With the start of the Rogers Cup, the tennis world begins the push towards to last major of the year, the US Open. All of the top men and women make the trek up north, the men to Montreal and the women to Toronto. For the men, it's all about the Big Three, Andy Murray, and their preparation for the last major of the year. For the women, it's a much more wide open affair, with many players looking to make a statement leading up to the US Open. Serena Williams is looking to show that she really is back, Kim Clijsters that she is fully healed after an injury, and Caroline Wozniacki looking to justify her number one ranking are all storylines on the women's side, but if there's one thing the WTA has shown, it's that anyone with the talent, desire, and the right breaks can make a breakthrough. After the jump we'll look at both events, half by half.
Rogers Cup- Men
First Half
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are in this half, and both look to have a fairly easy draw to the semifinals. On Djokovic's side, the other top seed is Gael Monfils, not known for his hard court play. One player that could give Djokovic trouble is Juan Martin del Potro, who would play Djokovic in the Third Round. Del Potro has the potential to give any top player fits, and, being the 2009 US Open champion, he has the hard court pedigree, but it doesn't quite seem like he's back yet, and as such, Djokovic should handle him. On Federer's side, the other top seed is Nicolas Almagro, a clay court specialist. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the man who beat Federer at Wimbledon, is also there, so that would make for a very intriguing match.
Second Half
This half is where it gets more interesting. In one quarter there is Andy Murray and Mardy Fish, with Wawrinka, Youzhny, and Gulbis lurking. In the other quarter are Nadal, Verdasco, Simon, and Berdych. Nadal should get through, but Murray's task is much more challenging. However, Murray is the two time defending champion, so if he's playing his best, there's no reason to think he can't get out of the quarter. (Update: Murray crashed and burned against Kevin Anderson. The post was written before the events of the day)
Predictions
Semifinals: Djokovic def. Federer, Nadal def. Murray
Finals: Djokovic def. Fish
Rogers Cup- Women
First Half
The entire women's draw is wide open. In the first half you have Wozniacki, Zvonareva, Stosur, Radwanska (who just won Carlsbad), Kvitova, Petkovic, and Li. Wozniacki, for all of her faults at majors, is number one in the world for a reason, and she shines in these types of events. If anyone can stop her it will probably be Zvonareva, who has the ability to hit right through her if she's on and Wozniacki has a bad day. The most interesting player to look for is Petra Kvitova, who's coming off her Wimbledon victory with many more eyes on here wondering if she's going to be a major player on tour.
Second Half
This half is all about two women, Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams. Both are coming off injuries, and they are scheduled to meet in the third round. This tournament should do a lot to show how far each are along in their comebacks. The fourth seed is Victoria Azarenka, and she has a relatively easy draw until a potential quarterfinal berth with Maria Sharapova. That match should be very interesting, if one watches it on mute, of course.
Predictions
Semifinals: Wozniacki def. Zvonareva, Williams def. Azarenka
Finals: Wozniacki def. Williams
No comments:
Post a Comment