US Open 2015: Top 5 contenders for the title
The last Grand Slam of the year is upon us and the biggest names of the sport are vying for top honours in New York. After two Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati, stage is set for tennis extravaganza in the Big Apple. While the courts in Flushing Meadows are slower than those in Cincinnati, one can expect players in the top 10 to make an easy transition come August 31. The long break after Wimbledon did help players get into the groove on the hard courts and give it their all ahead of the 2015's final major. With that said,let us look at the chances and current form of some of the top contenders for the title in New York.
#1 Novak Djokovic
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is coming to New York at the back of losing two Masters events in a row. His attempt at winning the elusive Cincinnati Masters crown was foiled by Roger Federer in the final. Nonetheless, the Serb is playing great tennis and with courts being slower than those in Cincinnati, it should help Djokovic.
After having problems with his serve due to a shoulder injury in Montreal, Djokovic served reasonably well at the Western and Southern Open. With a week to go for the US Open, he is aiming to be fully fit in order to capture his second US Open title. The World No. 1 has reached the finals of the US Open on four of the last five occasions and a win here would mark an incredible year for the Serb.
Djokovic won three majors in 2011 that saw him rise to the No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career. With over 6,000 points difference between him and Federer in the ATP rankings, he is by far the best player in the world at the moment.
The losses in Montreal and Cincinnati can only make him stronger. We saw how he bounced back from losing the French Open in June this year. Djokovic had mentioned on numerous occasions that winning the French Open was his main focus this year, but he put that heartbreaking loss behind him to win his third Wimbledon title in July.
He doesn't look as invincible as he did in the middle of the year, but taking down Djokovic in best of five sets requires a very,very special effort.