Medvedev

Key Players To Watch For At The 2022 U.S. Open

August 24, 2022 by tennisbloggers Leave a Comment

The year’s fourth and final grand slam gets underway on Monday 29th August with much to compete for at the US Open.

Defending men’s champion and world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev returns to grand slam action after being banned from competing at Wimbledon, however the unvaccinated Novak Djokovic and world number 2 Alexander Zverev are unlikely to be present. Despite this the markets have Djokovic as one of the favourites despite him not being expected to play. You can find the best in spread betting odds for Flushing Meadows here.

Daniil Medvedev

The world’s top-ranked player won his first grand slam at last year’s Open, defeating Djokovic in straight sets. Medvedev was absent from Wimbledon due to his Russian nationality however he has retained his number 1 rating as no ranking points were awarded for the Championship. Looking to be the first men’s player to retain the US Open title since 2008, he will become de facto favourite for the event once Djokovic is confirmed absent.

Carlos Alvarez

The US Open in 2021 was the first in ALvarez’s career, yet he still managed to make the quarter-final in an impressive debut performance. WInning on the hard-court surface at the Miami Open this year bodes well for the 19-year old Spaniard, who has both the health and fitness to confirm his status as Tennis’ next global superstar.

Rafael Nadal

The injury that forced Nadal to pull out of his Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios looks to have been cleared and it will be his first time at the tournament for two years having been absent in 2021 and 2020 through injury. Needless to say, Nadal’s chance of victory rests on his health through multiple matches at Flushing Meadows.

Taylor Fritz

The 24-year old American is close to having his breakout win. Fritz pushed Djokovic to five sets in the 2021 Australian Open third round, Tsitsipas to five sets in the 2022 Australian Open fourth round and Nadal to five sets in the quarter-finals of WImbledon 2022. Inching closer, he has the serve, power on both backhand and forehand and is gaining confidence with the more high-rankin matchups. He could be a surprise package in a fascinating US Open.

Iga Swiatek

Although the women’s side of the tournament appears more open (at least in betting circles), Swiatek is the favorite to achieve victory at the US Open. The world number 1 who went on a 37-match winning streak that ended on her weakest surface at Wimbledon, is in tremendous form. With two French Open titles under her belt already she looks primed to make the US Open her third grand slam title.

Emma Radacunu

The defending US Open champion won last year as an 18-year old, but has found it a struggle with injuries and at major tournaments this year. No doubt she will be glad to be back on hard surfaces once again as she looks to finish her season off with a bang. She finally started to show some impressive form dispatching Victoria Azarenka and Serena WIlliams at the Cincinnati Masters in preparation for Flushing Meadows.

Jessica Pegula

The top ranked American’s performances have gone somewhat under the radar this year and she is currently third in the race for the WTA Finals, behind only Swiatek and Ons Jabeur. Pegula has only reached the third round of the US Open, although she has made the quarter-finals of two majors this year. The 28-year old has had one of the best seasons of her career showing steady improvement in her game and achieving personal records. Her quest for a maiden Grand Slam is very much on the cards.

Naomi Osaka

This season has been a struggle for Osaka. The 24-year old four-time Grand Slam champion has won twice before in New York and were she flying on all cylinders would be one of the shorter price favourites. Life in the limelight has taken its toll on the former world number 1, who has opened up about issues with mental health that caused her to take a break from sport last year. Injuries have plagued her in 2022, having to retire with back issues from her US Open tune-up in Toronto recently.

Serena Williams

Serena’s imminent retirement from the sport she has graced with her talent will ensure that this will be a US Open to remember. Williams evolved the game with her power, precision and mindset, leaving rivals no choice but to catch-up if they ever wanted to compete for grand slam titles. She has won at New York six times and since the last of her 23 grand slam triumphs in 2017, there have been 13 different champions across the four majors. Playing at home in her final tournament one should not count Serena completely out of the running, it would be a massive finale were the 41-year old to turn back the clocks for one final occasion.

Rafael Nadal Beats Daniil Medvedev In Third-Longest U.S. Open Final

September 9, 2019 by tennisbloggers

Rafael Nadal overcame a near comeback for the ages from first-time major finalist Daniil Medvedev to claim his fourth US Open title and 19th career major title on a night of high drama on Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

Taken to a fifth set after leading by a break in the third, Nadal held on for a 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 victory in four hours and 49 minutes, the third-longest men’s final ever at the U.S. Open, just five minutes shy of the longest U.S. Open final in history. Both the 2012 final where Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic and the 1988 final where Mats Wilander beat Ivan Lendl lasted longer, each at four hours, 54 minutes.

The Spaniard broke down in tears shortly before the trophy ceremony as the screens around Arthur Ashe Stadium paid tribute to his 19 major titles, just one shy of Roger Federer’s 20, the current men’s singles record haul.

“This victory is so important for me, especially as the match became more and more difficult,” Nadal said during the trophy presentation. “I was able to hold the nerves. They were so high. It was a crazy match and I’m just very emotional.

“It was an amazing final. Daniil is only 23 years old, and the way he was able to fight and change the rhythm of the match was amazing. He will have many more opportunities like this.”

Nadal led Medvedev by two sets and a break and was seemingly on course for a second straight-set victory over the Russian in a month, having cruised to the Rogers Cup title in Montreal in their first encounter for the loss of just three games.

But even at that stage the match was far closer than Nadal’s lead suggested, and when Medvedev broke straight back to level up at 3-3 in the third the crowd energised the 23-year-old, who ramped up the aggression and produced some of his best tennis to break once more and force a fourth set.

Nadal fended off a break point early in the fourth but after failing to find a way through himself, he was undone in the 12th game as Medvedev forced a decider, cheers from the stands flooding down for both men as the match approached its fifth hour.

The Russian’s serve and forehand had dragged him back into the contest, but the physical cost began to catch up with him in the fifth as he had work on his left thigh, already taped ahead of the match. Nadal was quick to take advantage, breaking twice to move 5-2 up with the chance to serve for the title.

Again, Medvedev refused to go quietly. Breaking to stay in the final, he survived two match points at 3-5 and even brought up a break-back point at 5-4. But Nadal was not to be denied, collapsing to the court after Medvedev’s final return sailed long to seal victory.

“Because of the crowd, I was fighting like hell,” Medvedev said. “In the third set, in my mind, I was already thinking what to say in the speech. I didn’t give up, but unfortunately it didn’t go my way.”

Nadal now joins John McEnroe with four US Open titles, trailing only Federer, Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras on five – and this, his first five-set final win in New York, will live long in the memory.

“The last three hours of the match were very, very intense,” Nadal said. “Very tough mentally and physically, too. The crowd has been as always amazing, all these facts that make the moment super special. It was an unforgettable moment.

At the same time Daniil created this moment, too. The way that he fought, the way that he played, he is a champion. Just well done for him. I really believe that he will have many more chances.

“The way that the match became very dramatic at the end, that makes this day unforgettable, part of my history of this sport. I’m just very happy. This trophy means everything to me today.”

Sabalenka, Medvedev Win Summer-Ending US Open Series Titles

August 26, 2018 by tennisbloggers

Twenty-year old Belarussian Aryna Sabalenka wrapped a breakout summer by winning her first WTA title at the Connecticut Open on Saturday.

Sabalenka beat Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-1, 6-4, on Saturday in New Haven, putting a ribbon on a US Open Series campaign that also saw her notch three Top-10 wins, reach the semifinals at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati and break into the Top 20 for the first time.

Sabalenka joins Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas — who beat four Top-10 players to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final at Rogers Cup in Toronto — as the 2018 US Open Series’ Breakout Performers.

Daniil Medvedev, a 22-year old from Russia, won his second career ATP title, both of which have come in 2018, at the Winston-Salem Open in North Carolina, defeating American Steve Johnson, 6-4, 6-4.

Medvedev begins his US Open campaign against fellow Russian Evegeny Donskoy on Monday. Sabalenka plays American Danielle Collins on Tuesday.