Top 5 men's contenders for the 2018 US Open
The final Grand Slam of the tennis calendar is just a month away. With the US Open commencing from the 27th August at the USTA Billie Jean King National tennis Center, there is everything to play for.
The 'Big 3' of men's tennis - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic - have split the first three Majors of 2018 between them. Who will win the 4th, and in the process establish his dominance over the other two? Or will it be a different player altogether who takes home the silverware in New York?
Here is a look at the top 5 contenders for the men's title at the US Open:
1. Roger Federer
The year 2017 witnessed Federer winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon. The year 2018 also started on a high note for Federer as he claimed his 6th Australian Open (and 20th career Grand Slam overall) by beating the upbeat Marin Cilic in a tightly contested five- set final. He then won the Rotterdam Open and reached the Indian Wells final, before skipping the entire claycourt season.
Federer started the grasscourt season by winning the Stuttgart Open. But at Halle, he faced Borna Coric in the final and lost in three sets despite having a set point in the first. This loss also meant that Federer dropped to World No. 2, after just one week on top of the rankings.
Federer moved on to play the Wimbledon Championship, looking to defend his 2017 title. He was seeded first at a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2012 US Open. Surprisingly though, he was defeated by the 8th seed lanky South African Kevin Anderson in a marathon five setter.
With the US Open a month away, Federer would be looking to put up a strong show at the Cincinnati Masters and subsequently notch up his 21st Slam in New York. France won the football World Cup after 20 years and Federer's fans would be hoping he bags his 6th US Open title after a 10-year gap, his last victory having come in 2008.
My bet would be on Federer reaching the final of the 2018 US Open.