By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, August 27, 2015
"I love playing here. I love winning here. That's all I want to do," said Serena Williams at the US Open draw.
Photo credit: USTA/US Open
NEW YORK—A swarm of photographers snapped away at the star of this US Open.
Serena Williams was too busy pushing buttons to notice all the attention. Tapping away on her cell phone with snazzy pink fingernails at the conclusion of today's US Open draw ceremony, the world No. 1 looked a world apart from the frenzy.
The three-time defending U.S. Open champion knows she's the center of attention —and a target for opponents —as she launches her quest to complete the first calendar Grand Slam since Steffi Graf in 1988.
Now the owner of the Serena Slam knows exactly what she faces in pursuit of her 22nd career Grand Slam crown to equal Graf's mark.
Color Serena's potential first-week path to history red, white and brutal.
A loaded top quarter of the draw is an all-American affair that looks like a potential 2016 U.S. Olympic squad. The last woman to beat Williams, No. 12 seeded Swiss Belinda Bencic, stands as a potential quarterfinal opponent.
"Serena's got a brutal quarter, there's no doubt about it," ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert told Tennis Now. "But I'll say what I said at Wimbledon: As long as Serena's in the draw, they're all playing for second place."
The top seed could face a series of top American challengers in succession, with Sloane Stephens in the third round, Madison Keys in the fourth round and possibly two-time US Open champion and big sister Venus Williams in the quarterfinals.
Of course, given the depth of talent in a loaded top quarter, none of those matches are a certainty.
"I really don't have much pressure at stake," said Serena, who practiced earlier this morning and did not take questions from the media at the draw ceremony. "I love playing here. I love winning here. It's all I want to do."
Washington, DC champion Stephens, who upset Williams at the 2013 Australian Open, must first conquer compatriot CoCo Vandeweghe in the opener. Wimbledon quarterfinalist Vandeweghe has won two of three meetings with Stephens. Keys could play former Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska in the third round to get to Serena in the fourth. Venus Williams, who opens against Puerto Rico's Monica Puig, faces a daunting task of beating Bencic in the third round and big-serving No. 8 seeded Karolina Pliskova to set-up a sisterly showdown in the quarterfinals.
First-Round Match to Watch: (29) Sloane Stephens vs. CoCo Vandeweghe
First Quarter Prediction: (1) Serena Williams vs. (12) Belinda Bencic
Second Quarter
Maria Sharapova returns for her first tournament since falling to Serena in the Wimbledon semifinals. Sharapova could get a rude returning welcome. Fast and feisty Daria Gavrilova, who bounced Sharapova out of Miami in March, is the welcoming committee.
Former US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, who opens against Kristina Mladenovic, former US Open finalist Jelena Jankovic and former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic are all experienced contenders in this quarter.
If Ivanovic, who faces 2014 Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova in the first round (they've split four meetings), can tame her sometime wayward serve and skittish nerve, she has the weapons to reach at least the fourth round for the fifth time in her last six appearances in New York.
Reigning US Open doubles champion Ekaterina Makarova has not enjoyed a standout summer and faces pressure of defending her 2014 semifinal points here, but if she's landing her lefty serve and plays all-court tennis with conviction, both the 13th-seeded Russian and 17th-seeded Elina Svitolina could threaten in this section.
First-Round Matches to Watch: Ana Ivanovic vs. Dominika Cibulkova; Maria Sharapova vs. Daria Gavrilova
Second Quarter Prediction: (7) Ana Ivanovic vs. (13) Ekaterina Makarova
Third Quarter
You can call the third quarter of the women's draw an opportunity section. I call it a tough call.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, 2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur, 2014 finalist Caroline Wozniacki, Wimbledon runner-up Garbine Muguruza and former French Open finalist Sara Errani are all contenders to emerge here, but all carry question marks, including Wozniacki, who owns a home in New York City, but has battled a leg injury much of the summer.
The fourth-seeded Dane opens against local favorite and wild card Jamie Loeb, from Ossining, N.Y. Harrison, N.Y. native Louisa Chirico, who reached the DC quarterfinals, is also in this section. Kvitova could face Alekesandra Krunic, who upset her at the 2014 US Open. Muguruza has never won a US Open main draw match and has struggled since her Wimbledon run, so why pick her as a contender in this quarter?
She can do damage off both wings, is a dangerous returner and has been to at least the round of 16 at every Grand Slam this season, including her second straight Roland Garros quarterfinal.
First-Round Match to Watch: (18) Andrea Petkovic vs. Caroline Garcia
Third Quarter Prediction: (4) Caroline Wozniacki vs. (9) Garbine Muguruza
Fourth Quarter
Second-seeded Simona Halep concedes she didn't respond well to her second-seeded status at the Open last year, falling to veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. Working with coach Darren Cahill, Halep is trying to assert her forehand and take charge of the court. She did that effectively advancing to successive finals in Toronto and Cincinnati, the question is will she still have the legs to go deep in New York?
Halep tapped out to Belinda Bencic in the final set of the Toronto final hampered by a left knee injury, nausea and heat-related illness. Can Halep handle the work load and the heat and humidity of New York? First-week forecast calls for temperatures in the low 90s.
The 2014 French Open finalist opens against Marina Erakovic and could face Alize Cornet third round. That is a danger match as Cornet conquered Halep in Madrid and has won three of their four meetings. French Open finalist Lucie Safarova, 2011 US Open semifinalist Angelique Kerber, 14th-seeded Swiss Timea Bacsinszky and Sabine Lisicki are all threats in the final quarter.
Still, watch for two-time finalist Victoria Azarenka, who opens against Czech veteran Lucie Hradecka, to make a move. Three of Azarenka's last four US Open losses were to Serena. The two-time Australian Open champion is a combined 12-1 vs. the three highest seeds in this quarter: 6-1 vs. Safarova, 4-0 vs. Kerber and 2-0 vs. Halep.
Fourth Quarter Prediction: (2) Simona Halep vs. (20) Victoria Azarenka