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2020 US Open mega preview

Roar Guru
27th August, 2020
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Roar Guru
27th August, 2020
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Traditionally the fourth and final grand slam event of the tennis season, next week’s upcoming US Open will instead be the second grand slam tournament of the year as the sport resumes its season following its COVID-19-enforced suspension.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was declared as such by the World Health Organisation in March, the French Open has been rescheduled to September, while Wimbledon was cancelled altogether for the first time since World War II.

It now seems like a lifetime since Novak Djokovic and Sofia Kenin lifted the Australian Open trophies back in January, just as the mystery illness later to be more commonly known as coronavirus started to wreak havoc around the globe.

As we have seen with many sporting events around the world, fans will be shut out of Flushing Meadows, with only players and people essential to running the event to be permitted onsite for the fortnight to reduce the risk of a major outbreak of the disease.

Several high-profile names have withdrawn from the US Open due to safety concerns, namely both defending champions Rafael Nadal and Bianca Andreescu, as well as past champions Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Samantha Stosur.

Our top-ranked female player, Ashleigh Barty, also won’t participate. Nor will second-ranked Simona Halep, last year’s semi-finalist Belinda Bencic, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, among others.

The men’s field will also be missing Nick Kyrgios, as well as French showmen Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Nick Kyrgios

(Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)

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The absence of Federer and Nadal from this tournament means that this will be the first major in the 21st century not to feature either of the sport’s two most celebrated male players, the last being the 1999 US Open, in which Serena Williams won her first major title at age 17.

Three-time champion Novak Djokovic will still participate, and is one of only three active former male champions (the other being 2012 champion Andy Murray and 2014 winner Marin Cilic) who will feature in the main draw.

The man he beat to win a record eighth Australian Open title in January, Dominic Thiem, will also take part, as will last year’s beaten finalist Daniil Medvedev, 2019 Australian Open semi-finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas and Germany’s Alexander Zverev.

First, let’s preview the contenders for the men’s title.

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB)

US Open history
Best result: Won three times (2011, 2015, 2018)
Last year’s result: Fourth round (lost to Stan Wawrinka on a retirement)

Australian Open result: Won (defeated Dominic Thiem in the final)

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Titles so far in 2020: ATP Cup, Australian Open, Dubai

With no Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal in the main draw of a major tournament for the first time since the 1999 US Open, top seed and three-time champion Novak Djokovic will start the prohibitive favourite to land his fourth title at Flushing Meadows, and 18th major overall.

Presently, Djokovic sits in third place only behind Federer (20) and Nadal (19) on the all-time grand slam men’s leader board, meaning an 18th major title would see him get the chance to equal the Spaniard on 19 majors at the French Open next month.

The Djoker started the year by being part of the Serbia team that won the inaugural ATP Cup, in which Djokovic defeated Nadal in his singles rubber in the final played in Sydney.

He then proceeded to win a record-breaking eighth Australian Open title in Melbourne, defeating Dominic Thiem in five sets in the final and overcoming somewhat of a hoodoo as it was the first major final he had won while trailing two sets to one.

Another title in Dubai followed, in which the 33-year-old defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final, before the season was suspended in early March just as the World Health Organisation declared the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as such.

The Serb generated controversy during the season shutdown for staging the Adria Tour, in which fans were permitted to attend. After that, he and several other players and support staff, including his coach Goran Ivanisevic, tested positive to coronavirus.

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He returned to action at the ongoing Cincinnati Masters, which is usually held in Ohio but was moved to Flushing Meadows to reduce the need for players to travel during this pandemic.

But while he will start favourite to land his 18th major title, there will be some serious opposition he will have to encounter in the later rounds. Still, I expect that he will go all the way.

Prediction: Champion

Novak Djokovic

(Photo by Jack Thomas/Getty Images)

[2] Dominic Thiem (AUT)

US Open history
Best result: Quarter-finals (2018)
Last year’s result: First round (lost to Thomas Fabbiano)

Titles so far in 2020: None

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The biggest threat to Novak Djokovic for the title would have to be the second seed, Dominic Thiem.

The Austrian began the season by reaching his first Australian Open final, where he fell to Novak Djokovic in five sets after enduring marathon matches against Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.

He later achieved a new career-high ranking of number three in March, and was one of the few to arrive early at Indian Wells for the defence of his title before the whole tournament was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like many of his comrades, Thiem returned to action at the ongoing Cincinnati Masters, but lost his first match to Filip Krajinovic, leaving him with limited preparation for the second hard-court grand slam tournament of the year.

He crashed out at the first hurdle last year. He is 26 years old (he will turn 27 next week). With Rafael Nadal not participating, he can earn fresh rankings points at will and close the gap on the Spaniard, who remains in second place on the rankings.

Despite his early hiccup at the Cincinnati Masters, I think Thiem can make a deep run, bettering his quarter-final showing from 2018 in which he lost to Rafael Nadal in a five-set epic.

Prediction: Finalist

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[3] Daniil Medvedev (RUS)

US Open history
Best result: Runner-up (2019)
Last year’s result: Runner-up (lost to Rafael Nadal in the final)

Australian Open result: Fourth round (lost to Stan Wawrinka)

Titles so far in 2020: None

Last year’s beaten finalist Daniil Medvedev will be another player to watch in the men’s field.

The Russian will be hoping to go one better this year after just failing in his bid to become the first Russian man to win a major since Marat Safin in 2005 when he lost to Rafael Nadal in the championship match in five sets last year.

The 24-year-old started his season by leading his country to the semi-finals of the inaugural ATP Cup, winning four of his five singles matches. The only defeat was to Novak Djokovic in the semi-final stage.

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He also advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open in Melbourne, where he fell to Stan Wawrinka. The result meant he remains winless in grand slam matches that last five sets.

Returning to action at this week’s Cincinnati Masters, Medvedev has reached the quarter-finals, and remains on track to face top seed Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.

In New York, he has every chance of doing well and I expect nothing less than a semi-final appearance.

Prediction: Semi-finalist

Also watch out for: Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Karen Khachanov, Grigor Dimitrov, John Isner, Milos Raonic, Kei Nishikori, Marin Cilic.

Milos Raonic

(Photo by TPN/Getty Images)

On the women’s side, the absence of the world’s top two, Ashleigh Barty and Simona Halep, means world number three and 2016 runner-up Karolina Pliskova will be the top seed.

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Reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin will be seeded second, meaning she could be drawn to face either the legendary Serena Williams, whom she defeated at Roland Garros last year, or 2018 champion Naomi Osaka in the final four.

Also in the field is two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, as well as past US Open champions Angelique Kerber and Sloane Stephens, plus 2017 runner-up Madison Keys and teen sensation Amanda Anisimova, who missed last year’s tournament for personal reasons.

Let’s now have a look at some of the contenders for the women’s title.

[1] Karolina Pliskova (CZE)

US Open history
Best result: Runner-up (2016)
Last year’s result: Fourth round (lost to Johanna Konta)

Titles so far in 2020: Brisbane

With the world’s top two players missing in action, this has surely got to be Karolina Pliskova’s best chance of cracking her grand slam duck.

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In recent years, the Czech right-hander has shown plenty of promise, but risks the prospect of joining the likes of Dinara Safina and Jelena Jankovic as those who peaked at the top of the rankings yet never won any of tennis’ four holy grails.

It’s been nearly four years since Pliskova reached the final in New York, where she upset Serena Williams in the semi-finals before falling to Angelique Kerber in the championship match.

This year, she has won one title, defeating Madison Keys in the final in Brisbane before falling to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the third round of the Australian Open, that being her fourth consecutive major in which she failed to advance past the fourth round.

Like many of her rivals, the 28-year-old returned to action at the Western and Southern Open this week, but despite being the top seed, she crashed out early, losing her first match to Veronika Kudermetova after having a first-round bye.

This leaves the former world number one short on match play, but despite the limited preparation I think she can make a good run in New York.

Prediction: Semi-finalist

[2] Sofia Kenin (USA)

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US Open history
Best result: Third round (2017-19)
Last year’s result: Third round (lost to Madison Keys)

Australian Open result: Won (defeated Garbine Muguruza in the final)

Titles so far in 2020: Australian Open, Lyon

Having won the Australian Open earlier this year, second seed and world number four Sofia Kenin will enter her national championships with added pressure and expectations as she looks to prove that her victory in Melbourne was no fluke.

Sofia Kenin

(Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

The American rocketed through the field to triumph Down Under. The highlight was a straight-sets victory over world number one Ashleigh Barty, in which she saved a set point in each set.

She then struggled in the Middle East swing, losing her opening matches in Dubai and Doha, but then bounced back to claim another title in Lyon shortly before the tennis season was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Like Karolina Pliskova, the 21-year-old suffered a setback in her US Open preparations this week, dropping her first match at the Western and Southern Open against Alize Cornet, also after having a first-round bye.

Now the question remains – can she thrive playing at her national championships, like the Williams sisters have this century, despite there being no fans to cheer her on at Flushing Meadows?

Kenin has yet to advance past the third round at the US Open, having been beaten by Maria Sharapova, Pliskova and Madison Keys in 2017, 2018 and last year respectively.

However, I think now is the time for Kenin to show her true colours at home.

Prediction: Quarter-finalist

[3] Serena Williams (USA)

US Open history
Best result: Won six times (1999, 2002, 2008, 2012-14)
Last year’s result: Runner-up (lost to Bianca Andreescu)

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Australian Open result: Third round (lost to Wang Qiang)

Titles so far in 2020: Auckland

Time is running out for Serena Williams to stake her claim as the greatest tennis player mankind has seen this century.

The American remains stranded on 23 grand slam singles titles, having not added to her tally since she won the 2017 Australian Open while in the early stages of her pregnancy, which was unknown to most of the world at the time. She won that title without dropping a set.

Serena Williams

(Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

At the start of this year, the 38-year-old broke her three-year title drought, triumphing in Auckland to claim her first title as a mother.

Despite high expectations at the Australian Open, she later suffered her first pre-quarter-final exit at Melbourne Park since 2014, and her earliest exit there since 2006, when she lost a three-setter against Qiang Wang in the third round.

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Williams returned to action this week at the Western and Southern Open, losing to Greek player Maria Sakkari in the third round after defeating Dutch qualifier Arantxa Rus in the second round.

Surely this has got to be her best chance yet to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slam singles titles, and then get the opportunity to break it at the French Open next month.

A seventh US Open title for Williams would also be a record in the Open Era. Her haul of six is equal with Chris Evert.

While you should never underestimate Serena Williams despite being in the late stages of her career (she turns 40 next year), it still remains to be seen whether she can hold up for a demanding fortnight of tennis.

While I think she’ll do well, I can’t see her lifting the trophy, given her rather inconsistent form this season.

Prediction: Finalist

Also watch out for: Naomi Osaka, Petra Kvitova, Madison Keys, Johanna Konta, Garbine Muguruza, Angelique Kerber, Sloane Stephens.

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The US Open gets underway next Tuesday morning at 11:00am (AEST). Fans will not be permitted to attend, making this the first television-only grand slam tennis event in history.

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