September 6th, 2015
By: MJ
The tournament has been in full swing since Qualifying Day on August 25, and we are on the verge of embarking on week 2 of the magnificent Grand Slam here in the Big Apple. Before we look ahead to the dramatic matches sure to come, let’s take a quick look back at all the exciting events that have led us up to this point.
One disappointment for the fans this year at the Open is the record number of first round retirements, which in turn has opened up the draw in unexpected ways. For those who aren’t keeping track, here is the rather long list. First there was Pablo Andujar who sent Gabashvili into the 2nd round. This was good news for the Russian, erasing all chance of an upset as happened to him in Washington D.C. weeks prior to Berankis, who takes the ball very early. Next was the veteran Stepanek, who is always a threat, but no longer this year. Sam Groth vs Dolgopolov would have been an interesting match up as well, but the Ukrainian succumbed to the New York heat next. A shame for the tournament as the amateur rapper’s quick serves and fast feet is always a pleasure to witness around the grounds, and he could have been a threat deeper in the draw. Another big shame is Monfils, who is always unpredictable in his play, but a guarantee in high entertainment value. Yen-Hsun Lu, who had a huge upset against Roddick at Wimbledon years ago, is yet another victim. Florian Mayer, whose ranking has dropped significantly now down to #216 did himself no favors when he bowed out early against Klizan. Finally, the vastly talented but inconsistent Gulbis retired in his match against Bedene.
As Day 7 gets underway in less than an hour local time, the road to the Quarterfinals and beyond is paved with numerous challenges for many. In the top half of the draw, Lopez is up against the Nadal slayer Fognini. The lefty Lopez has a big booming serve and very calm demeanor on court, plus a very low biting slice, but he hasn’t been truly tested this week so far, having had the pleasure of sending Mardy Fish to retirement, permanently. Foginini on the other hand is much more animated on court in his flashy red Adidas gear, and often plays with no fear. If he continues to rein in his nerves (as he did against Rafa), expect to see punishing groundstrokes unload off both sides going down the line for winners. I predict Fognini to move on.
Paire and Tsonga would normally be fairly boring, but the way the unseeded Frenchman have played this week, Tsonga would be wise to stay focused and play relaxed. Indeed, Tsonga is arguably among the best players in the world when he doesn’t play with nerves, even able to hit one hand backhands as he did to upset Federer at Wimbledon from 2 sets down no less! His serve is key. The author still favors the seeded Frenchman.
Cilic is up against another Frenchman in his next match, although Chardy is much less a threat than Tsonga. He had a tough match against Kukushikin, but mainly due to his own serves. To advance, he absolutely needs to keep them in check so he can swing through freely with more pace. The pressure and mental state is a crucial factor here. Nevertheless, I will put faith in the defending champ.
Wawrinka is quite lucky to be in the tournament still, as his match against the up and coming Korean Chung could easily have gone either way. Much like Cilic, he let nerves get the better of him for the majority of the match, hitting without conviction and playing even safer on serve returns. He must step it up this deep in the draw if he is to continue his campaign. On the other hand is the American Donald Young, who is having a break out year here on his home turf. Despite his constant switch of sponsors (he is with Boast now), his game has remained steady this week as he prevailed over and over again in marathon 5 set upsets. Can he refuel for yet another big upset against the French Open champ? Or will he run out of gas? The author is going for the big upset here! Or a complete blow out.
We find yet another Frenchman in the bottom half this time, as Gasquet takes on Tomas Berdych. This would be one of the closer matches I believe. Both players are very talented. Berdych tends to take the ball a little earlier than Gasquet, but Richard has a viscious backhand that rivals Stan’s, and his game lacks any glaring weaknesses. I think fitness is key here. Whoever takes the first set should prevail. Too close to call here. May the better player win today! Ok, the author hopes for Gasquet. Allez!
Other matches not mentioned here include Novak’s as he faces Agut. Should be an easy one here for the world #1. Murray is up against Anderson, which could be close, but expect Andy to continue into week 2. Perhaps a 5 setter here. Finally, we have Federer. How can we forget him? He faces the American Isner, who has been playing well this summer, including reaching the finals in D.C. To win, Federer must neutralize the big serve and stay aggressive, as John is known to play 5 set matches with tons of tiebreaks tossed in. Strike first, Roger! As for prediction, I have Roger capturing #18. You know what I am talking about!