American hardcourt battle begins as US Open Series kicks off

The last few days had been the lull before a storm on the tennis circuit. Except for Roger Federer trying out his new racquet and Serena Williams emerging victorious in an International-level event for the first time, the tennis scenario had been bereft of its biggest stars.

The battle of the hardcourts begins today

Today marks the beginning of a brand new battle at hand, a raging storm that will sweep over the tennis world for seven weeks as the US Open Series kicks off at Stanford and Atlanta. New hopes, new aspirations, new answers to plethora of questions – the US Open Series will be extremely intriguing this time after the unpredictable Wimbledon we got to witness.

Is every player eagerly embracing the squeaking and screeching hardcourts right from the beginning after dusting off the last few specks of red dirt and bidding farewell to the picturesque green lawns? Some have chosen the path of rigorous fitness programs while some want to test the waters early. For some it’s been a slow recuperation and rehabilitation while some want to recharge themselves through an idyllic vacation.

Different players have different modes of approach but the goal remains the same for each one – the US Open. And for that reason, Maria Sharapova, in spite of never having triumphed at Stanford, opted to withdraw from the West Coast tournament and immersed herself in quiet practice sessions with her new coach, Jimmy Connors.

On the other hand, Agnieszka Radwanska and Samantha Stosur want to make themselves battle-hardy early in this sizzling American summer and are thus the top two seeds at Stanford.

Defending champion Serena Williams fulfilled her commitment to her last clay tournament at Bastad and is thus a major absentee in the first of the US Open Series events. Wimbledon winner Marion Bartoli expectedly had numerous engagements post her euphoric win at SW19, and she realised she needed more time to gauge herself for the intense hardcourt battles after developing a hamstring niggle.

Naturally, a tournament that has been one of the most awaited WTA events on the calendar has been robbed of star power but the competition will nonetheless be fierce. As Wimbledon taught us the valuable lesson of never underestimating one’s opponent, Bank of the West Classic too can throw up quite a few surprises with the names of Dominika Cibulkova, Daniela Hantuchova and Jamie Hampton lurking in the draw.

That reminds us of another illustrious absentee who we last saw in a match where she grimaced and writhed in pain. Victoria Azarenka, last year’s US Open runner-up is much more at home on the hardcourts and her staunch determination and ferocity have been missed. But the wait will perhaps not be longer as it is learnt that the Belarusian has plans of making the much-awaited return at Carlsbad, the very next event in the series.

Besides, any tennis enthusiast will be anxiously looking forward to see if Sabine Lisicki and Kirsten Flipkens will be able to replicate their thrilling runs on the hardcourts. Both Petra Kvitova and Li Na had stunning results on the North American hardcourts last year and their returns too will receive attention.

Martina Hingis’s return will garner a lot of interest

But even bigger news is being made by a former US Open champion who will be un-retiring once again – Martina Hingis. The latest inductee at the Tennis Hall of Fame still has all the deftness and touch needed on the doubles court and her comeback will garner a lot of interest.

The men’s tour too had been no exception. Clouds of doubts are hovering over the form of two of its legends – Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – and naturally their stepping onto the American courts is hugely anticipated. It was shockingly unbelievable to see two of the game’s most revered stars departing within the first three days of Wimbledon. Rafa didn’t look the part at all – a far cry from his ebullient, relentless self just a couple of weeks back.

Roger didn’t seem to be taking that doomed route early on in his match but when he too floundered, SW19 was left grappling with back-to-back nightmarish outcomes. But then ‘look on the bright side’ as they say, the Spaniard’s knees were presented with an opportunity of an extended and most coveted rest while the Swiss, for the first time in his career, decided to try out a new racquet with 98 square inch head.

Touted to allow him to deliver more power, the racquet took the five-time US Open winner to Hamburg semifinals but how much it permits him to stay toe-to-toe with the younger guys on the hardcourts remains to be seen. Also hoping the maestro’s back trouble, which seemed to flare up in Germany, doesn’t mar his efforts when the defending Cincinnati champion makes his entry in North America.

Meanwhile, how is the smiling assassin, Novak Djokovic, lovingly called the Serbinator, preparing? The man who wowed us with those effortless splits on grass is bonding with his family before he takes the plunge headlong into the waters. Djokovic, as much as he looked off-colour in the Wimbledon final, can never be discounted on the hardcourts and the equation will be more interesting if he is able to defend his title in Canada.

That brings us to the man of the moment, the cynosure of all eyes, Andy Murray who scripted an incredible summer by ending Great Britain’s 77-year breathless wait for a men’s titlist at the All England Club. Britain savoured the delightful result and soaked in Murraymania for days.

Andy Murray

Now, for the first time in his career, Andy Murray comes to a Slam as the defending champion and that must be an exceptional feeling. How much the Scot can channelize his English success into another euphoric ending at Flushing Meadows is undoubtedly the question on everybody’s minds right now.

The above ‘Fab Four’ of men’s tennis will not be present nor will there be any top 20 player when Atlanta welcomes the US Open Series this week. But this ATP event can still boast of a few quality performers like Lleyton Hewitt and John Isner. They will throw down challenge to the rest of the tour early, as will Mardy Fish who will play just his second tournament since the 2012 US Open after overcoming health problems.

The Citi Open in Washington next week will present a more sparkling field with 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro headlining the event. If the Argentine No. 1 can reproduce glimpses of the astounding form he showed at Wimbledon, he will pose threat to many at the year’s last Slam. Challenging him will be the likes of Tommy Haas, Grigor Dimitrov, Gael Monfils and Bernard Tomic.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s knee unfortunately still remains a cause of concern and he will be missed at Washington. Add some more names like Tomas Berdych, Jerzy Janowicz and David Ferrer and the tour will be throbbing by the time it arrives in Canada.

The series will certainly reach its climax in Canada and Cincinnati but the events before that are good enough to provide lots of sparks. Let it all unleash upon us!