I wasn't planning on going to the US Open this year. Then the draw came out and they had Maria vs. Serena on Opening Night (with Roger in the other match). So...yeah, things changed. Maybe I'll get a chance to see the new Armstrong Stadium, too.
In other Serena Williams-related US Open news, Carlos Ramos, the chair umpire from last year's women's final, won't be doing any of her (or Venus') matches this year. Smart move by the USTA. That whole situation was just ugly last year. I'm not saying Serena wasn't wrong in the way she acted, but he was worse. And he's the reason the whole thing got out of control. So, let's just stay away from the possibility of history repeating itself entirely. There are enough matches in the tournament that he can still be assigned to plenty without having to deal with Williams vs. Ramos II.
Serena, meanwhile, once again heads into the US Open as the favorite on the women's side. She's made back-to-back Wimbledon finals and, of course, was the finalist here last year. But she's still sitting on 23 career Grand Slam titles, one short of Margaret Court's all-time record. It would be fitting if she gets it at the US Open, too. Especially since this year marks the 20th anniversary of her first Grand Slam title at the 1999 US Open.
Although, as usual, there are a ton of women who can win this thing. Let's start with Naomi Osaka, who followed up her victory last year by winning the Australian Open. She definitely feels like she has something to prove after her early exit at Wimbledon, too. Then there's Ash Barty, who won the French Open, and Wimbledon champion Simona Halep. Those three are the 1-, 2- and 4-seeds, so they understandably have high expectations.
Then there's Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys, who met in the final two years ago. And the 2016 finalists, Angelique Kerber and Karolina Pliskova. Plus, Caroline Wozniacki alternates good and bad US Opens. This is her 13th appearance and she's made it to at least the semifinals as many times (5) as she's lost in the first or second round. Woz's last semi was in 2016, so don't count out a run from her.
If you're looking for a breakthrough performance on the women's side, let me offer you three names. Jo Konta has never been past the fourth round here, but she made the semis and quarters at the last two Grand Slam tournaments. Can she continue her solid 2019? I've been tabbing Elina Svitolina as one to watch for a while (pretty much since she beat Serena at the 2016 Olympics). She's coming off her first Grand Slam semi at Wimbledon, so let's see if she's turned that corner. My third player to watch is Kiki Bertens, who's never been past the third round, but is the No. 7 seed and has a pretty favorable draw to the quarterfinals.
With all these contenders for the title, another Serena victory is by no means a certainty. She'll definitely get some challenges, starting with Sharapova in the first round. But that could end up being a good thing. She'll be battle-tested, which could pay off in the later rounds.
The entire bottom half of the women's draw, in fact, is loaded. There are five former US Open champions, plus former finalists in Pliskova and Keys, and the reigning French Open champ in Barty. I still Serena coming out of it, though. And, in a rematch of last year's final, this time she doesn't lose her cool, beats Osaka, and ties the record.
On the men's side, it's the same old story. Sorry for sounding like a broken record, but it's once again the Big Three and everybody else. Unlike Wimbledon, they actually do let other guys win the US Open occasionally. But with the way all three of them have been playing this year, that seems unlikely.
One of the reasons people are so excited about the Serena-Sharapova match is because they've played in the finals of the other three Slams, but never met at the US Open. It's the same deal with Federer and Nadal. People keep anticipating that match that, until now, has been elusive (it almost happened two years ago, but Del Po had other ideas). The only way it can happen this year would be in the final. Except there's a certain Serbian guy who might have something to say about that.
Djokovic and Federer have given us some epic matches over the years, including several US Open classics. So, it only seems fitting that the third-seeded Federer ended up in the top half of the draw, setting us up (hopefully) for another. Especially after that incredible Wimbledon final, a Friday night semifinal encounter between the two heavyweights almost seems like too much of a dream!
Nadal's route to the final seems much more direct. All of the big names are on the other side. He'll be challenged by the winner of the third round match between John Isner and Marin Cilic, but beyond that, I don't see him facing too much resistance (which could prove beneficial late in the tournament).
That also leaves room for a surprise finalist/semifinalist from the bottom half, though. And there are plenty of men who fit the bill for that possibility, starting with No. 6 seed Alexander Zverev, a player whose Grand Slam breakthrough people have been waiting for. Let's not forget Wimbledon semifinalist Roberto Bautista Agut, the No. 10 seed, and Dominic Thiem, whose quarterfinal appearance last year was his best result at a Slam other than the French Open. And Stefanos Tsitsipas, the No. 8 seed, was a semifinalist in Australia, so he can't be counted out either.
Ultimately, though, I think Nadal gets through the bottom half unscathed. And, just like in so many of the other Djokovic-Federer epics, I see Nole outlasting Roger in the other semifinal. Then he continues his dominant stretch by winning his second straight US Open, third Grand Slam title of the year, and fifth in the last six tournaments. As if there's any doubt who's currently the best men's tennis player in the world.
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