This year’s US Open has been moving fairly predictably towards its conclusion this coming weekend. The men’s singles event, with the exception of the Federer surprise and the early exit of del Potro, is generally going according to the seeding plan. The women’s has been less predictable, but its final ‘endgame’ looks more predictable than the men’s event. As we enter the ‘business end’ of the Open, it is perhaps worthwhile to take stock of developments.
All the talk at the moment is over the shock fourth round straight sets defeat of Roger Federer by Tommy Robredo. The loss was surprise in itself, but what was more shocking was the manner in which Robredo did the business in three straight sets. Without taking anything away from the Spaniard’s excellent performance, we don’t expect tennis icons to drop away so totally as Federer did on Monday at Flushing Meadows. That said, there have been precedents. Coming off his outstanding second Grand Slam year in 1969, Rod Laver lost to Roger Taylor in the final 16 of Wimbledon 1970 – never to win a Grand Slam event again. In fact, Laver’s last Grand Slam win was at the US Open in 1969. Similarly with Federer, 2013 has perhaps become a defining year as it is the first since 2002 in which he has not appeared in a Grand Slam final. Questions have been bubbling away for some time, but speculation is bound now to intensify around Federer’s future. Nevertheless, after the Robredo defeat, Federer has expressed his determination to regain past form – we shall have to wait and see.
The long anticipated quarter-final encounter between Federer and Nadal will not now take place and instead, we should see the two Spaniards going head-to-head for a place in the semi-finals. One must favour Nadal on a number of counts, not least the mammoth challenge for Robredo of being a ‘giant killer’ twice in succession. Elsewhere in the men’s and women’s draw, there have been further surprises. In the men’s, all four top seeds are securely through to the round of 16, none of them having had to face any serious threats yet on the way. A surprise early on, however, was the second round defeat of No. 6 seed, Del Potro in five sets to the evergreen Australian, Leyton Hewitt. Hewitt continues on into the round of 16 with an encounter against No. 21 seed, the Russian, Youzhny. 2013 has proven something of an ‘Indian summer’ for Hewitt’s career after a good year on grass, including at Queen’s, Wimbledon and Newport, RI. His US Open progress so far has been impressive.
Britain’s Daniel Evans caused an upset by beating Bernard Tomic in the second round in four sets, marking a very good Open for the young Briton. His loss in the third round to Robredo, the eventual victor against Federer was no shame for the up and coming Evans. Weather has proven a challenge for players and organisers at this year’s Open – a factor in the Federer/Robredo match- but let’s hope that the concluding rounds stay unaffected.
In the women’s singles, there have been a number of high level exits. There are two unseeded players in the quarters in the shape of the Italian Penetta and the Slovakian Hantuchova. The two top seeds, Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka, however, appear to be cruising towards a meeting in the final, with Li Na the only top player among the women still remaining likely to put up any serious challenge. Such is the ‘bunching’ of talent at the very top of the women’s game that ever since Sharapova’s dropping out of this year’s event through injury, a Williams/Azarenka final has become even more predictable. This was made even more likely by the premature exit of several of the top seeds.
In the women’s draw also, we saw the arrival of a refreshing young potential star, the young Haitian, Victoria Duval, who staged an epic victory in the first round against the former US Open champion, Australian, Sam Stosur. Every Grand Slam usually throws up someone new and special and this year, it was Duval. One can only hope that a young talent from a country like Haiti which has suffered so much in recent times, can draw something from her impressive debut and go on to greater things.
While the denouement of the women’s singles looks more predictable, that for the men’s looks far more complex and intriguing. Murray will be stoutly defending his 2012 title. Djokovic will be keen to reassert his world No. 1 ranking. Nadal will seek to build on his outstanding form in 2013 following his 2012 injury problems and to rebuild his assault on Federer’s all-time Grand Slam record. In the shadow of the others, No. 4 seed, David Ferrer will also wish to cast aside the name of ‘also ran’ and make it his first ever Grand Slam. Whether he has the wherewithal to do so is the big question. All four look in top form. None of the remaining competitors outside these four on balance, look capable of overturning the odds. An intriguing few days lie in store for us.
Source: DSG
