U.S. Open preview.

The first matches of this years U.S. Open is about 2 and a half days away, and I should be excited. I am excited, but my pessimistic nature has me dwelling on how bad ESPN will mess up the television coverage. I keep finding myself wanting for USA network to have the rights to the Open once again. I know with ESPN at the helm all I am going to hear about is the Williams sisters, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Rafa, and Roger for the most part. With a slight mixing of Dinara, Kuz, the Serbs, and Andy Murray. After that the remaining 250 players don't really matter.

I can see it now. Tennis being pre-empted by a Brett Favre, or Michael Vick press conference just to announce that they had a good day of practice. Or having a 5 set, 5 hour long match between Jose Acasuso and Victor Hanescu, two relative unknowns to the casual audience not being shown so that ESPN can reshow Roger Federer or Andy Roddick tooling a qualifier in the first round on tape delay. ESPN has become oh too known for their botched tennis programming, and how they would rather show 4 retired has-beens breaking down Serena's "cat suit" rather than show a dramatic conclusion to a live tennis match between to unknowns. I guess 2 guys or busting ass for 5 hours and the match coming down to a net-cord bounce isn't as exciting as a skin tight leotard on a she-male. I should of known better. After all Jerry Springer has been on for almost 2 decades and these are the viewers they cater to all for the sake of ratings.

I've already heard that ESPN will begin coverage at 1 p.m. daily. USA would come on when the first matches were to be played at 11a.m. So there is 2 less hours ESPN has cut out. Yeah, I know, Skip Bayless getting into a pissing match with Jemele Hill is more important and needs to be shown. Totally understandable. My bad....... ugh, this is gonna suck.

I promise to not let ESPN get me down, for this is the last major until next January. So let me take a look at the mens draw.
The favorite to repeat for the 6th straight time has to be Roger Federer. He has been playing well on hardcourts this summer. Although he has shown chinks in the armor with his meltdown against Jo-Willie Tsonga and squeaking by with a victory over David Ferrer. A match Ferrer had control of and let it slip through his grasp. So this isn't the same "Rog" who is used to dominating everyone. He has some weaknesses and more and more players are becoming aware of them.

Rafa's knees and and match rust are a question. Is he fit enough to go 5 sets. Odds are he probably is, since he is one of if not the fittest player on the ATP tour. Djokovic has the game on hardcourts to win the U.S. Open, but his mental fitness as well as his physical fitness when it comes to a long grueling match are a question. Roddick is playing well and will have the fans in his corner, but he's still Andy Roddick and thats another word for "just not good enough". Juan Martin Del Potro isn't fit enough to go five. He can breeze through a win, but when it comes to guts and determination he is weak. He's young and still learning the ropes. Del Potro will be the owner of a Grand Slam trophy more sooner than later though. The main threat to overtake Roger Federer in Flushing Meadows is Scotland's Andy Murray. Murray has the physical and mental toughness to win against anyone with any type of game. He has all the tools to impove on being last year's runner-up and win it this year. Of late Murray's serve has been inconsistent and he needs to do some tweaking to get it back in form for a late push to win a grand slam for the first time. Seeing how everything shapes up and works itself out will be fun for the next 2 weeks. Maybe there will be an unknown like Tsonga in Australia last year. or Soderling in the French this year and a new surprise star will be born.

Moving to the women's side. Serena Williams is everyone's favorite at the moment. Serena seems to play her best on the biggest of stages. And defending her title seems more likely than not, especially if she is on her game. Williams' biggest challengers will be 2 Russians by the name of Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina, and a Serb Jelena Jankovic. All 3 girls have holes in their games, but do have enough to compete and possibly beat anyone in the world. Safina's struggles are all mental. She needs to get over the multiple collapses in finals of grand slam events. If she can get over that hurdle she may be unstoppable. Dementieva has the ground strokes to blow anyone off the court, but her serve leaves a lot to be desired. If her first serve isn't working an elite player can pick apart her second serve and make it a long day for Elena. Jankovic has been playing well in the U.S. Open "tune-up" events and she seems to be getting back to her old form of last year when she reached being ranked No. 1 in the world. Her movement and defense is her strength. She will get back any ball hit at her, and make her opponent work for every point. Jelena will not over-power anyone, and she can become rattled mentally, but when everything is clicking she can beat anyone making her a worthy contender to win her first grand slam.

Some other players who may make some noise are Maria Sharapova, who isn't fully back from a "bum" shoulder, but is improving every week and will make some noise. Look for her and Venus to both make it to about the round of 16 or quarterfinals and bow out. Ana Ivanovic is really struggling right now and will make it to probably the 3rd round and be defeated. Ana is ripe for an upset. Even when she was doing well she was always upset prone at the U.S. Open. This year's French Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova is between Maria and Venus and Ana Ivanovic. I see "The Kuz" losing in probably the 4th round, if not earlier. A couple up and comers who are making noise are Italy's Flavia Pennetta who has been doing tremendous work this summer on the hardcourts as well as Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. The only downside is that Wozniacki has the "curse of Verdasco" working against her. Just ask Ivanovic about this dreaded curse. ::wink::. With the comeback of Kim Clijsters and Sam Stosur playing well the women's side is wide open. Anyone can be upset, and anyone can get hot and make a run at the last Grand Slam of the year. Serena is in the drivers seat, but there are a dozen or so girls who are ready to kick her out. Right, Akgul Amanmuradova?

Hopefully ESPN won't totally sour my excitement for the seasons last major, and I can enjoy watching the Williams' sisters lose with a smile on my face. Knowing my luck, just the opposite will happen.



coming Sunday Evening, and everyday through the U.S. Open breakdowns of the following days matches and recaps and opinions of the previous days events and results.