tennis gut

The main reasons the 2022 US Open draw feels so open is that Novak Djokovic is not here and Rafael Nadal has been injured.  Factor in that Alexander Zverev is absent and Daniiel Medvedev is in poor form, and we can dare to dream of a new slam champion.   First Quarter Daniil Medvedev is the number one seed and the defending champion.  He thrives on hard courts and has made the final in two of the last three US Opens and in the last two Australian Opens. This is his best part of the calendar.  But he’s having a sub-par year.  He’s been averaging a little over three titles a year for the last four years, but since last year’s US Open, he’s won only one, and lost in five finals.  It’s not terrible, it’s just not as good as we’ve seen him. So that makes him not as strong a favourite as he might otherwise be.  But who can beat him?  And will he play into form? Nick Kyrgios (23) beat Medvedev at the Canadian this year and owns their head-to-...

  Despite the fact that world #1 Iga Swiatek has double the WTA ranking points of her next closest competitor, she doesn’t seem at all the favourite for the upcoming US Open.  It really feels like there is no favourite. Or maybe 20 of them. Swiatek’s odds were listed at 4.5 (or +350) before the draw, but as of Sunday night they have lengthened to 5.0 (or +400) with Simona Halep second at 8.5, and Caroline Garcia and Coco Gauff next at 17.   In the official rankings, Halep is #7, Gauff #12, and Garcia #17, which shows the wild state of the women’s game. Since the last win of her early-year 37-match win streak, Swiatek has gone 4-4 win-loss.   Hardly encouraging.   Meanwhile Elena Rybakina won Wimbledon, and Halep and Garcia took the 1000’s in Canada and Cincinnati.   Regardless, SOMEone has to be the favourite, and I appreciate the bookies’ frustration in making it Swiatek.   Former champions in the draw include Serena and Venus Williams, Sloane...