US Open 2014: Experts' picks for the women's draw

Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams

The tennis experts of Sportskeeda look ahead at the 2014 US Open by making picks for the women’s draw in four categories: dark horse, early exit, dangerous floater, and champion.

1. Dark horse

Adnan Akhtar: Caroline Wozniacki has had a difficult year on the personal front, but she has bounced back remarkably to win in Istanbul and progress to the business end of the tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati. Her newfound aggression could finally give her that elusive Grand Slam trophy at this year’s US Open, or at least help her make a serious run.

Aditya Ramani: I’m going to go with The Elder Sister, Venus Williams. The Williams are always hard to ignore and it is especially hard to ignore Venus's victory over Serena two weeks ago. Home crowd cheering the elder warrior all the way? I like the thought of that.

Jai Prakash: It has been a tough year for Victoria Azarenka, but she can up her game come the Grand Slams. The former World No. 1 had to be content with the runner-up trophy the last two years and will look to go one better this time.

Kapil Patwardhan: Caroline Wozniacki seems to be getting into form at the right time. The former world number one has had a decent run-in towards the US Open. Whether she can challenge the likes of Williams and Sharapova remains to be seen, but she can prove to be a strong force for most of her opponents.

Musab Abid: Does Venus Williams have another grand Slam run in her? It’s easy to say think that time has run out for the 34-year-old veteran, but her recent play has actually made it seem like she has turned back the clock. She defeated younger sister Serena in Montreal on her way to the final, and produced the match of the year at Wimbledon against eventual champion Petra Kvitova. The rest days between matches at the Open should help, and so should her draw; one last successful US Open campaign may be exactly what the 7-time Slam champion has on her mind as she takes the court at Flushing Meadows.

Roh: Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki has put her personal problems aside and has rebounded well on the professional tour. Seeded 10th, the 24-year-old looks reinvigorated and will be a player to watch out for.

SivaramL: Sloane Stephens is known for her good runs at Grand slams but of late, she is also getting known for throwing mid-match tantrums, losing concentration and playing below her potential. She would like to correct that all of that and the draw seems to be open for her achieve exactly that.

2. Early exit

Adnan Akhtar: Sara Errani would be my pick for the player to get knocked out early at Flushing Meadows. The Italian has had a disappointing run in the tournaments in North America and will have some tough opponents early on in the form of Kirsten Flipkens and possibly Camila Giorgi.

Aditya Ramani: I’ll be candid about this pick and say that I'm clueless which player is going to find the exit first. But for no logical reason whatsoever, I'm thinking it'll be either Simona Halep or Eugenie Bouchard. And going by the stiffness of their draws, I'll pick Halep.

Jai Prakash: She was ousted in the second and first rounds at Toronto and Cincinnati respectively and her bad run of form will likely be extended at the U.S Open. Dominika Cibulkova will not make it to the second week.

Kapil Patwardhan: Despite her impressive display at the Australian Open this year, Dominika Cibulkova’s form has consistently deteriorated over the past few months. After crashing out of the competition in the first round last year and having only made the third round at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, it seems unlikely that Cibulkova will make it past the first week at Flushing Meadows.

Musab Abid: Petra Kvitova gave everyone a pleasant surprise with her impeccable Wimbledon performance this year, but it’s hard to see her repeating that kind of form in New York, where she has always struggled. This is the only Slam where the Czech has never reached the quarterfinals, and it’s easy to see why: the boisterous crowds make her jittery, and the atmosphere is not kind to her allergies. If Madison Keys manages to make it to their slated third round match, there could well be an upset.

Roh: Injury problems saw Victoria Azarenka pull out of the tournaments leading to the US Open. Though the Belarusian features in the draw, seeded 16th, it still remains doubtful whether she will be able to go deep into the fortnight.

SivaramL: Choosing Victoria Azarenka or Caroline Wozniacki would be a bit too mean considering the times they have been going through, and it is for this senseless reason that I wish to choose from among other alternatives. I dare to predict that Simona Halep will get upset early. I don't think the weight of the No. 2 seed is something she can handle this early in her career, especially at a tournament where she hasn't made it to the last eight in four attempts.

3. Dangerous floater

Adnan Akhtar: Camila Giorgi had an impressive run at last year’s US Open, managing to reach the fourth round. The Italian has found form just before this year’s tournament, defeating Caroline Wozniacki on way to the semifinals of the Connecticut Open. She could give a scare to some of the higher ranked players in the coming two weeks.

Aditya Ramani: This has to be the toughest pick. I was tempted to pick Julia Goerges for a long time but the bucketload of seeds in her path convinced me otherwise. Momentum is something you want to give your pick so that they make it to the second week at least. Going by this alone, I'd pick Daniela Hantuchova.

Jai Prakash: She knocked out Caroline Wozniacki in Connecticut this week. Camila Giorgi has the game to overcome players ranked above her in big matches.

Kapil Patwardhan: The 18-year-old Donna Vekic won her first title in Malaysia this year. Although she has not fared well at Grand Slams so far, Vekic has sufficient potential to cause a few upsets.

Musab Abid: When will Caroline Garcia start being seeded at the Slams? The uber-talented Frenchwoman has threatened to have a breakthrough run at a Major for a long time, but so far she hasn’t managed to get her ranking high enough to earn a seed. This year, she is in a decidely unthreatening section of the draw, and the two seeds in her path before the quarterfinals – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Ana Ivanovic – would do well to be on their toes.

Roh: With numerous options swirling around considering the way youngsters have performed in the US Open series events, picking a dangerous floater was really tough. After plenty of contemplating, Shelby Rogers is the name that struck out as one that could upset a few seeded players at the Open, keeping in mind her victory over Eugenie Bouchard recently.

SivaramL: The players on my shortlist were Belinda Bencic, Garbine Muguruza (who I then noted was seeded), the off-the-radar Kazakh girl Zaina Diyas and Camila Giorgi of Italy. I pick Giorgi because she is enjoying her best few weeks on the tour and had quite a run at the US Open last year, reaching the round of 16.

4. Champion

Adnan Akhtar: Serena Williams has won the most number of titles among both men and women this year. Unfortunately for her, none of them is a Grand Slam. Despite entering each Major as the overwhelming favorite, the world number 1 has failed to add to her kitty of 17 Slams this year. After a win in Cincinnati, however, the American looks in good form to break that streak and would be gunning to defend her title at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Aditya Ramani: Its hard to think of anyone beyond Serena Williams. Despite a season of shockingly early exits, Serena is still miles ahead of her contemporaries. And her recent showing at Cincinnati, where she defeated five players of good quality, makes the decision all the more easy.

Jai Prakash: It has not been a great year for Serena Williams thus far, as she has failed to add a single Major to her collection. The No. 1 seed looked in terrific form in Toronto and Cincinnati, winning the latter against Ana Ivanovic. She could be tested in the fourth round against Sam Stosur, but the American seems primed to defend her title successfully.

Kapil Patwardhan: With a favourable draw and a point to prove, Serena Williams is a strong contender to win her 18th Major. Having reached the finals for the past three years and winning the past two, Williams has shown she plays her best tennis at the US Open. Her immense strength added with home support will help Williams fend off the competition.

Musab Abid: Maria Sharapova has been struggling to close out three-setters lately, but if manages to avoid those in the early going, she could build up a head of steam and become hard to stop. She continues to have a Serena Williams problem, yes, but I have a feeling Serena is going to end 2014 Slam-less (that’s got to happen some time, right?). And if Serena falls early, I can’t think of anyone other than the Russian who can take full advantage.

Roh: Top seed and defending champion Serena Williams has managed to shed that aura of discomfort around her that had been plaguing her all year, as she produced her best match in a long time to defeat Ana Ivanovic in the Cincinnati final. Her rejuvenated play along with a relatively easy draw makes Serena the overwhelming favourite to win her 18th Major.

SivaramL: In the 'who will reach 18 first?' race between Roger Federer and Serena Williams, I feel Serena has the better chance to win. For someone like her, the battle is more within than it is without. The need of the hour for her would be to get it done at the US Open just so that she can wipe off the bad memories of her dismal outings in the three Slams this year, and she is more than capable of doing exactly that.