US OPEN TENNIS: MEN'S PREDICTION

THE MOST OPEN "US OPEN"

The last grand slam in tennis which begins August 30 is shaping up to be the most open in recent years. The city of Flushin Meadows will once again host the top men and women's netters. No one has made himself as the clear favorite to win this tournament. As in the buildup tournaments, several of the top players have defeated one another and some even make surprising exits (Cincinnati,  Rogers Cup).

In the men's side, a few names are cropping up as possible contenders for the title. No one however has steered clear of the others and be the hands out favorite. As we try to see who will take the trophy this year, let us look on possible contenders for the crown. Here are my choices on who could possibly take the title in New York. These are some of the names to watch out at the 2010 US Open. Some are familiar names but some are names you would not thought I'll put in the list.

1. Roger Federer (Switzerland)

- Back at No.2 in the world, it still is difficult to bet against Roger Federer in any Grand Slam event. He has won 16 Grand Slam titles already and has vowed earlier this month to add 4 more. He is currently in the semis in Cincinatti and the only Top 4 men to remain there as Nadal, Djokovic and Murray have all bowed out in the quarters or earlier. Though, his last chance to hoist a trophy is at this year's Australian Open, he is sure eager to go one better than last year's runner-up finish.

2. Andy Murray (Great Britain)

- World No. 4 Murray has always been touted as a Grand Slam contender. He was given a boost in his US Open campaign with consecutive victories against Federer and top ranked Nadal in Rogers Cup where eventually won the title. His chances were however downplayed once more as he lost in Cincinatti to World No. 36 Mardy Fish. Still at his best, he can almost automatically take out Fed, Rafa and Nole.

3. Rafael Nadal (Spain)

- Hunger is what could push Nadal to finally grab the US Open crown - the only Grand Slam he has not won as of yet. He is in impeccable form as he did the French-Wimbledon double for the second time this year. His hardcourt game has always been questioned still. His results were rather disappointing as he lost the semis in Rogers Cup to Murray and bowed to Marcos Baghdatis in the quarters at Cincinatti.

4. Andy Roddick (USA)

- A-Rod has slipped to No. 13 in the world but the last Slam is in the US and Andy is an American. Fans would put and added push to Roddick as he tries to close out his year with a high note. Plus he really wants to add to the first and only Grand Slam he has so far, which is coincidentally at the US Open. He lost to Gilles Simon in the Legg Mason (3rd Round) but his victory with world No. 3 Djokovic in Cincinatti is a good premonition. With that, he is poised to return to the Top 10 again.

5. Novak Djokovic (Serbia)

- Nole continues to be one of the favorites in all tournaments. But his hardcourt season has not been spectacular as of late. His loss to Roddick in Cincinatti has put doubts to his chances in Flushing Meadows. However, he might look at his semifinal run in Rogers Cup as inspiring as he took Federer to 3 sets before bowing out. He is eagerly wanting to permanently dislodge Nadal and Fed at the top of the rankings as well.

6. Mardy Fish (USA)

- Currently World No. 36, Fish is one of the few outsiders who might grab headlines in the US Open starting this August 30. He has won 2 titles (consecutive at it) this year and has reached Cincinatti semis dispatching Verdasco and Murray (QF). He is one to watch for and could knock out some of the best names when he's on.

7. Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina)

- I won't fancy his chances in thie year's Open. He is still recovering from injury but he is still a force to reckon with. If given a kind draw at Flushing Meadows, he still has his chances. After all his drive is one to be considered as he'll definitely try his best to retain his crown. Let's just cross our fingers that he's close to 100%

8. Thomas Berdych (Czech Republic)

- 2010 has been the best year for Berdych. His semifinal showing in French Open and a runner-up finish in Wimbledon are proofs to his best season. Currently ranked 7th in the world, his wins with Federer, Murray and Djokovic (all in Grand Slams) is something to note at. I also have a feeling that if recent results stay true, he might strike it higher than a runner-up finish.

9. David Nalbandian (Argentina)

- Finally, he's getting his way back. Formerly only one of the few names to have scored victories over Nadal and Federer, his recent battles with injuries is slowly coming to an end. At the start of August, he won at Legg Mason and bowed to Murray and Djokovic at Rogers and Cincy. A good draw could bode well for his US Open campaign.

10. Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus)

- Ranked 20th in the world, Baghdatis has been a crowd darling ever since his success at the Australian Open way back 2006 where he finished runner-up to Roger Federer. He is a constant contender but as of late fails during the big stages. If he can string together matches in the US Open like his defeat of Nadal at Cincy then he's gonna go deep into Flushing Meadows.