That has not. however, stopped Sky Bet making Murray part of their pre-tournament Price Boost – they are offering 11/2 (from 9/2) that the Scot beats defending champion Novak Djokovic in the final.
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Friday’s US open draw set Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as potential semifinal opponents, while No. 2 Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka are in the other half of the bracket. Friday was the first time either had discussed the health problems that stymied them in Rio de Janeiro and forced them to withdraw from the hard-court warmup at Cincinnati. She said she practiced for just two days before the Olympics and has spent little time on court since as she undergoes physical therapy. That’s what happened to top-ranked Novak Djokovic at the Olympics, when he lost to del Potro in the first round.
Roger Federer said of the US Open crowds: “The night is electric and really has the potential to go wild”.
Fifteen years after wildcard Goran Ivanisevic played a wildly entertaining two weeks of tennis to win Wimbledon, del Potro might just match that feat if he plays his cards well. “But it’s not the place and time to talk about it”.
On Friday, Djokovic conceded “it was some other things that I was going through privately”. He wouldn’t elaborate other than to say that now “everything is fine”. Because the 14-time Grand Slam champ is a lefty, his issue is the forehand. When he first came back from the injury, he had to adjust his technique to avoid pain, so now he needs to get comfortable again with his regular stroke.
Williams is seeking her 23rd major title, which would break a tie with Steffi Graf for most in the Open era. He said Friday he’s practiced lightly in NY to get used to the conditions at the U.S. Open and isn’t doing any off-court work, “trying to be as fresh as I can”.
Puig drew unseeded Sasai Zheng in the opening round, and if she advances to the second round she would face one of two other unseeded opponents.
Doing an interview shortly after the draw was set, Djokovic joked he wasn’t “mentally ready” to see his bracket quite yet and wanted to wait until “I’m alone”. The devices, installed by New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection, are among many measures being taken to enhance security for the more than 700,000 fans that are expected to attend this year’s U.S. Open Tennis Tournament. Australian Open champ Angelique Kerber and French Open victor Garbine Muguruza are on the other side of the draw.
“Obviously, in a tournament as big as this, there is no easy opponent even in the early rounds”.
The pair have already played in the finals of the Australian and French Opens this season although on both occasions it was Djokovic who emerged victorious.
Rodriguez, a former NYPD detective sergeant and supervisor for the Joint Terrorism Task Force, said he meets twice a day with representatives from the various local and federal law enforcement agencies monitoring the U.S. Open.
Since this year’s Wimbledon, Del Potro has defeated three of the US Open’s top four seeds, and Puig is coming off a Summer Games where she downed three Grand Slam champions.
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The Tandil native will open his account against fellow countryman Diego Schwartzman, a match he is not taking for granted.
