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US Open Tennis - Andy Murray |
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by Ian Hudson
2011 US Open Tennis Tournament
29th - 11th September US Open , Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Andy Murray is now third favourite for the US open and that's the first time he has been in the top 3 in the betting for any grand Slam tournament. He is now considered to have a better chance than Roger Federer in the final major of the season.
Murray, the world number 4, reached the final in New York in 2008 but has failed to make it past the fourth round in the last two years. However he has indicated that an improved diet and preparation has left him in better shape than usual ahead of a major championship.
Murray has won 18 singles titles and lost in 9 other finals. Eight of those titles were won outdoors on hardcourts and 7 losing finalist appearances were achieved under those playing conditions. He has reached the final of three Grand Slam tournaments, all outdoors on hardcourts, but as we know is yet to win a major.
He has won two tournaments this year, once on grass at Queen's Club just before Wimbledon, and once outdoors on hardcourts at the Masters event in Cincinnati. In the final of that tournament he was a set and 3-0 up against Novak Djokovic who was forced to retire due to injury.
The British player, or Scottish player if you prefer, has now won seven Masters titles. These tournaments are the most lucrative and prestigious of the season after the majors so it's fair to say Murray has proved himself at almost the highest level. However, a major championship remains elusive but that could all change over the next two weeks.
There is a doubt that Murray does not have the mental fortitude to win a major. He was comprehensively beaten by Djokovic in the final of the Australian open in January. He got himself in a great position to beat Rafael Nadal in the semi final at Wimbledon earlier this year. He then let the loss of one point to turn the match totally against him.
The opposition is again led by Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer. Djokovic's injury problems hint that his run of intense matches has finally taken its toll on his body. Nadal also doesn't appear to be in his best shape while Federer has a tough quarter to negotiate. With doubts about those three players Murray may not have a better chance to win his first Grand Slam title.
Maria Sharapova is the only player in the top 8 seeds for this year's US Open to have won the tournament over the course of her career. She won the tournament in 2006 and seems to be back to the level that has seen her win 3 Grand slam titles in her career to date.
The seedings for the last of the four Grand Slams in the tennis calendar have been mainly based on the current world rankings. Kim Clijsters is third in the latest world rankings but she will be absent from the event due to a torn stomach muscle and will now be focussing in 2012.
The number one seed and world number one is Caroline Wozniacki. The player from Denmark has never won a Grand Slam and that has raised doubts about the validity of the ranking system. There is a similar situation in men's golf as Lee Westwood and Luke Donald have both reached the head of the rankings without winning a major.
Wozniacki had lost four of her last 10 matches on all surfaces before competing in New Haven last week but has a slightly better record on outdoor hardcourts. She has a 70% success rate in these conditions but in terms of sets she has won 11 from the last 19. However, she did win the New Haven tournament at the weekend for the fourth successive year.
The bookmakers and exchange markets are taking no chances by making Serena Williams the favourite. You can't question her record over a sustained period of time and she clearly has the power and shots to beat any female player in the world.
The younger Williams sister has won 13 Grand Slam titles including three US Opens, the last time being in 2008. She hasn't played in New York for the last two years due to injury. She is seeded number 28 for the US Open and that must be the highest seeding for any favourite for a Grand Slam tournament.
Serena has played only 16 matches this year and lost just three times. You can understand her position in the betting market when you realise she has a 100% winning record outdoors on hardcourts this year. She won the tournaments in Stanford and Toronto, dropping just three sets over those two weeks.
Sharapova reached the Wimbledon final earlier this year, losing to Petra Kvitova in straight sets. She won the grass court Grand Slam as a teenager in 2004 and also won the Australian Open in 2008. Therefore, Sharapova has won majors on two different surfaces and won on clay this year which highlights her solid all court ability.
The best she has achieved in the US Open since winning the title was a fourth round elimination last year. However, she now seems fully recovered from a shoulder injury that caused her ranking to drop to 18 in 2010. She is now number four in the world and that has earned her a position of number three in the seedings.
The Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova looked extremely impressive when winning on the grass in London two months ago. However she has only won three of her last 10 matches outdoors on hardcourts and has lost more sets than she has won over that period on the surface. Therefore, her first round elimination was not totally unexpected.
Ian Hudson
30th August 2011
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