US OPEN PREVIEW

The tennis story of 2011 has, without a doubt, been the rise of The Djoker, Novak Djokovic. For a while he seemed destined to be forever a bridesmaid, lurking in the shadows of one of tennis' greatest rivalries Federer-Nadal. To be the Stuart McGill of men's tennis.

Now suddenly he's broken through a mental barrier (that barrier apparently being gluten, go figure) and now he's the world number one, has two grand slams for the year, and recording some pretty remarkable stats against some extraordinary adversaries. The storied rivalry of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer is now suddenly a threesome. And like all threesomes it's a bit awkward at first, but once you get used to the idea it's pretty damn good.

Tennis is no longer a two-horse race. There are five or six genuine contenders in the pack. So who win?

Djovokic? Odds-wise he's the favourite... Good luck getting anything beyond the $3 mark. But will he win? I say no. To do it he would have to go through both Federer and Nadal, and quite frankly I think that is a big enough mountain to climb as it is, let alone the fact he's carrying a shoulder niggle that forced him to retire hurt against Murray in the recent Cincinatti tournament. I think this shoulder injury will force Djokovic out of this tournament early, at the latest in the predicted semi-final with Federer, but potentially even earlier.

Nadal? Well... with Djokovic out of the running Nadal is the obvious choice. Nadal would ideally meet Murray in the semis. And you know what? I'm taking Murray. Murray seems to rise to the occasion against Nadal, and I'm tipping him to upset Nadal and storm into the final.

So Murray for US OPEN champion? Well no... There's still one man we haven't touched on. The Swiss Master.

With all the attention on the incredible rise of Novak Djokovic Federer has been a little subdued, slipping quietly under the radar. John McEnroe has done his best to ensure all eyes will be on Murray with his bold prediction that Murray would win, and it would seem the chances are running out for Roger to win Grand Slam number 17. His so-called "demise" has been falsely reported for the last few years, pretty much every time he doesn't win a Grand Slam. The reality is he is aging, and the rest of the tennis world has caught up. With the emergence of Nadal, Djokovic, and the upcoming rise of the beast Del Potro Federer's time has, unfortunately ended.

But playing his best tennis I think Roger Federer is still the best in the world. And if he plays his best here, I believe he will win the 2011 US OPEN.

So... Roger Federer to win Grand Slam no. 17 in four sets against Andy Murray. Murray to pull a 'Djokovic' and give up gluten in the aftermath.


WOMEN'S

Let me go on record as saying 'I love women's tennis.' Not just on a superficial level, like most blokes, but as general enjoyment. I think as a spectacle it holds up against the men.

However, women's tennis is a far more inconsistent beast to predict. The field is more even, and there just seem to be a lot of upsets all the time. The three-set format encourages more upsets than the five-set. So where do you start?

The Williams sisters? Nah... too obvious. Whilst they have the power game to obliterate all before them, I think their attitudes let them down. They don't have the steely focus and determined shown by Nadal and Federer.. If they lose, they lose. And they move on. And so shall I.

Sharapova? Meh... To be honest, I didn't like the way she got pushed around by a relative unknown in the Wimbledon final. Plus the shrieking? Please... spare me.

Li Na? Yeah, maybe worth a cheeky fiver. She seems to worm her way amongst the chocolates more often than not.

Dinara Safina? HAHAHAHAHAHA!.. Oh dear.. sorry. Couldn't resist. Even I would have a better chance of winning, and I'm a bloke.

And so my cheeky outsider is Petra Kvitova, the aforementioned relative outsider that put the shrieking Sharapova firmly in her place. I liked the cut of her gib (do girls have gibs?). She plays a no-nonsense, powerful style of tennis, and she seemed to have a good tactical head. And the way she dealt with the pressure of Wimbledon? Remarkable. I almost expected her to pull out a sudoku in the break between ends.

So there you have it. Roger for the win, Li Na for a cheeky fiver, and Petra Kvitova to put the tennis world on notice and claim her second Grand Slam for the year.

Sportingbet odds:

Federer - $5.75
Li Na - $17
Petra Kvitova - $12