Rafael Nadal vs. Andy Roddick
Winner – Rafael Nadal

SEMI-FINALS
Djokovic beats Fish
Murray beats Nadal

FINAL
Murray beat Djokovic

Thursday, August 25, 2011

U.S. OPEN MEN’s PREVIEW



There was one thing certain going into Cincinnati – the final major tune-up event before the US Open – that Novak Djokovic was the overwhelming favourite for the men’s singles title. Only a brave or foolish man would think otherwise – such has been the Serb’s dominance in 2011. But by the end of the week in Cincinnati, there was a glimmer of hope for the other 127 men who will be vying for the year’s final Grand Slam title in New York.

Djokovic marched into yet another final in Cincinnati where the physical and mental exhaustion of his success finally caught up with him and the Serb was visibly slowed down by a shoulder injury and fatigue. Down 4-6, 0-3 to Andy Murray, Djokovic decided to retire from the final – only his second loss in 62 matches this year in what is currently the best season in men’s tennis since 1984.

Djokovic’s camp insists he will be fit and ready in time for the Open which kicks off on August 29, but the early rounds in New York will be a crucial test for him. The Grand Slams are best-of-five set battles and if Djokovic is pushed to the wire in the early rounds, it might leave him vulnerable when he comes up against some of the bigger names in the second week. Still, Djokovic has to be the odds-on favourite to win his third Slam title of the year at Flushing Meadows.

The two players vying for the crown of Greatest Player of All Time (but ironically, both are currently playing second fiddle to another player in 2011)Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are having problems of their own; which means they not be in the best position to capitalize when the Serb lets up.



Nadal, who has taken up a somewhat permanent residence in Federer’s psyche, now finds his own psyche habitated by Djokovic. After losing to the Serb in five finals this year, Nadal has admitted that he will need to work hard during the off-season and change things if he has to catch up with the Serb in 2012.

The Spaniard, who is the defending champion, is not playing with the same mental toughness he is famous for – letting go off a winning position to little known Croatian Ivan Dodig in the second round in Montreal and then compounded his difficulties by burning two fingers on his right hand in a restaurant.

Playing with heavy taping in Cincinnati, the injury left the Spaniard in pain when he tossed the ball to serve or hit his two-handed backhand. The result was a first loss to American Mardy Fish in the quarter-finals, leaving the Spaniard’s preparations woefully short of match fitness on hardcourts.



On the other hand, Federer is fit, even if he is a step slower having crossed the age of 30 in early August, but is unable to find a way to take down younger bigger hitters. The Swiss suffered early losses to Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and Thomas Berdych in Montreal and Cincinnati respectively, and at present there seem to be one too many players who seem capable of blasting the ball past Federer. Still, with 16 Slams in his bag, Federer remains as Jon Wertheim rightly put it, a contender at each Slam, a favourite at none.



All this suddenly brings Andy Murray back into the conversation of US Open contenders. The Brit suffered an early loss in Montreal but rebounded nicely to win the Cincinnati Masters, taking down an in-form Mardy Fish in the semis before triumphing over Djokovic in the final. Murray seems to be in good physical form and has not played much since Wimbledon which should make him battle-ready in New York. Murray loves playing on the hardcourts and has been to the finals here once before. And with the spotlight likely to be hogged by the triumvirate of Novak-Rafa-Roger, this might be the best chance for Murray to get the Grand Slam monkey off his back – which is why I am picking him to be the 2011 US Open champion.

It’s hard to see anyone outside the top 4 with a realistic chance of winning the year’s final Grand Slam but stranger things have happened. The home fans will have a new favourite to cheer for in 29 year old Mardy Fish.



Fish has broken out of the shadow of buddy Andy Roddick this year and established himself as the top American men’s player by a wide margin. On the back of his most successful summer hardcourt campaign (winner in Atlanta, finalist in LA to Ernests Gulbis, finalist in Montreal to Djokovic and semi-finalist to Murray in Cincinnati), Fish has risen to 7th in the world rankings while an injury-plagued Roddick is currently at no. 21.

Fish and Roddick have both re-invented their playing styles in recent years. But while Roddick’s game seems restricted by his desire to patiently wait for his opponent to make an error, Fish has enhanced his attacking game with the ability to engage in long baseline rallies and pull the trigger at the right time – something that Roddick has been unable to successfully do.

It would also be interesting to see just how Fish soaks in his new status as top dog in American tennis. Will it push him to make his first career Grand Slam semi-final or pull him down to another disappointing early loss in a major?

Robin Soderling has been injured and has hardly played on the summer hardcourt season which makes him a target for an early upset. David Ferrer, Tsonga, Berdych, Gael Monfils and Juan Martin Del Potro will likely be around in the second week but they will need for the draw to open up if they hope to be playing on the final Sunday.




Some of the young guns to keep an eye out for include two American teenagers, 19 year old Ryan Harrison and 18 year old Jack Sock, Bulgarian talent Grigor Dimitrov, temperamental Latvian Ernests Gulbis (winner in LA over Fish), quirky Ukranian Alexandr Dolgopolov, and Wimbledon quarter-finalist Bernard Tomic.

Some veterans hoping to make a final deep run at a major include popular American James Blake, Czech serve-n-volleyer Radek Stepanek, and former top 3 players Nikolay Davydenko and David Nalbandian.

The US Open is often considered by fans and the players as the most exciting Grand Slam event and 2011 looks to be no different. Will Novak extend his domination over the field? Will Rafa rebound and inch closer to Federer’s Slam tally? Will Roger break the longest dry spell since his first Slam win? Or will Murray breakthrough for his maiden Slam title?

The answers will be served up on the Arthur Ashe Stadium starting Monday August 29th.