US Open 2015: Sky Sports' panel of experts make their predictions
Novak Djokovic tipped for second title in New York
Monday 31 August 2015 19:52, UK
As the US Open draws closer, we have asked our panel of experts to make their predictions for the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year...
Who wins the men's title?
Annabel Croft
Novak Djokovic is certainly not coming in with as much form as he would have liked. Roger Federer – you cannot rule him out because the tennis he has been playing has been so exciting. He's playing some of the best tennis I have ever seen him play, it's breathtaking. After watching Andy Murray play in Montreal, I think he's got a great shot at it. If I'm really pushed on it, I might go with Novak Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic has shown over the last year that when the pressure is really on in big matches, he will come to the fore more than the others.
Barry Cowan
I think Novak Djokovic is going to win it. Over the last few years the US Open has always been a slower surface than Montreal and Cincinnati, hence why Djokovic has never won Cincinnati. For Federer, it's a lot easier for him to play Djokovic on a quicker court then at the US Open.
They have a decision to make about quickening up the courts. If it's really quick, then obviously that would shift my views on whether Federer can win it or not. Djokovic has shown over the last year that when the pressure is really on in big matches, he will come to the fore more than the others.
Who wins the women's title?
Barry Cowan
I don't think I would be the only one in saying Serena Williams. My will to see her win is huge, because she's had an amazing year in very difficult circumstances. She knows what has been on the line, she has looked uptight at times, so let's hope that she does herself justice. If anyone is going to beat her will be Victoria Azarenka, but she must be fully fit.
It's hard to see anyone beat her apart from herself, because she's so much better than everybody else.
Greg Rusedski
Serena Williams is going to do the Calendar Grand Slam. I think she is playing so much better than the other women. She likes the hardcourts in New York and I don't really see who is going to threaten her out there. It's kind of like she is destined to get all four in the calendar year. It's hard to see anyone beat her apart from herself, because she's so much better than everybody else.
Annabel Croft
I'm definitely going with Serena Williams. I think she's the overwhelming favourite. She's the one that everyone has got to try and get beyond. She's hit over 400 aces during the course of the year, which is just absolutely, breathtakingly phenomenal. The the biggest problem for anyone facing Serena is that when you get her in trouble she bangs down a couple of aces and gets herself out of it. She will be vulnerable early on but as the tournament unfolds she is definitely the favourite.
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Can Murray win it?
Barry Cowan
Andy can definitely win it. As it stands, he's my second favourite. Obviously if Djokovic loses before they meet, then Andy would really come to the fore. He's had an exceptional year, he's made huge progress and the way he played in that final in Montreal was the best tennis I have seen him play. I think it will definitely be a great US Open for Andy and if he does not win it then it will be like the Wimbledon semi-finals, where someone like Federer plays an amazing match.
That level of play consistently means he is ready to take another Grand Slam title. I think he's very hungry for it as well.
Annabel Croft
I definitely think Murray can win it and I think he's playing more aggressive tennis than I've ever seen him play. It's consistent aggression. His second serve has improved and his fitness is better than last year. He's in a much better place that he was when he got to the semis last year and lost to Djokovic.
He's just so mentally strong. If you look at how he came into the event last year, I don't think he defeated many top-10 players, but he's beaten about eight this year. That level of play consistently means he is ready to take another Grand Slam title. I think he's very hungry for it as well.
Britain's best other hope?
Annabel Croft
Heather Watson has struggled a bit since Wimbledon, maybe that's due to all of the excitement of what went on there. She's great big-match player, she likes going onto the big show courts. She's tough to beat, because she gets so many balls back into play and has definitely taken her game to new heights.
She's surely got to take confidence from pushing Serena, the world No 1, to within two points of defeat at a Grand Slam on the biggest stage in the world. That will have given her an enormous respect and locker room respect. She could do well.
If a bit of luck goes his way, then there's no reason why he cannot reach the third round.
Barry Cowan
For someone like Heather Watson, let's hope that she can have another great Slam like she did at Wimbledon. A lot depends on the draw with the others, it really does. James Ward has been in really disappointing form, apart from Wimbledon, for the last three or months, but it can all change as he showed at Wimbledon if he gets a decent draw. If a bit of luck goes his way, then there's no reason why he cannot reach the third round.
Who else should we keep an eye on?
Greg Rusedski
The guy who is disappointing me a little bit at the moment is Grigor Dimitrov. I would like to see him as a future superstar of the game and try to get things together. There has been a lot of talk about Nick Kyrgios at the moment. We were talking about if Kyrgios and Stan Wawrinka met again, that could be a little bit of fireworks going on. But if I look at guys that I think have a lot of talent – Dimitrov and Kyrgios are interesting players to put out there.
Maybe he was gone away and will come back with a refreshed perspective.
Peter Fleming
Nick Kyrgios was struggling just with the weight of expectation back at Wimbledon. I think it's just multiplied as the summer wears on. Maybe he has gone away and will come back with a refreshed perspective. Ernests Gulbis is a threat, a dark horse perhaps to get to the quarter-finals, but to expect him to go through and win a quarters or a semis, I don't see that. Not this year anyway.
Annabel Croft
I think Belinda Bencic after what she's achieved in the last year, having won Eastbourne and then obviously winning the Rogers Cup – and is the only other player apart from Petra Kvitova to beat Serena Williams. She got to the quarter-finals last year as well. I think she's playing fantastically, she's only 18, and is definitely one to watch.
Somebody that I really love watching, in terms of how he plays his tennis and how he has been very consistent throughout the year, is Dominic Thiem. His style that he brings to the court, he's a very beautiful tennis player, it's very old school and I like his manner on the court as well.
What is your favourite US Open moment?
Peter Fleming
The most exciting one really was Andy Murray beating Djokovic in the 2012 final. That was so exciting for all of us working around him and it was a great moment. That Andre Agassi-Pete Sampras quarter-final in 2001, when it was so electric, they played four sets with no breaks of serve. And the third one, Juan Martin Del Potro beating Federer in the 2009 final. Where did that come from? That was a shock! But Murray is my favourite moment.
It was magnificent to see a guy of that age getting to the semi-finals of the US Open.
Barry Cowan
There is something that has really stuck in my mind and that is Jimmy Connors' incredible effort in reaching the semi-finals as a 39-year-old in 1991. That last-16 match with Aaron Krickstein – to still have one amazing Grand Slam in him at that age when he had so many injury problems is the reason why that's my moment.
Annabel Croft
The Pete Sampras-Andre Agassi quarter-final was unbelievable, just two great rivals going head-to-head, and practically every single set was a tie-break. The place was rocking and rolling, it was New York at it's very best. A great serve volley against a great returner, total opposites with contrasting styles and, in terms of rivals, it did not get much better than that.
Greg Rusedski
I think for me it was a certain guy called Jimmy Connors who had that magical run in 1991, when he was 39 years of age and got all the way to the semi-finals. It was magnificent to see a guy of that age getting to the semi-finals of the US Open. That run was incredible. I was playing a junior event and I remember watching Connors walking around and I was thinking 'this is the greatest thing I've ever seen'.
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