August 25, 2011
Caroline Wozniacki will be the top seed at the US Open. The USTA has a history of following the world rankings when they seed the US Open, so this does make sense.
Wozniacki has earned her No. 1 ranking. Still, don't expect her to actually be the top player when the tournament is over.
Serena Williams is seeded No. 28, which is absurd. Again, it makes sense based on the USTA's ranking history, but there are not 27 players better than Serena.
Maria Sharapova will enter as the No. 3 seed. She has the best chance at winning the US Open.
Yes, Petra Kvitová stepped up and upset Sharapova at Wimbledon in the finals. But are we forgetting how dominant Sharapova was in the buildup to that loss? Sharapova was absolutely dominant throughout her entire run at Wimbledon.
If you’re looking for symmetry, realize that Sharapova’s performances at the grand slams have gotten better every time this year.
At the Australian Open, she made the fourth round. At the French Open, Sharapova made the semifinals. Then, at Wimbledon, she made a run to the finals. There is only one way to improve on that.
Her game is just all around good and consistent. While Cincinnati is not always the best indicator, Sharapova won that tournament this week, showing that her game is at a sharp level.
Without Kim Clijsters in the field, the US Open is wide open. Actually, I would say that even if Clijsters was playing, but she’s the two time defending champion and would need to be recognized as the favorite.
This is Sharapova’s tournament to win. Any given match can end that theory, but don’t expect that to happen.
Wozniacki should be the No. 1 player. There is nothing wrong with the USTA maintaining their reasoning for the seed. Wimbledon goes on past performance, but the US Open never does. That’s fine.
But the No. 1 player is not necessarily the player with the best chance at winning. Sharapova is the true favorite to win her second US Open and fourth overall grand slam.
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