Who Is Going To Win USO 2014?

A thread to chat about the last slam of 2014.

I have no idea.
As usual, draw and scheduling will play a big part, esp if the weather is bad, which often is the case in NY during USO.

Still no news on Nadal playing.
Historically speaking this means he probably won't as I don't ever remember him doing a last-minute: yes.

In short, a USO to look forward to!

Apologies for no Winston-Salem thread, I've been a bit busy over the weekend.
For the keen ones:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Tournaments/Winston-Salem.aspx

Well, with Nadal out, knowing it's best of 5, even with Nole being off form, I can't see beyond the Nole-Fed final.

Nobody else has been able to maintain consistency this year.

Nadal is probably going to skip the rest of the season. Murray...I am still not convinced he has recovered from injury/surgery.

Will be particularly interesting to observe the "oldies".

noleisthebest wrote:Apologies for no Winston-Salem thread, I've been a bit busy over the weekend.
For the keen ones:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Tournaments/Winston-Salem.aspx

Thanks..but I don't think many will care.

noleisthebest wrote:Well, with Nadal out, knowing it's best of 5, even with Nole being off form, I can't see beyond the Nole-Fed final.

Nobody else has been able to maintain consistency this year.

Nadal is probably going to skip the rest of the season. Murray...I am still not convinced he has recovered from injury/surgery.

Will be particularly interesting to observe the "oldies".

I do think Murray could be a tough one. He has developed a very compact aggressive game at times, certainly helped by his muscles, but nonetheless a very tough opponent.

I still see him number 3 or 4 with Tsonga. I think Tsonga, Muuray on the same side would really unbalance the draw.

Yes, I thought of Tsonga and Monfils as those who could have a chance.
Murray will be difficult to put away as his tennis has improved, but he seems to struggle to maintain his top level within a match, and although he is able to come back against weaker players, he may struggle in week two.

I would love to see him play Cilic again. I don't think he would squander a set and 5:1 lead this time.

nadal withdraws..haha...i was reading the crap online yesterday and it sounded like he was going to "play through the pain"       
djokovic and fed have to be the favourites...dimitrov ( and possibly tsonga for fed) is probably the only one who can spoil the party...
i doubt murray will be able to turn things around this season..

I can't see any further than Djokovic.  I think it's premature to expect Federer to do it, despite his recent success.  If getting older tells you anything, it's that consistency falls apart for no reason.  I would not be surprised to see Federer have an abysmal match at some point. He is certainly a top 3 favourite though.

Djokovic is fitter and playing better at his best at the current time.  I expect him to play much better in the US, because it's a slam.  Just like Federer always has.

1. Djokovic
2. Federer
3. Dimitrov
4. Wawrinka
5. Tsonga and a few others.

The more I think about favorites for US open, the more I feel that a second rank of players will get their big chances to go quite far for a long time.
Big 4 is in troubles, either due to their personal life news with a combination with their helluva coaches, some gave up playing due to struggling with their right hand or their demons and the greatest talented player ever will hardly find his energy to fight in BO5 matches unless his matches go quickly from the start.
Don't wait miracles, the players with highest potentials are still at the top. Apart from them I hope that Stan or Jo-Wi could really succeed. They must be hungry and full of energy. This USO is going to be one of the best and really look forward to it    Quallies start already today.

If Fed doesn't do it, I REALLY want it to be Tsonga.

I hope you realise that just like Stan, Tsonga at 29 is well past his 23-25 peak

noleisthebest wrote:I hope you realise that just like Stan, Tsonga at 29 is well past his 23-25 peak

Being outside of physical prime does not mean players suddenly can't win anything.  It means they win less.  And eventually, they win nothing (no player in modern era has won a slam by 35).  Decline begins around 26/27, and players are generally finished by  30.  Some more gifted ones, like Federer, win things into 30s, but far less than they used to.  Winning slams in the 30s is only ever done by very select players, and is a very rare event.  This is a fact.

This is very logical, and I am failing to see what you don't get here.

If you look at the winners of the slams this year, no player over 28 has won a slam.  Wawrinka was 28, Nadal is 28, Djok 27 (and notice world number 1 is the youngest of them).

And Slams are where players play their hardest and try their best.  All of these players are now approaching 30.  It's a very steep slope from here, as the statistics tell you.

Federer has a chance to be one of the oldest Slam champs of the modern era, but the time is fast approaching where he will simply not be able to carry on.  Players that are less talented and rely on a physical game (Novak/Nadal/Murray) will suffer FAR more.  Don't be surprised if they don't win a single slam between them past 29.

The point of disagreement is not the slam winning age but your refusal to see that players keep improving with age,  well beyond your suggested 23-25.
Nole, Nadal, Stan, Murray, Tsonga and yes - Fed as well are much better now than at 23-25.
They would not be able to survive at the top any other way.

Seeds out for USO (draw on Thursday)
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2014/08/past-us-open-champs-djokovic-federer-seeded-1-2/52477/#.U_OFGWK9KSM

Djokovic, Federer, Wawrinka Ferrer
Berdych, Raonic, Dimitrov, Murray.

I suppose the one to avoid is Murray, and I bet he'll be in Nole's quarter.

Federer isn't near his 2006 standard.  The only reason he is still competing is because he is the greatest to have lived.  That's the only reason.  99% of all players stand no chance of a Slam by 33.

How about Roger?:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/08/34/Federer-Can-Take-Race-Lead-At-US-Open.aspx

...but I voted Nole.

He, he, I voted for Fed!

It would be great to see a Nole-Fed final with both playing their best tennis.
I absolutely loved all their USO matches.

On a different note, we hear from Boris express his surprise at all the negativity and criticism on his account (and I join him in that sentiment):

" It was a little bit strange and I was a little bit surprised.

I wasn't aware I had that many doubters. I must have stepped on many toes in my life for all of them to beat the bushes and raise their opinion.

We live in a free world and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I was a little bit surprised.

I like to think that I'm very comfortable within the tennis community so I was surprised by some of the doubters, but this is sometimes a part of being Boris Becker.

You're in the front row of life and in the headlines all the time, so a lot of people feel they're entitled to their opinion, even though they don't know anything about me."

Voted for Fed, got it right both times before at FO and Wimbledon, we'll see about now.  I was mightily impressed with his amazing fitness displayed by making two finals in back to back masters. If that's not consistency, I don't know what is. Sure, there was some wobbly play from time to time, but... it's not like other guys did much better. And I do believe it will come together at the USO, while at Cincy and Toronto sometimes the serve was not all that, sometimes the netplay (Cincy), sometimes the groundstrokes (Toronto final :o)

Shocked at Djokovic level at Toronto and Cincy. Got the impression, he was rather satisfied with his well deserved victory at Wimbledon, his wedding and all other things ongoing - probably a nice, fuzzy feeling all around, not sure whether conductive to competitive fire. I'm not sure at all whether he can raise his level as much as needed, he usually did good at those warm-up events, just like most winners. He made semis at least at one of the events every time he made finals at the USO.

Murray still unable to win against a top 10. Tsonga ... will have a good chance, should he play to his Toronto form and Djokovic + Murray not be able to up their respective level. Wawrinka is like always a question mark - he did good in US Open before, but hasn't shown much this year - he can surprise again. Raonic with a decent chance in his quarter and even to make final. Dimitrov will have a chance too, though I don't think he will take it.

So happy Nadal is out and leaving us with a draw that seems wide open for the first time in years and the chance for surprising turnarounds. Roll on USO!

good to have you back AL. Hopefully its going to be "jamais 2 sans 3" (correct guesses from you) as we say in French.