In a tournament with 256 entrants and only two champions, the disappointed ultimately outnumber the delighted. Among spectators anywhere on the spectrum from aficionado to casual fan, though, the US Open rarely disappoints. If the Australian open ignites the season and sketches its initial storylines, its fellow hard-court major hosts the denouement to the narratives that have unfolded across three surfaces. After the draining first half, only the resilient competitors summon their deepest energy reserves for a fortnight of lights, cameras, and invariably scintillating action. While this year’s majors have produced predictable results on the men’s side, the women’s draws have lain open to all eager opportunists. Will the twin trends continue? Can those who started 2011 in formidable fashion conclude it in a similarly scorching manner, or will the slow starters prove fast finishers? We cast a glance at the most notable contenders and some of the pretenders, viewed largely through the lens of their past accomplishments in New York. Some appear more primed than others to rekindle their glory at the open, but still others look destined to heal the scars of us open futility. Read on to discover who might flourish – or falter – on the most cavernous arena in the sport.
Andy Murray
Moping through a third-round loss to Wawrinka in 2010, the Scot will return to his favorite major determined to reverse that slight. Once he recovered from disappointment in the Australian Open final, Murray provided one of the clay season’s most intriguing narratives by reaching three semifinals in four tournaments with uncharacteristically opportunistic shot making. If he can bring that mentality to New York, the 2008 finalist will ease through early rounds more efficiently, garnering more free points by not having to depend on counterpunching alone. Opponents will struggle to construct a winning strategy against the Scot, who not only retrieves with seamless movement and unleashes crisp backhands, but also steps into the court with more authority and strikes his forehand more assertively. Less auspicious is the negativity with which Murray still greets adversity against top opponents, such as in his Wimbledon semifinal loss to Nadal, or the second serve that remains more benign (and more often used) than those of his rivals.
Petra Kvitova
Unfortunate to collide with Clijsters in the third round last year, the brash Czech lefty will have earned herself a cozier draw in 2011 by raising her ranking into the top eight after her stirring charge to the Wimbledon title. Reaching the second week at three of the last four majors, Kvitova buttresses her first-strike tennis on a serve designed as much for placement as for power. Like other lefties, she excels at pinning right-handed opponents into their backhand corners with cross-court forehands that open up the court for down-the-line winners. Undeterred by the magnitude of any stage or opponent, Kvitova can slash through a series of several formidable opponents when she catches fire. By reaching the milestone of her maiden major title before peers Azarenka and Wozniacki, she has emerged (for now) as the leading contender among the WTA’s rising stars. Like many first-time Slam champions, however, she may suffer a bout of complacency following her cathartic breakthrough.
Li Na
A first-round victim last year, the Roland Garros champion rose to the occasion in Melbourne and Paris despite her dearth of experience in similar situations and wild inconsistency at non-majors. Having defeated almost all of the WTA’s leading contenders, Li has proven to herself that she can conquer any opponent with her streamlined, unvarnished baseline style. Following such an outstanding first half, she might falter a little early in the second half, as did both of the surprise Roland Garros finalists last year. But both Stosur and Schiavone resurfaced at the US Open, their post-Paris daze dispelled, so Li could do likewise. The faster courts reward Li’s balanced, compact groundstrokes, efficient movement and aggressive court positioning, while the 29-year-old’s experience may carry her past the untested talents that riddle the draw.
Able to preserve her composure more effectively than most, China’s “golden flower” surely will not wilt under the pressure of her surroundings.
Pavlyuchenkova/Petkovic
Honorable mentions to Pavlyuchenkova and Petkovic: These heavy ball-strikers can dictate rallies from both wings of their groundstrokes, and both achieved their first Slam quarterfinals this year, continuing a steady upward trend. Both are mentally sturdier in recent months as they have gained greater experience, and as a result, they can play first-strike tennis on this surface without suffering from their lack of nuance or touch.
Although they must improve their movement before they can win a maiden major, these rising stars have honed solid technique and look likely to establish themselves in the top 10 before long.
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