As the US Open builds towards a pulsating climax, Barry Cowan steps up to answer your tennis questions.
Nadal against Federer would be great end to Slam year, says Barry
Entertainment is never in short supply here at Flushing Meadows.
For me, the pick of the matches so far was that incredible clash between Spaniards Fernando Verdasco and David Ferrer in the fourth round.
It had everything you expect of a Grand Slam classic - two guys throwing everything into a high-quality, five-set match and a dramatic fightback from Verdasco, who looked down and out at the start of the third set.
In contrast, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer haven't been pushed yet so they should have plenty left in the locker if we get the dream final that most Americans seem to want. If it turns out that way it will be a great way to end the Slam year.
For the first time this weekend, we'll be showing the
men's and women's semi-finals and finals in 3D at participating pubs and if you get the chance to pop along to your local I strongly advise you to check it out.
3D gives you a great opportunity to feel exactly what it's like to be on the other side of the net from the world's best; you get a real sense of how hard the guys hit it and how fast they move too. All in all, it's very special.
Questions
As ever, I've enjoyed reading all of your questions and comments so keep them coming in and I'll address as many as I can.
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One of the players who has really caught my eye in New York so far is women's top seed Caroline Wozniacki and I agree with you, Jenny Watkins, she is a breath of fresh air - much as Kim Clijsters has been since she returned to the game.
Both are very nice people off the court - they are always approachable and are not dissimilar to Nadal and Federer in the way that they deal with the media.
I must admit that before the tournament I did have some concerns about how she would live up to the tag of being top seed.
So far she has looked mentally secure and has gone about her business in a professional way. There can't be any doubt that she is a great athlete, either.
The true test of her mettle will come when she is placed under intense pressure by one of the top players and she has to change her game as a result.
As well as Wozniacki played against Maria Sharapova, the match didn't have the intensity it could have because the Russian's serve was so inconsistent. I doubt the Dane will be given such leeway if she reaches the final.
Respected
Understandably, many of you have been keen to find out what I think lies in store for Andy Murray after his third-round exit to Stanislas Wawrinka including 'Cookie Cookie' who asked who I think will be the British No 1's next coach.
I can't speak for Andy, but I'll throw Mats Wilander's name into the ring because I think the time is right for Andy to have someone in his corner who has Slam titles under his belt.
Mats is well-respected for what he's achieved and won't be afraid to tell Andy what he might not want to hear when necessary. He has a great knowledge of the game but will go about his business in a quiet way, which will fit in with Andy's personality.
Julian Wilcox emailed in to raise several concerns about Andy's game, pointing out he appears to have the weight of the world on his shoulders, and it's fair to say I haven't met anyone over here who isn't critical of the way Andy behaved in his defeat to Wawrinka either.
As I wrote in
my last column, when the pressure is on or he gets angry Andy has a tendency to revert back to type, to play in a passive way much as he did in Cincinnati. It's a mind-set he has to get away from.
But I don't agree with Derek Henry's suggestion that Andy's title hopes were undermined by poor planning in the build up to the event. In fact, that couldn't be further from the truth.
Across the year as a whole I've felt that Andy has got his schedule pretty much spot on; he's normally very astute at working out which tournaments to play and that's been the case for the most part this season.
His defeat to Wawrinka wasn't about him under-playing or over-playing in the build-up to the US Open, it was about him being unable to accept that sometimes things don't pan out the way he wants them to on court. I've no doubt that he didn't expect Wawrinka to play as well as he did and that knocked him out of his stride.
Personally, I think his US Open hopes ended in Cincinnati where his game took two steps back. He lost all of his momentum at that tournament and wasn't able to recover, where as someone like Nadal has built up a head of steam over a long period of time.
Energy
Matthew Dalk wrote in to say that Novak Djokovic is able to grind out victories even when he is in "a poor frame of mind" thanks to "sheer determination".
It's a great point that Matthew makes - Djokovic is an unbelievable competitor, who has risen as high as No 2 in the world and won a Grand Slam on the strength of his tennis.
He's still going through a rough patch and although he has reached the semi-finals here, I wouldn't say that he's turned a corner just yet.
It seems to me that Djokovic, more often than not, is happy flying under the radar whereas someone like Federer is happy when the whole world expects him to win.
That makes me wonder if Djokovic is strong enough physically and emotionally to perform when it really matters. I haven't seen enough in his game here yet to suggest that is the case.
The encouraging thing this week is that after his first round match against Viktor Troicki, Djokovic has been winning easily and has saved plenty of energy for what lies in store.
Undercooked
Meanwhile, Harry Morris has his own concerns about Andy Roddick after the American's defeat to Janko Tipsarevic - the first time that he's gone out of the US Open in the second round.
I wouldn't say that Roddick has stopped performing, Harry, but I do think he's still feeling the effects of the mononucleosis that he was diagnosed with last month. The virus definitely affected his preparations and as a result he's come into the tournament undercooked.
Overall, I don't think his game has gone backwards - but it's true to say that some of the other guys around him have pushed on. I felt a couple of years ago that Roddick's chances of winning a second Slam had slipped away, but then he almost won Wimbledon last year so never say never!
Roddick's been able to pick himself up after some tough losses in the past and I'm sure that will to win will always be part of his game until the day he stops playing. For all that, though, I'd have to say his chances of adding to his 2003 US Open win are remote.
Finally, a big thanks to Peter Kinsey for your amusing email. I happen to think the music played at the changeovers helps to make this tournament the special event it is, especially during night-time tennis where it really adds to the atmosphere.
In the nicest possible way, the organisers of the US Open don't want to stage another Wimbledon and I can understand their thinking.
After all, wouldn't life be boring if everything was the same?
