Men to watch

Simon Briggs

Dead cert

Roger Federer Novak Djokovic may be the bookies’ favourite, but everyone knows that the fans will be pulling for Federer. The great man was a little off colour in New York last year, thanks to a back injury he had incurred a few weeks earlier in Montreal. Now, after a conservative build-up that started and ended in his runner-up finish at the Cincinnati Masters, he will have his eyes on his first US Open title since 2008.

Dark horse

Kei Nishikori The 2014 finalist here, Nishikori missed a large slice of last year – including the US Open – because of wrist trouble. His ranking has slipped back to No 21, and his form has been underwhelming, with only three wins from three American hard-court events since Wimbledon. But give him a favourable draw, and he could gather momentum. His whippy backhand remains one of the tour’s great shots.

British hope

Kyle Edmund The last time Edmund played a hard-court slam – in Australia in January – he reached the semi-finals. Now seeded an impressive 16, expectations will be high for the Beverley bruiser, whose forehand is one of the game’s most lethal weapons. At Wimbledon, Edmund suffered the ill fortune of drawing eventual champion Djokovic in the third round, but put up a stalwart fight before going out in four sets.

Local hero

John Isner The North Carolinian – who is seeded No 11 – is the man most likely to bring the title back to the United States for the first time since 2003, and he has been enjoying the finest season of his career to date, with a debut Masters 1000 title in Miami followed by that epic Wimbledon semi-final against Kevin Anderson. The forecast is for hot weather, which will make his serve even tougher to handle.