Thought I'd start a thread for everyone to discuss who they think will lift the trophy at Flushing Meadows rather than have lots of little separate threads about players etc.

So Federer is still the fav and has a nice draw to go far.

Roddick, winner of Toronto Masters makes him the second fave behind Fed right?

And then we have a whole host of guys, Nadal, Berdych, Murray, Gonzo, Djokovic, Blake, Baghdatis, Gasquet et al. all are chasing Roddick closely, in fact is he really ahead of them?

Also several interesting propects Agassi, how well do people think he will do?

JCF back in form why can't he get to the final?

Monfils off form but a danger to any player surely?

Hewitt? Hmm tricky is a former champion though, as much of a contender as anyone?

Safin ok well also a former champ, I don't see him as a contender the only question for me really is will he bow out in 2 sets or three?

Im going to have to respond to my own thread to get some discussion going by the looks of it as it seems so quiet to day :rolleyes:

I think Federer will more than likely make the final. Im not so sure about Nadal although if he is playing well enough to reach the final he could pose some serious problems to Fed considering he took a set off him in the Wimbledon Final and his draw isn't so cushy this time so Rafa would be very match hardened. Although the USO is supposed to be faster these days so who knows.

Murray will probably get to the quarters if he can keep up his good form but fitness problems could hold him back to some extent; although I beleive they're no longer a MAJOR issue, when I say fitness I mean endurance in longer matches more than anything. I think he should pip Gonzo although you never know.

What do people think Djokovic and Monfils will do; tehy really shone on clay and seem to have been injured ever since, I like their games which are not that dissimilar and hoe they both do well although as I said they are inexperienced still adn it may be too soon for them to go deep into the tournie.

Yeah ranking suggest Federer favourite and nothing else seems to suggest otherwise. But I have a feeling that we could have a new winner on our hands....Hopefully Murray or Nadal but to be honest I'd just like someone other than Fed.

Murray had a tough opener against Kendrick but Im sure he can deal with that and with the obvious improvements Gillbert has made then im sure he can go far.

Roddick Is always a favourite and if he plays to potential then I seen no reason why he can do it.

For sure Fed is the fav but for the sake of my sanity please please can we have a new player lifting the trophy this year! :pray: :pray:

I hope its not going to be another Federer-Nadal final :blink: Not just because Im a Fed.fan , but we've had a lot of that rivalry this year already. Id like to see the in-form Murray, Roddick or JCF getting to the semis or beyond.
Federer should win though, even against Nadal. The court is much faster and Federer did nearly beat him in Rome.
Its hard to predict what Agassi wil do. He could go out in the first round or get to the final again. Either way itll be very emotional. :cry:
I do agree Roddick could win.People seem to forget how good he was in 2003-4 . :)

I think Fed will win the title. In the final, I would love him to play Roddick. I am getting bored of Federer-Nadal finals. There are youngsters that could challenge Fed [Berdych, Djokovic, Murray], but they don't play well enough for 3-5 sets

Yeah...I agree there fitness just isn't at a level like the Feds and thats what makes them struggle.

Obviously Federer is a huge favourite, it's very difficult to play at the standard required to beat him for 5 sets....



I feel Roddick should come through the quarter that seems to be the toughest, Hewitt, Djokivic, Gasquet, Ljubicic, Baghdatis and Agassi are all in that quarter and i think out of them Roddick and GAsquet are in the best form.....

Murray, Gonzalez and Ferrero are all in form currently and should do well, likewise for Robredo....

NAdal is a bit of an unkown quantity tis USO, he hasn't shone on the hardcourts this summer, but should still do well, but I'm not sure if he can make the final......

Exactly. In a two best of three set match, Berdych usually challenges the top players. In 5 set matches [and GS in general] he doesn't play that well.

I'd love for Roddick to do well and reignite his 'rivalry' with Fed. I think that would be better for tennis than another Fed/Nadal match up too. Too much of the same thing...

However if it was another Fed Nadal match then that wouldn't be too disagreeable as I would like to see how Fed handles Nadal. B)

Yes I hope Roddick gets back to his best he's a match for anyone on these ahrd courts then

Yep Berdych does tend to disappoint at Grand Slams :(

I haven't seen Ancic play much lately but he must surely be a contender too; he is so talented and he has yet to have a real break through I feel.

Is Ancic even playing at the USO after the freak injury?

Nope he's pulled out

Ancic withdrew....

I reckon Federer will win (ooh going out on a limb here!!) and we'll have a surpise finalist in novak djokovic...his draw plays out nicely and then i think he'll step it up - only problem with him, similar to Murray's, is his fitness. HE played quite a lot of matches this and then had to retire from a final (sopot i think) because he was totally exhausted and was struggling to breathe.

how did he injure himself again? wasn't it something like Waterskiing/motorbike? :shrug:

I was bit hesitant about Djokovic, he has only played 2 matches in the USO series...... He has an easy opener against Young, but could play Mardy Fish in the 2nd round and Fish has risen back up the rankings hugely this year, after that he'll have to play Hewitt, and if he's still in he'll play GAsquet or Ljubicic iin the 4th round, not easy matches, and if he pulls through that he has Roddick or Baghdatis waiting...Many of these will probably be long matches and will take a lot out of Novak....

David Nalbandian for the win! Vamos David! :D

if he gets past young quickly he shoudl ekep fresh and i think he'll be too talented for Fish (i hope so!). I don't think his next opponent will be hewitt, cos lleyton's coming into the tournament injured and i think he could be upset early on. I think he can handle a couple of long matches but not too many...we'll have to wait and see.

Novak better not lose in the first round now :rolleyes:

Safin to win :D

Vamos Rafa y Murray!!

Either one of these guys and ill be jumping for joy, exctatic, cock-a-hoop, partying!!! well anyone else other than Fed and ill be just happy. and if its federer ill be depressed

I'd love a Brit to win, but as that's about as likely as Chelski being relegated, I would like someone other than Federer or Nadal to win.

What I'd like

Ferrero vs Murray
Robredo vs Roddick

Witha Murray vs Roddic final

My 4 fav players are in dif quarters

What I expect

Fed vs Murray/Gonzo
Nadal vs Roddick

I want something different from a Fed-Nadal final!!!

Haven't checked the draw out in detail, but Fed aside, I think that it will be quite an open tournament..

Would like to see Djokovic have a really good run.. Gasquet too. And, well, Marat, more in hope than anything else!

I Think while Roger is the huge favourite as usual it is still fairly open I think A Ro dhas a great shot at maybe making the final and hopefully if he gets anotehr shot at Federer in the final he will be ready this time :)

Id like to see A-Rod against Fed. as well, but with Roger winning a close final!
Federer-Nadal again ? :doh: :ban:

I can't remember from the draw properly but ARod and Nadal are on the opposite side of the draw to Fed yes? When are they scheduled to meet? As that could be an important match up on that half of the draw.

I have just printed out the draw so I can study it better.
I know Murray could meeat Fed at some stage

Yes its a pity Henman has got the shit end of the stick again. He could have had a much better draw.
He is due one thats for sure

A Rod is on course to meet Nadal in the Semis and Federer in the final!

I don't see Roddick as a title contender if I'm honest....

I know he won cincy but he did well there last year and then flopped at Flushing. I don't think he'll be that bad this year but at best i can see a quarters or semi for A-Rod if that....

If he were to somehow reach the final and was facing fed i reckon he'd have no chance. Presumably if fed also reached the final he would have improved on his showing at Cincy (and arguably at Toronto where he didnt play that well by his standards and won anyway...scary!) and i think he would just be too good for Roddick...

Who knows though...under Connors' tutelage maybe he'll get the Fed monkey of his back (though i very much doubt it.)

I disagree with you to be honest, yes A Rod did make cincy finals then lose first round at the Open last year.

But We have to look at how he wa splaying he still wa splaying negative tennis way behind the baseliine whereas at Cincy this year he played some of his best tennis for 18 months.

If he keeps up that form then to me this is a great great chance of making another grand slam final for A Rod and thats very exciting for him and all us A Rod fans! Fed is the heavy heavy favourite but then upsets happen who would have puicked Murray to beat Federer in Cincy

I do agree roddick is playing better tennis this year thats why i feel he can progress to the latter stages but i still dont think he'll be a major player...

You've also got to remember that Fed is a whole other animal in Slams and he'll be rested up nicely now. I think he'll be really fired up with a point to prove and that may lead to a very predictable tourny unfortunately...

Agreed Fed is the man to beat no doubt about that as Fed at Slams is a different man and the loss to Murray will make him further want to show this.

But I do feel that when A Rod is on form apaprt from Fed there arent too many guys who can take him on American hard courts

I don't know whether you agree or not and i know im a little be biased being a murray fan but i think murray is one that can beat Roddick even if he's playing at his best. Roddicks game matches up weel with andy's (murray) and he's one of the best returners out there at the moment IMO. He showed it when he broke roddick comfortably when he was serving towards the end of their match at Cincy. I think if both played each other at full fitness, form and condition they'd have a great much (and murray would obviously win ;) )

Well I dont agree lol but maybe thats me being biased being an A Rod fan ;)

Yes I agree Murrays game does match up well to Andy's but I feel when at his best he serves alot better than he has in recent times therefore well as Murray rerurns he wont be getting as many chances as consistently also when Andy is confident he steps up to the line and takes the ball a lot earlier and gives himself a much better chance of breaking! with his serve in top gear he only needs to have one great retrun game like this in a set and break once and the set is his!

I agree Fed is a whole other animal in Slams, apart from against Nadal. He rarely plays his best tennis against him in slams. In RG 05 and 06 he disappointed and his level seemed to drop for a couple of sets even in the Wimbledon final.

Not sure this is significant but just thort I'd drop it in. He's still the runaway favourite of course, perhaps tis might becomes relevant if he has to face Nadal. We all know Fed will play well he loves it here. But how will Nadal and Roddick play that is the more perplexing question for me.

If he gets a crappy draw at AO and RG I won't complain as then by the law of averages he'll get a brilliant draw for what could be his last Wimbledon :P

Re Roddick. He is never going to do too badly is he. But the bottom line is he will never get past Fed. So therefore will not win the U.S Open

Never say never ;) I agree given the head to head and the way there games match up it will be hard for Andy to ever beat Federer again, but as I have said before stranger things happen in sport, besides while its almost certain if Andy wants to win the Open hed have to beat Federer its not guarenteed he didnt have to beat him to win Cincy or to win the Us Open in 2003.

All Andy has to do is keep playing the tennis he has been during the US Open series and go match by match with that sort of form, if he does that then good things will happen for him

Probably not this year; but one day someone is going to take out Fed early in either the USO or Wimbledon and if Andy R is healthy and on form then it will surely be his chance to jump on and go for the title.