U.S. Open draw revealed: Djokovic, Murray in loaded quarter

August 21, 2014 Ricky News 0

The 2014 U.S. Open draw ceremony took place on Thursday afternoon at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are in the same quarter of the bracket, while Roger Federer has an easier path on the other side of the draw.

World No. 1 and Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic finds himself with a difficult road to a possible second U.S. Open title following Thursday’s draw ceremony in New York. The second week of the tournament may prove to be taxing for Djokovic, who is looking to bounce back from third-round losses in both Toronto and Cincinnati.

Djokovic could run into big-serving American John Isner in the last 16. Isner, though, is in line for a third consecutive third-round showdown with Philipp Kohlschreiber. Those two familiar foes faced each other in the last 32 in both 2012 and 2013, with Kohlschreiber winning both times–first in a five-setter and again last summer in a fourth-set tiebreaker. Potential quarterfinal opponents for Djokovic include Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

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If seeds hold to form, Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka would collide in the semifinals for a second straight year. Wawrinka’s section features an in-form Milos Raonic, but it is otherwise remarkably weak. No. 10 seed Kei Nishikori, as usual, is dealing with physical problems. Mikhail Youzhny reached the quarterfinals in 2013 but has slumped throughout this season.

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Federer, meanwhile, is sitting pretty at the bottom of the bracket. Thanks to the absence of nemesis Rafael Nadal, the 33-year-old Swiss was elevated to the No. 2 seed–and it is already paying off. Federer could face Ivo Karlovic in the last 32, but the rest of this section is unimposing. Frenchmen Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils are dangerous, but they are on a collision course for the third round and Federer could not go up against either one until the quarters.

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Among the possible semifinal adversaries for Federer are David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych, Ernests Gulbis, and Marin Cilic. Ferrer’s quarter is the most wide-open and definitely the deepest. The list of legitimate semifinal contenders is plentiful; joining Ferrer, Berdych, Gulbis, and Cilic are Kevin Anderson, Feliciano Lopez, and Gilles Simon. As for the unseeded contingent, Berdych has to open against Lleyton Hewitt and Ferrer could face Bernard Tomic in the second round. Anderson’s second-rounder is likely to come against Jerzy Janowicz, while Gulbis and good friend Dominic Thiem are already just one win away each from being forced to go head-to-head.

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28 Comments on U.S. Open draw revealed: Djokovic, Murray in loaded quarter

  1. This is totally ridiculous! If it weren’t sad it would actually be pretty funny. Federer’s quarter is way too easy and all the threats are in the other half of the draw. I knew they would put Jo in Nole’s quarter. It’s painfully obvious that with one half of Fedal out they are trying every possible thing to get the other half in yet another final. I can see Berdych taking him out though and if not then Nole in the final again. This is embarrassing to the sport. In fact it stinks. Money and ratings and endorsements dominate tennis and it’s getting less fun to watch.

    Reply

    • ^^Agree. He may well not.

      This year he is undoubtedly playing better on H/Cs than he has done for some time but he is also displaying more signs of nerves.

      My guess is the prospect of breaking his own record will prove too much to handle!

      Reply

  4. We could say that the draw was rigged against Rafa at Wimbledon where he had to get past 4 big servers just to get to the QF, whilst Djoko had a virtual W/O in every round.

    Reply

    • Nole had the toughest road to the Wimby final hands down!..

      Rafa made a mess for himself against Klizan and Kukukshkin especially the latter who had anything but a big serve.

      Reply

    • Nole will find his game for the USO and stomp on punchbag and the Federazzi’s desperate attempts to rig his path to 18.

      #NE1ButRF
      #Idemoooo
      #LetsDoThis
      #NoleFam
      #AdjeNole

      Reply

      • I like Muzza, Milos (national pride) and many others but I have to declare my allegiances.

        As long as Fed is in, I will cheer Nole over all comers at this year’s USO as he is the only one who I have faith will stop the federazzi and their false God.

        #Idemooooooooooooooooooooooo
        #LetsDoThis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
        #NoleFam
        #AdjeNole

        Reply

  6. ^^^That’s my thinking too. I’m not at all sure I believe in his ‘poor’ showing at Montreal and Cincinatti.

    #BluffAndDoubleBluff

    Reply

    • I don’t think it’s a bluff.

      He’s had a lot of mental ups and downs losing to Rafa at the FO yet again and then beating Fed in five at Wimby.

      This plus the wedding and baby on the way is enough to temporarily cause the recent let down.

      Nole can find his form as the USO progresses.

      #Idemooooooooooooooooooooooo
      #LetsDoThis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      #NoleFam
      #AdjeNole

      Reply

  7. I’m afraid my default reaction is to be naturally suspicious of most of his explanations. In almost ten years of watching Djokovic I have seen him lose many matches but never seen him look as though he didn’t care one way or the other as happened in Montreal. At Cincy he made a show of frustration but I simply do not believe he was making much effort to right the ship. I still think both those matches were strategic losses rather than his game had fallen apart since Wimbledon.

    Reply

  8. i can NOT believe that that amny voters are picking Roger to win. I am, but I’m usually the only one….is this a late rush to the bandwagon?!!!!

    Reply

  9. I can never root for Djokovic. In the case if Federer and Djokovic played against each other, I would still back Federer over Djokovic.

    Anyway, I am now hoping Andy Murray would win. I also don’t mind Tsonga or the upcoming young guns, except Rosol, to take it.

    Reply

  10. The more I see the draw, the more it makes me to tilt in Nole’s favour. He won’t have the opportunity to let himself dwindle in the tournament. A tough draw will just keep him focussed enough (like Wimby).

    For Fed, I just didn’t wanted to see Jo and Berdych in his half. Glad that he has avoided one of them. Other’s don’t really matter. If Fed is playing well enough, only Nole and an on-fire Tsonga can beat him. No one else in the draw can otherwise present much of a threat to him. Of course if Fed decides to play like last year, a Robredo moment may not be that far away.

    Overall, I do want to see Fed-Nole final. Their matches at the USO have been the main attraction in recent years something that was sorely missed in the past 2 years.

    So for me, Fed’s threats to the title are ;
    1) Nole
    2) Fed himself.

    Reply

  11. I do see that Milos has really improved his consistency and has reached the point where he finally succumbs to those big guys, but as far as troubling the top guys is concerned Kei and Dimitrov have much better chances of doing that ( especially Fed). They are more complete players and can make it physical for their opponents unlike Raonic.

    So, I do believe that Fed will have a much tougher contest from Grigor than he would probably have had against Milos. Fed has been diffusing these big servers throughout his career. The only big servers to take it to Fed have been Berdy, Tsonga and Delpo all of whom like to stay in a rally and explode from the baseline. Milos still needs that element in his game.

    Reply

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