Big Three ‘almost impossible’ to beat at US Open
Serena vs Sharapova set for prime time on Day 1
NEW YORK, Aug 24, (RTRS): Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic have enjoyed a years-long stranglehold on Grand Slam titles and that dominance is unlikely to end at the US Open where a cast of hopefuls will try to end their reign.
The ‘Big Three’ have combined to win each of the last 11 Grand Slams, with Serb Djokovic having triumphed in four of the last five blue riband events and a popular pick to successfully defend his New York title despite being dealt a tough draw.
ESPN tennis analyst and former world number one John McEnroe fully expects one member of the threesome to triumph in New York and suggested that the task of toppling them in a best-of-five sets is currently too tall an order.
“You have to beat potentially at least two of them, in some cases three of them. That’s seemingly almost impossible to do,” McEnroe said on a conference call.
“Perhaps with a little bit of luck something happens where a draw opens up. They’re human. At some stage they’re going to start losing more.”
Top seed Djokovic will begin his title defense against Roberto Carballes Baena, and before a projected semifinal clash with five-time winner Federer could meet former champion Stan Wawrinka or 2017 finalist Kevin Anderson in the fourth round.
One player who is widely considered a possible threat is Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, who has proven to be the most in-form player in the lead-up to the US Open and is Djokovic’s projected quarter-final opponent.
Medvedev has never made it past the third round in New York but is more confident than ever after reaching the final in tune-up events in Washington and Montreal before securing the biggest title of his career in Cincinnati.
“The three weeks really pushed my confidence a lot,” said Medvedev, who has beaten Djokovic twice this season. “Now I know that when I play my best tennis I can beat basically everybody, and that’s what I need to keep doing here.”
Federer, owner of a record 20 Grand Slam titles, considers himself in fine form despite a forgettable US Open tune-up that consisted of a swift thirdround upset in Cincinnati.
The 38-year-old Swiss third seed has played just two matches since last month’s Wimbledon final, where he failed to convert two championship points on his own serve in the fifth set against Djokovic, but is raring to go.
“This is probably the best I’ve felt in years coming into the US Open again, which is encouraging,” said Federer.
“It’s going to be a tough tournament to win, no doubt about it. I feel like I’m part of that group who can do it.”
Three-times champion Nadal, whose title defense at last year’s US Open ended with him retiring from the semifinals with a knee injury, has also declared himself ready for battle.
The Spanish second seed has been drawn in the opposite half of rivals Djokovic and Federer and his biggest hurdle to the final could be fourth seed Austrian Dominic Thiem, who is his projected semifinal opponent.
Nadal, who will strive for efficiency in a bid to limit the punishment the hardcourts can inflict on his troublesome knees, may appear to have the easier path of ‘Big Three’ to the final but was not about to acknowledge as much.
“I have to win my matches to have an advantage because I only can meet them in the semifinals,” said Nadal. “I have plenty of work before that to know if I have an advantage or not. So let’s see if I am able to do my work for my side.”
Meanwhile, Serena Williams vs Maria Sharapova is, not surprisingly, getting prime-time billing at the US Open.
The two tennis stars’ 22nd career meeting – and first at Flushing Meadows – will be the opening act in Arthur Ashe Stadium for the night session on Monday as the year’s last Grand Slam tournament gets started.
“Of course I’m going to watch it. I know you all are going to watch it. I think everyone in New York is going to watch it,” defending champion and No. 1 seed Naomi Osaka said Friday. “Yeah, I mean, for me, I’m not that surprised that that happened, because, like, at every Grand Slam, there is always some sort of drama. You know what I mean? Like a first round. Like, ‘Oh, my God!’”
The US Tennis Association announced the show-court schedules for both Day 1 and Day 2.
That includes 15-year-old Coco Gauff in action at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Tuesday.
The first match in the main stadium Monday will be French Open champion Ash Barty against Zarina Diyas, followed by defending men’s champion and No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic against Roberto Carballes Baena.
Then at night, Williams-Sharapova will be followed by 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer against qualifier Sumit Nagal.
Williams owns 23 major singles trophies, while Sharapova has five. Both have been ranked No. 1. They’ve met at every other major tournament at least once, including in a final at each, but never before at the US Open. Williams has won 18 matches in a row against Sharapova, and leads their overall series 19-2.
In Louis Armstrong Stadium on Monday, the day slate includes Williams’ older sister, two-time US Open champion Venus, 2016 runner-up Karolina Pliskova and No. 5 seed Daniil Medvedev, while the night program features three-time major champ Stan Wawrinka and 2017 US Open runnerup Madison Keys.
Tuesday’s participants in Ashe include Osaka and two-time French Open finalist Dominic Thiem during the afternoon, with 18-time major title winner Rafael Nadal and 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in action at night.
In addition to Gauff’s first-round match against Anastasia Potapova, Day 2 in Armstrong will include two-time major champion Simona Halep and Australian Open semifinalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in the afternoon, along with two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka and the combustible Nick Kyrgios against American Steve Johnson at night.