Get Ready for Djokovic vs. Murray - Act Two

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, owners of 26 grand slam titles between them, are both in amazing form as they head into this year’s U.S. Open Semis. The only problem is, neither one of them is likely to be around to contend for the U.S. Open Championships on Monday. Andy Murray has been my pick to win his first grand slam tournament since the U.S. Open began and I see no reason to change that prediction now. But first, let’s look at the Federer – Djokovic matchup.

Federer is still a terrible threat to Novak Djokovic on almost any surface, but not on the hard courts at Flushing Meadows. There was a time not so long ago, when Federer was unbeatable in New York – but those days have crept by us now. The list of people who can beat Federer regularly on hard courts is terribly short - sporting only three men. The problem is that all three of them, Djokovic, Nadal and Murray are the three remaining men in the draw.

Federer has the skills, but has lost about a half a step in the past year and that’s all Djokovic needs. The Serb is brimming with confidence and has never looked back since stunning Federer in last year’s U.S. Open semi finals. He’s captured two grand slam titles this year and is hungry to put the U.S. Open on his resume.

Take Djokovic in 3, possibly 4 sets.

Nadal and Murray represent the other half of the draw and this is really Andy’s time to shine and finally join the grand slam club. Nadal is playing his best tennis of the fortnight, but he doesn’t have the firepower to overcome Murray - if Andy can keeps his wits about him. This is the eighth time the Scot has made it to a Grand Slam semis in his last 17 majors.

Hard courts are Murray’s best surface and after losses in three different grand slam finals – He has the seasoning at the age of 24 to capture this year’s U.S. Open and end the dizzying drought for the United Kingdom. You can’t sell Nadal short because he is the defending champion. But Nadal has lost a lot of the sting on his serve that led him to last year’s title. Unless he can conjure up that booming serve again, Murray will prevail.

As Nadal, Djokovic and Federer have grabbed slam after slam – Murray has been steadily improving. He is playing smart and composed tennis and if he can break out of his own head, he will overcome Nadal and stamp his invitation into the U.S. Open Finals.

Take Murray in four tough sets!

Murray Ready for Break Out at 2011 U.S. Open

Murray is fit and ready to grab his first Grand Slam title.

2011 has been pretty good to me so far, correctly predicting the winners of 2 of the last 3 slams. I picked the Djoker to snag the Aussie and Nadal to capture the French. Rafa let me down at Wimbledon, but I'm obviously hoping to go 3 for 4 by picking the man that no one is really talking about – 4th-seeded Andy Murray.

Between Rafa and the Serb, Murray is really the forgotten man at the 2011 U.S. Open and that will come back to haunt the experts. The Scot has a tough draw with arch-nemesis and former U.S. Open champ, Juan Martin Del Potro possibly looming in the quarters. Murray and Del Potro have a mean-spirited history with each other dating back to the Italian Open in 2008, but should Murray prevail, the U.S. Open is his for the taking.

Murray is in the Nadal half of the draw and has had an amazing 2011 campaign reaching the finals in Australia and the semis at both the French and Wimbledon. Make no mistake, Murray’s best surface is the hard courts and he was a finalist at the U.S. Open 2008.

Djokovic is obviously the favorite, but like it or not, Djokovic proved once again during Cincinnati in August that he's still a quitter. Murray was giving him a good thumping in the final when Novak quit before Murray could finish him off.

It's not the first time Djokovic has called it quits while losing a match. This was actually the 8th time Djokovic has quit in the middle of match that he was losing, not to mention the fact he has defaulted a total of four times during Grand Slam play.

Going back to Murray – he has a long history of being his own worst enemy – but he is the only player on the circuit right now who has what is takes to knock Djokovic off of his perch.

The drought for the U.K. has to end some time – and it will be Murray who hoists the trophy in New York when all is said and done.

Ravenous Djokovic Pummels Murray, Claims Second Grand Slam Title

Djokovic overwhelms Murray in grand slam sleeper.

Novac Djokovic hammered Andy Murray in the 2011 Australian Open final, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Both players went into the match full of belief, but it became readily apparent that Murray was no match for the 23-year-old Serb, brimming with confidence after overwhelming Roger Federer in the semis.

The contest was shaping up to be a spirited affair until Djokovic broke Murray ‘s will towards the end of the first set. Murray was serving at 15-30, 4-5 in the first set when both players stretched each other out across the full length of the court with a phenomenal 39-shot rally.

Both players displayed superior defense chasing down sure winners until Novac charged the net and Murray dumped a forehand in the bottom of the net. That gave Djokovic a pair of set points and Murray appeared to be dead in the water after that rally. It stole his spirit and drained his confidence as Djokovic shifted into cruise control, winning the set and running away with the match.

Notice has been served to the tennis world, that Djokovic is now the greatest threat to Nadal’s tennis supremacy. His fitness, confidence and improved serve are the key ingredients that have pushed Djokovic from contender to champion.

Fit and Fiery Djokovic Poised to Punish Murray

Djokovic ready to claim another grand slam title.

Even before David Ferrer extended Andy Murray to four draining sets, third seeded, Novak Djokovic, was and still is the favorite to claim his second Aussie crown in 2011.

Fitness has always been the Achilles heel for Novak, but NOT at this year’s 2011 Australian Open. His fitness is the best of his career and he’s serving lights out getting 69% of his first serves in. This particular tournament has shaped up into a worse case scenario for Murray, who’s also playing top-notch tennis right now.

These two have never faced off before in a major, despite the fact that they have both played in three grand slam finals a piece.

It’s true that Murray has dominated their last three meetings in smaller tournaments, but a major is different. After knocking off Roger Federer in consecutive grand slam tournaments, Djokovic is locked into a world-beater mind set right now and he should be. Anybody not named Rafa, who takes apart Federer in straight sets, has to be the favorite here.

Djokovic’s improved fitness has led to a level of confidence that he hasn’t enjoyed since winning the Australian Open in 2008. He’s dropped only one set on the way to the final and has only had to play a total of ten sets since the third round.

On the flip side, Murray was forced to slug his way out of trouble in both the quarters and the semis, and his mental makeup is not positive. The frustration he displayed against Ferrer and Alexandr Dolgopolov underscores a crack in the armor -- a flaw that will likely be exploited by Djovovic again and again. Prediction: Djovovic in four sets.

Murray Melts Down, Del Potro Hungry for More

Andy Murray: Missing in action, knocked out in the 4th round.

Most experts in the tennis world felt that the time had come for Andy Murray and the United Kingdom. Most experts were wrong. Andy Murray got dropped on Arthur Ashe Stadium today by Marin Cilic from Croatia and I’m not really sure why.

Andy Murray fell off the face of the earth after the first set losing 7-5, 6-2, 6-2. Cilic didn’t do anything particularly impressive, he just kind of showed up.

Murray displayed no real fight and not much emotion. He went out there, got his butt kicked and left. Not much more to say except that the people in the U.K. are going to be pissed when they see the low-lights from this match..

Cilic earns (sort of) a quarterfinal matchup against the 6th seed Juan Martin Del Potro, my pick from the start to win the whole darn thing. ((Article: Beware the Dark Horse from Argentina)) It’s safe to say that I’m in the overwhelming minority here.

Del Potro wasn’t a popular pick when I selected him to shock the world and win the Open and he still isn’t. Regardless of that fact, this six-foot-six Argentine has been racing around this tournament punishing his opponents with remarkable speed and sledgehammer-like power.

He treated Juan Carlos Ferrero like a speed bump, thumping him 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. I believe that even the mighty Federer will wilt under the barrage that Del Potro will bring to him. Stay Tuned!

Day 9: Kim Clijsters in Search of the Semis

Some outstanding headlines on tap for Day 9 at the 2009 U.S. Open Championships including the breathtaking comeback of unseeded Kim Clijsters and her return to professional tennis. Clijsters won a thriller against Venus Williams during the weekend and says it is these types of moments -- that made her long for a return to the game.

She took Labor Day (yesterday) off without hitting so she would be fresh for her early afternoon quarterfinal match against the 18th seed, Na Li from China. Clijsters, the 2005 U.S. Open Champion has to be the favorite in this one having already dispatched Venus in three tough sets. Look for her to cruise to a straight set victory today.

Serena Williams, a three-time U.S. Open Champion is playing in the other quarterfinal against Italy’s Flavia Pennetta. Pennetta has enjoyed a remarkable run in this tournament, but Serena is playing on another level right now. If Italian veteran manages more than 6 games against Serena in the entire match, that would be an accomplishment.

On the men’s side, "My Darkhorse Pick from Day I" 6th seeded Juan Martin Del Potro should have no trouble today against the 24th seed, Juan Carlos Ferrero. Del Potro had some injury issues in his last match, but says he’s feeling great again. I still believe (perhaps foolishly) that Del Potro will claim his first grand slam title here against Roger Federer on Sunday. He's too tough and too fast and is ready to shock the world.

Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal remain on a semifinal collision course. But Nadal has to get past a tricky fourth round match against the Frenchman, Gael Monfils. Nadal reaggravated an abdominal strain in his 3rd round match against Nicolas Almagro and had to get taped up during the match. Monfils has also had some injury issues, so health will be a factor for both players. Look for Nadal to advance in four sets.

As for the second seeded Andy Murray, he’s had some up and downs in this tournament so far, but should take care of business rather handily against the 16th seed, Marin Cilic from Croatia.

Taylor Dent: From Back Surgeries to Flying Backhands

Taylor Dent: Dazzling Crowds, Defying the Laws of Nature

A miracle is defined as an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment. How else would one describe what veteran tennis player Taylor Dent has been able to accomplish at the 2009 U.S. Open Championships?

Two years ago after his third back surgery -- doctors were telling Dent that not only should he forget tennis, but that he may never be able to walk again. He was bedridden for days on end, trapped inside a full body cast. Surely this man would never compete as a tennis professional again.

But here he is -- headed to the third round of the world’s toughest tennis tournament after an awe-inspiring 6-4, 5-7, 6-7(7-1), 7-5, 7-6(11-9) win over Ivan Navarro. He captured the hearts and minds of the people who came to watch him and even after the match was over, found a way to keep it going.

He embraced Navarro with a warm hug at the net and then marched over to the umpire’s chair. He shook hands with him and then did something I’ve never seen before after watching and playing more than three decades of tennis. Dent grabbed the microphone and in a choked-up voice told the crowd, “I just want to say, you guys are unbelievable. I love it here! LET’S GO!!"

The already electrified crowd went wild and Dent fed off of every cheer. Everyone was one their feet as the celebration echoed into the night.

Then came this question from Pam Shriver:

If the low (for you) was the back surgeries and the pain and lying motionless in bed, can you imagine anything better than this?

(The crowd erupts: U-S-A!! U-S-A!!)

Taylor Dent: No, I mean really, it’s all gravy right now. I can’t ask for anything more than to play the sport I love, battle the way I love and to have the support. This crowd is just phenomenal, it’s amazing.

Dent’s courage and tenacity is the stuff movies are made of and for the 195th ranked player in the world and the people that packed the Grandstand, it’s a night they will never forget.

Day 2 Drama - Safina Looks Lost, Ivanovic Out

         Safina barely avoids a top-seeded collapse

The first round is supposed be a relatively easy affair for the top seeds in a Grand Slam event. This U.S. Open has held true to that form with one glaring exception. We’re not talking about Venus – yes, she struggled, but she was dealing with knee issues. No, we’re talking about the top seed, Dinara Safina.

Her performance was dismal. I’m still in shock that you can play such sloppy tennis and win at the professional level. The UNFORCED ERRORS, double faults and all around bad play made this one tough to stomach. She needs to the right the ship or that top ranking will become a thing of the past.

On the topic of Safina being number one – there are many people who believe that she does not deserve the number one ranking. I disagree. There may be better players out there (like the Williams sisters) but Safina’s ranking is based on her performance this year. Although she has yet to win a major, she’s won 3 tournaments this year and done no worse than reaching the finals of two slams and the semis at Wimbledon. She’s won a tour best 52 matches this year, so the numbers speak for themselves. The other tournaments count too – otherwise, why play them?

11th seeded Ana Ivanovic got her first round walking papers on Day 2 from Kateryna Bondarenko – Ana faltered in a 3rd set tiebreaker and is playing with very little confidence right now.

On the good news front – Maria Sharapova looked dominating in her first round match and could become the story of the tournament. Look for her to be around next week.

Other seeds ran into little resistance booking their 2nd round invitations including the 4th seed, Elena Dementieva and the 6th seed, Svetlana Kuznetsova.

The top seeds on the men's side avoided any significant drama on Day 2 with Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Murray all advancing in straight sets.

Murray faced a rather stiff challenge against the Latvian giant, Ernests Gulbis, but came through with top marks, 7-5, 6-3, 7-5.

Kim Clijsters Dominates Day 1 at the U.S. Open - Day 2 Preview Features Tall Order for Djokovic

Kim Clijsters serves notice that her retirement is O-V-E-R!

There were a few surprises on Day 1 at the 2009 United States Open Championships – some good and some bad. Let’s start with Kim Clijsters who wasn’t just good, she was great. It wasn’t that long ago that the 2005 U.S. Open Champion retired to have babies.

Well sheeeee’s back! The former number two player in the world put on a clinic at the Open on Day 1 with a 6-1, 6-1 demolition of Viktoria Kutuzova. She will be heavily favored in her next round against the Frenchwoman, 14th seeded Marion Bartoli. It’s hard to determine whether Clijsters is just that good or if the state of the game could use some help.

By winning his first round match on Day 1 at the U.S. Open, top-seeded Roger Federer became the first and only person in tennis history to win a record $50 million dollars in prize money. This was also his 35th straight win at the U.S. Open.

Andy Roddick doesn’t have quite the same resume as Federer, but he also breezed into the second round of the U.S. Open with a late night straight sets victory over Bjorn Phau 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

Not to be outdone, Serena Williams also booked her space into the second round of the U.S. Open with a straight sets victory of her own.

Her Big Sis, Venus Williams, had anything but an easy time -- as she had to dig deep to stave off elimination. She displayed the heart of a lion during the late night edition of Day 1 at the Open. Venus overcame a left knee issue and a spirited effort by Vera Dushevina by limping to a 3-set victory in their late night contest. It was later reported that Venus had issues with her left knee throughout the summer and tweaked it at the beginning of her match.

15th seeded Samantha Stosur nearly missed the second round after eaking out a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 over Japan’s Ai Sugiyama. It was the same story for Tommy Haas who overcame an afternoon of shaky play by barely beating Columbian qualifier Alejandro Falla.

Day Two provides some interesting matchups including a tough first round opponent for Novak Djokovic who faces former world number 3, Ivan Ljubicic. Djokovic leads their head-to-head meetings by a count of 3 to 1, but their matches are usually quite close. This match could go five sets and Novak needs to be on his toes for this one.

Second seeded Andy Murray faces the volatile Latvian named Ernests Gulbis. Gulbis has a big game that still hasn’t reached its potential and he is unlikely to have his coming out party against the likes of Murray.

The woman’s top seed, Dinara Safina is in action on Day 2 along with the fourth seed, Elena Dementieva. Neither one of these woman should be stressed out by their early round matches. The real trick for them would be overcoming anyone sporting the last name of Williams.

Roddick Will Falter on the Swiss Alps -- Beware the Dark Horse from Argentina

         Could Del Potro make a run at the 2009 US Open?

In the top half of the men’s draw, Andy Roddick finds himself on the same side as Roger Federer. Andy’s dismal record against Fed is not really worth repeating, but let’s give the American props if he advances to the semis to face Federer this year. Yes, Andy R. had a great Wimbledon and most Americans (myself included) hope he can break the SWISS curse at the US Open in 2009, but don’t count on it.

Nadal’s injury recharged Federer and gave him a new lease on his already storied tennis career. His confidence is sky-high since he took back the number one ranking winning both the French and Wimbledon this year. The only half decent threat to Federer before the semis is the young American and 22nd seed, Sam Querrey. Querrey had a terrific summer on the hard courts, but isn’t quite ready to conquer the Swiss Alps.

No one is even talking about the fourth seed, Novak Djokovic. It wasn't that long ago that Djokovich was being heralded as the next true force in tennis. Nobody is even whispering his name at this year's U.S. Open. That is a major oversight. Roddick would have to best Djokovic in the quarters just to get a shot at Fed.

What’s really interesting in the bottom half of the draw is my dark horse pick, Juan Martin Del Potro from Argentina. This guy is a piece of work. He’s a giant that covers the court like a wide receiver. He serves lights out and could give second seeded Andy Murray the same treatment he got from Roddick at Wimbledon. The guy has no fear and fires winners from every position on the court. Many people say this might be Murray’s coming out party, but I’m putting my money on Del Potro. Whoops, no betting in tennis!

The bottom half of this draw is a nightmare for the third seeded Nadal who is trying to return from a variety of injuries. He has a rough first round clash with the Frenchman Richard Gasquet, once the number seven player in the world. If Nadal somehow advances into the quarters, he could run into another Frenchman, seventh seeded, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. I don’t see Nadal going that far anyway and I would be very surprised to see him make it to the second week of the 2009 Championships.