A year ago, Federer lost in the final at Flushing Meadows to Novak Djokovic.
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“I’m doing everything in my power with the medical team to make sure that I’m as close to 100 percent as possible during the course of this tournament, at least for the beginning of it”, Djokovic told reporters Friday.
And there are times when the 34-year-old American basically forgets that she transcends her sport and has become a cultural icon away from the tennis court.
For Williams, it’s a sore right shoulder that she revealed started bothering her nearly immediately after her Wimbledon victory.
“I feel the discussion is much louder a little bit, but because also there is more movement”, Muguruza said. Serena goes into her home slam at Flushing Meadows this fortnight chasing a seventh US Open title, the most of any woman in the Open era. “I would imagine if I’m lucky I’d be playing at this level for three, four more years, max, I would think”, said 2012 champion Murray. I’ve played a lot of tennis and played a lot of matches.
“Hopefully just every day I will keep going higher”. Luckily I won a few quick matches and that helped. “But it’s not the place and time to talk about it”.
“It was some other thing I was going through privately and nothing linked to the wrist injury”.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic suffered surprise early exits at Wimbledon and Rio, while a wrist injury has also hampered his preparations. Because the 14-time Grand Slam champ is a lefty, his issue is the forehand.
Both Djokovic and Williams face a former Grand Slam semifinalist in the first round.
Williams drew 2014 U.S. Open semifinalist Ekaterina Makarova in the first round. Seeded second in NY, she is one of three players with a chance to seize the number one ranking if Williams falters.
The world No 1 will start with a match against Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz, and Petchey expects him to challenge for his third title at the hard court tournament.
Former world number three Shriver, runner-up in the 1978 US Open, thinks normal service will be resumed for Williams in NY and is also backing the 34-year-old to triumph in Melbourne next year.
There are other threats too: Garbine Muguruza may be out of form but was an impressive victor of the French Open title, while new Olympic champion Monica Puig of Puerto Rico is another exciting new star in the firmament. The Briton is enjoying her finest season and may fancy her chances of a long run if she can dispose of home favourite Bethanie Mattek-Sands first up. In addition to that, French Open victor Garbine Muguruza and Agnieszka Radwanska are also predicted to pull Williams out from the court during the semi-finals. In Federer’s absence, Stan Wawrinka, beaten Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic, as well as 2014 US Open finalist Kei Nishikori and victor Cilic, loom as the other likely challengers.
Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 US Open victor, has been handed a wildcard entry into the tournament after taking silver in Brazil and could be an awkward early obstacle for the favourites.
But that hasn’t dented his confidence that he can claim a second US Open, four years after his breakthrough in NY saw him become the first British man in 76 years to win a Grand Slam title. The German and the Spaniard are seeded second and third respectively.
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Between Wimbledon and the Rio Games, del Potro defeated three of the U.S. Open’s top four seeds.
