5 Players who might surprise in the 2018 US Open
Rafael Nadal will be aiming to defend his title in the upcoming US Open season, as the Spaniard will be hoping to repeat his last year’s performances at Flushing Meadows. Although the Spaniard lost to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of last month’s Wimbledon, Nadal will try to produce some gritty performances.
Roger Federer, who made an exit in the quarterfinals of last month’s Wimbledon tournament, will be eager to reproduce his last year’s magic when the Swiss legend won two grand slam titles after making a comeback from a career-threatening injury. The 37-year-old also won this year’s Australian Open and will be amongst the favourites to win the US Open title.
On the other hand, Novak Djokovic, who was going through a tough phase since the last two years because of poor form and fitness issues, is looking in good shape to win the title after winning last month’s Wimbledon title. The Serb also won the Cincinnati Open this month by beating Roger Federer in the final.
Andy Murray is another player who has suffered from poor form and injury concerns since the last one and a half years. The Scott will be eager to prove his class at flushing meadows after missing out on last month’s Wimbledon tournament due to an injury.
Apart from the big 4, there are some players who are slowly emerging as the future stars of tennis circle and who could produce some inspiring performances in the upcoming US Open season. We take a look at 5 such players who might surprise in the upcoming US Open tournament.
#1 Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem is considered to be the next superstar in the making in tennis circles. The 25-year-old produced some decent performances this year by winning the Lyon open in May and finished runner-up in the Madrid Open in the same month losing to Alexander Zverev in the finals.
The Austrian also finished runner-up against Rafael Nadal in the French Open this year. He also won the Argentina Open in February by beating Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia in the finals with a 6-2, 6-4 scoreline. His destructive forehands combined with his solid groundstrokes can trouble his opponent.
His baselines are quite precise. His quick groundstrokes have outdone many opponents, while his topspin is quite effective during the run of play. Thiem's calmness helps him during pressure situations, which the Austrian had said helps him focus whenever he plays a tricky opponent. His single-handed backhand has always been his main strength.