US Open 2018 Preview, Men’s

US Open 2018 Preview, Men’s

It is time for the best major of the year, the US Open.  I realize that I am biased because I live in the US but I really enjoy the US Open as my favorite major.  I just love the night matches and great hard court tennis.  Wimbledon and the French Open have the tradition but the US Open has the fire that I love to see from the crowd and players.  On to the preview…

Favorites

• Roger Federer – He has played very well this year and had a good chance at Wimbledon but I think he is more likely to with the US Open here. He is very sharp and wants to get another major.  You can count on him to get to the quarters but from there it will be tough with many players nipping at his heels, and from there he just might need to avoid Rafa and the Joker somehow.  If those guys go out early or someone else beats them then Roger will win.

• 

  Can Fed win another Grand Slam title?

  Rafael Nadal – Rafa is playing great tennis with a victory in Toronto he is ready to go after Club Fed and the Joker and try to win another US Open. This is going to be a grind of a tournament as a lot of young players are coming in to their own and the old guard is still playing great tennis.

 

• Novak Djokovic – Novak has come to play in the hard court season and looks like his old self. His dismantaling of Fed in Cinci certainly makes him look like the favorite to win this.  If he can win this US Open he will be back at his peak.  I certainly wouldn’t want to bet against him at Flushing Meadows.  While he did win the Western and Southern Open he also went 3 sets in what seemed like every match.  He is not the dominant force he was a couple of years ago, but he still has the top speed that no one else can match.

 

Contenders

• Dominic Theim – Can the French Open runner up compete for the US Open title? No, but he can win a couple rounds, he is just not the same player on hard as he is on clay.

 

• Kei Nishakori – Good all around player, former finalist here has to be looking to do some damage. He really makes you play your best tennis to beat him and many can’t quite play well enough to beat him.  He is not playing great at the moment losing in the first round in Toronto and winning only one match in Cincinatti.

 

• Alexander Zverev – I don’t think he is quite ready to win this tournament yet but he is playing very well right now. He is doing great in the Masters 1000’s tournaments now he just needs to put a Major Semi or Final on his resume and he will be ready to take the next step.  However, he could surprise and put it all together now and win.
• Marin Cilic – Former champion looking to win the tournament again. He is playing well making the Quarters in both Toronto and Cincinatti.
  

  Can Cilic win the US Open again?

 

 

Dark Horses

• Karen Khachanov – He is playing excellent tennis and seems to be hanging around in tournaments and I could see him making a run.
• Marco Cechinatto – This is not clay, he will not make the Semis.
• Stefanos Tsitsipas – Made the Final of the Rogers Cup with some very impressive wins. While I don’t see him winning the tournament, with the right draw he could make the Semi’s a la Ceccinato.
  

  I just found out that this is what Tsitsipas looks like.

• Kevin Andersen – Can the Wimbledon runner up follow up with a win in New York? Probably not, but he is playing the best tennis of his career and is a threat to beat anybody any time he plays.
• Americans – Can any American win Wimbledon this year? No? I ask this question every tournament and the answer is always no, but John Isner has a very small chance to make some noise.  Also, look out for Steve Johnson to go deep here, he is a big match player and will beat all but the best players.

 

I really want to pick Club Fed, but Novak is looking like a monster again.  I will pick the Joker to take down the title in Flushing Meadows.  While I do think Novak will take it down, I think we will have at least one probably two surprise Semi finalists and I am going to pick Zverev and Steve Johnson to do that (depending on draws of course).

• As always check out our well-made ball machines at https://www.matchmatetennis.com/products/ to start your way to make the US Open.