Ricky’s breakdown of the 32 men’s seeds at the U.S. Open
By Ricky Dimon
With so many players have withdrawn from the upcoming U.S. Open, the list of seeded men is an interesting one. Ricky breaks down the list from 1 through 32, ranking each group of seeds from best to worst in terms of chances at the season’s fourth and final Grand Slam.
1. Rafael Nadal – Nadal is playing well enough to win his third U.S. Open title and second major of 2017, but the jury remains out on his hard-court form.
2. Andy Murray – Murray has not played since Wimbledon due to a hip injury, so his outlook in New York is simply not good.
3-4 in order of U.S. Open chances
3. Roger Federer – If he is 100 percent (and he should be), the reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion is a clear-cut favorite.
4. Alexander Zverev – Zverev has been better than everyone except Nadal and Federer in 2017, so it’s time for him to make real noise at a slam for the first time.
5-8 in order of U.S. Open chances
7. Grigor Dimitrov – Dimitrov is still in search of his first major final appearance and this could be the time to do it based on form (Cincinnati champion) and the field (four of top 11 out).
6. Dominic Thiem – Slam titles–or at least a French Open trophy or two–are in Thiem’s future, but can he do anything on any other surface?
8. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – This U.S. Open is the best opportunity for everyone outside of the Big 4, but Tsonga has not won a match since the Wimbledon second round so he may not capitalize.
5. Marin Cilic – Due to an adductor problem, the 2014 U.S. Open winner has not taken the court since his mental and physical meltdown in the Wimbledon final.
9-12 in order of U.S. Open chances
11. Roberto Bautista Agut – Bautista Agut is an awesome is a stellar 37-15 this season. He will make the second week, but can he beat anyone in the top 10?
12. Pablo Carreno Busta – Carreno Busta has struggled with injuries since his run to the French Open quarterfinals, but he is also capable on other surfaces when healthy.
10. John Isner – Isner would be a trendy pick to make a run at this U.S. Open–except that he can never avoid the long, five-set matches that prevent him from nearing hardware at slams.
9. David Goffin – Since his freak ankle injury sustained near a baseline wall at the French Open, Goffin owns a mere 3-4 match record as he struggles to get back in business.
13-16 in order of U.S. Open chances
14. Nick Kyrgios – All of a sudden, Kyrgios recovered from his recurring hip issue and made an impressive run to the Cincinnati final. With momentum and health, watch out.
15. Tomas Berdych – Berdych took advantage of a favorable draw and an injured Novak Djokovic to reach the Wimbledon semis, but the Czech appears to be past his prime and has slumped to 19th in the world.
13. Jack Sock – Sock has been victimized by bad luck at more than a few U.S. Opens. He has cooled off since a hot start to 2017, so he may underwhelm in New York yet again.
16. Lucas Pouille – The 2016 Pouille who made a run to the U.S. Open quarterfinals ain’t walkin’ through that door. Due in part to physical problems, the Frenchman is 0-3 in his last three matches dating back to Wimbledon.
17-24 in order of U.S. Open chances
24. Juan Martin Del Potro – Del Potro is healthy for the most part, but he was plagued by bad draws early in the year and simply hasn’t played well of late. He could get a good draw in NYC as a top 24 seed.
19. Gilles Muller – The left-handed Luxembourgian is especially dangerous on grass (Wimbledon quarterfinals this summer), but he could also do damage in New York if the courts aren’t too slow.
17. Sam Querrey – Like Muller, Querrey–a Wimbledon semifinalist–can beat almost anyone in fast conditions. A second straight successful major should be in the cards.
18. Gael Monfils – Who knows what kind of physical state Monfils will be in during the next fortnight? He pulled off a miracle against Kei Nishikori in Montreal but then lost to Bautista Agut and withdrew from Cincinnati.
21. David Ferrer – No one is enjoying a greater resurgence over the past two months than Ferrer. The 35-year-old Spaniard took a set off Federer in Montreal and advanced to the Cincinnati semis.
22. Fabio Fognini – Like Monfils, Fognini could either go all the way to the semis or lose in the first round. Who knows? The Italian has played only two hard-court matches since reaching the Miami semis.
23. Mischa Zverev – Court speed slowed down with the arrival of the clay-court swing, and the Australian Open quarterfinalist has never gotten back–not even on grass.
20. Albert Ramos-Vinolas – Ramos-Vinolas is in the midst of his best season on tour, but he is hopeless at the U.S. Open (2-6 lifetime record and zero trips past the second round).
25-32 in order of U.S. Open chances
25. Karen Khachanov – Some top 8 seed may rue the fact that he could face Khachanov as early as the third round. The Russian has cooled off a bit since the French Open, but he is seriously dangerous.
28. Kevin Anderson – If Anderson’s withdrawal from Winston-Salem (elbow) was just precautionary, then he could be a force in New York. He has recovered from other injuries to turn in a nice 2017 campaign.
31. Feliciano Lopez – Lopez always seems to be good for one out-of-nowhere run at some big tournament every season. The conditions in New York may allow him to do just that at the U.S. Open.
26. Richard Gasquet – Gasquet was one 49-ball rally after from beating Zverev in Montreal and preventing the 20-year-old German from eventually capturing the title. That’s still a good showing for the Frenchman.
29. Diego Schwartzman – Schwartzman isn’t going to upset a big-hitting top player, but he also isn’t going to lose to many players ranked below him. As a seed, he should be able to win multiple matches.
30. Adrian Mannarino – Mannarino is lethal on grass, but he is also solid on hard courts. Like Schwartzman, the left-handed Frenchman will beat guys he’s supposed to beat and lose to guys who should beat him.
32. Robin Haase – Haase is not used to being seed at Grand Slams. He shouldn’t be seeded this time around, but a whole host of withdrawals have the 36th-ranked Dutchman at No. 31.
27. Pablo Cuevas – The Uruguayan is always tipped to be a massive threat on clay, but he has never done anything at a big event even on that surface. He won’t do anything at the U.S. Open, either.
2017 US Open Men’s Singles Seeds
1. Rafael Nadal, Spain
2. Andy Murray, Great Britain
3. Roger Federer, Switzerland
4. Alexander Zverev, Germany
5. Marin Cilic, Croatia
6. Dominic Thiem, Austria
7. Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgaria
8. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, France
9. David Goffin, Belgium
10. John Isner, United States
11. Roberto Bautista Agut, Spain
12. Pablo Carreno Busta, Spain
13. Jack Sock, United States
14. Nick Kyrgios, Australia
15. Tomas Berdych, Czech Republic
16. Lucas Pouille, France
17. Sam Querrey, United States
18. Gael Monfils, France
19. Gilles Muller, Luxembourg
20. Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Spain
21. David Ferrer, Spain
22. Fabio Fognini, Italy
23. Mischa Zverev, Germany
24. Juan Martin del Potro, Argentina
25. Karen Khachanov, Russia
26. Richard Gasquet, France
27. Pablo Cuevas, Uruguay
28. Kevin Anderson, South Africa
29. Diego Schwartzman, Argentina
30. Adrian Mannarino, France
31. Feliciano Lopez, Spain
32. Robin Haase, the Netherlands
2017 US Open Women’s Singles Seeds
1. Karolina Pliskova, Czech Republic
2. Simona Halep, Romania
3. Garbiñe Muguruza, Spain
4. Elina Svitolina, Ukraine
5. Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark
6. Angelique Kerber, Germany
7. Johanna Konta, Great Britain
8. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia
9. Venus Williams, United States
10. Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland
11. Dominika Cibulkova, Slovakia
12. Jelena Ostapenko, Latvia
13. Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic
14. Kristina Mladenovic, France
15. Madison Keys, United States
16. Anastasija Sevastova, Latvia
17. Elena Vesnina, Russia
18. Caroline Garcia, France
19. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russia
20. Coco Vandeweghe, United States
21. Ana Konjuh, Croatia
22. Shuai Peng, China
23. Barbora Strycova, Czech Republic
24. Kiki Bertens, Netherlands
25. Daria Gavrilova, Australia
26. Anett Kontaveit, Estonia
27. Shuai Zhang, China
28. Lesia Tsurenko, Ukraine
29. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, Croatia
30. Julia Goerges, Germany
31. Magdalena Rybarikova, Slovakia
32. Lauren Davis, United States
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