First Look at the US Open Main Draw

The United States Tennis Association announced the 2008 US Open main draw on Thursday at The New York Times Center in New York City.

All the best players on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour are headed for Flushing Meadows, with the notable exception of Maria Sharapova. The 2006 champion has withdrawn because of a shoulder injury.

The top half of the draw contains world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, Serena Williams, Dinara Safina, Venus Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska, and Amelie Mauresmo.

Former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic is leading the second half, along with Svetlana Kuznetsova, Beijing gold medalist Elena Dementieva, Vera Zvonareva, Anna Chakvetadze, and Lindsay Davenport, who is playing in her first US Open since giving birth to son Jagger in 2007.

Venus and Serena Williams could potentially meet in the quarterfinals, spoiling an opportunity for an all-Williams championship match.

First Look at the Top Eight Seeds

(1) Ana Ivanovic (First Round: Vera Dushevina)
Ana Ivanovic heads to the US Open as the top seed for the first time in her career, but her run might be spoiled early by a thumb injury, which also forced her out of the Olympics. According to Ivanovic’s official website, she has brought her doctor with her to Flushing Meadows.

Ivanovic is assured of remaining in the top spot until the end of the two-week tournament, but the Serb needs a solid run to help her stay ahead of the three or four women aiming to end the season as No. 1. Ivanovic has a very difficult draw that could include a third round meeting with Amelie Mauresmo.
Prediction: Quarterfinals

(2) Jelena Jankovic (First Round: Coco Vandeweghe)
Unlike her younger countrywoman, Jelena Jankovic still has some unfinished business to settle this season. This is her last chance to reach a Grand Slam final in 2008, an achievement needed to help justify her rise to number one.

Jankovic has an uncanny ability to choke or get injured in big matches, something that must stop if she wants to be considered a serious contender. She lost nine straight matches to Justine Henin, but since Henin retired, Jankovic has not come close to winning the first major of her career.
Prediction: Semifinals

(3) Svetlana Kuznetsova (First Round: Qualifier)
Champions come and go, rankings rise and fall, and Svetlana Kuznetsova remains a consistent presence at the top of the women’s tour. That is not to say that Kuznetsova has been playing the best tennis of her career, because she emphatically has not. She lost in the opening round of the Olympics to Na Li last week and has only won two matches since Wimbledon.

Kuznetsova, the 2007 finalist at the US Open, is in the weaker half of the draw and should be able to make a decent run into the second week. Lucie Safarova lurks as a potential second round opponent, but Safarova is currently stuck in a slump of her own.
Prediction: Quarterfinals

(4) Serena Williams (First Round: Kateryna Bondarenko)
Fate dealt the Williams sisters a cruel blow because after Maria Sharapova withdrew, Venus and Serena landed in the same quarter of the draw. After the brilliant all-Williams final at Wimbledon, it’s hard to get excited for a Venus vs. Serena quarterfinal. Still, this is tennis and we are talking about the Williams sisters–not the most consistent of players–so it will be wise to take this just one match at a time.

Kateryna Bondarenko is not as dangerous as her sister Alona, but the younger Bondarenko sibling will head into this match with a score to settle. Venus and Serena cost the Bondarenko ladies a spot in the Beijing Olympic doubles final, something that is not easily forgotten. If Serena is sluggish in her opening match, unlikely given that she burned off any lingering rust last week in Beijing, Kateryna might be able to win a few games.
Prediction: Champion

(5) Elena Dementieva (First Round: Akgul Amanmuradova)
After Venus Williams denied her the gold medal eight years ago in Sydney, Elena Dementieva finally tasted a major triumph Sunday at the Beijing Olympics. Could this give her the motivation to take her career a step further by winning a Grand Slam? That is anyone’s guess, but I still believe that Dementieva has a major victory deep inside her.

The time is ripe for a Dementieva victory, especially with the absence of Henin and Sharapova. She has an excellent draw and could easily reach the quarterfinals against Svetlana Kuznetsova–if her erratic countrywoman makes it that far. Jelena Jankovic lurks in the semifinals, but after playing six matches in a row, Jankovic might be walking wounded again.
Prediction: Runner-up

(6) Dinara Safina (First Round: Qualifier)
The one blip on Dinara Safina’s stellar summer results was the Beijing Olympic final, albeit she did push Dementieva to three sets. She reached her first major in May at the French Open and although that was on clay, Safina is an agile all-court player, more than capable of winning a major on hard courts.

Safina is in the star-studded first half of the draw, but not in the same quarter as Venus and Serena. Given the uncertain status of Ivanovic’s thumb, Safina would be favored to emerge out of the top quarter and into the semifinals.
Prediction: Semifinals

(7) Venus Williams (First Round: Samantha Stosur)
Out of all the top seeds, Venus Williams was handed the toughest opening match on paper. Australia’s Samantha Stosur is a former No. 1 doubles player, and a very capable foe in singles. Instantly recognizable by her ever-present sunglasses, Stosur could be capable of upsetting this year’s Wimbledon champion in the first round.

Venus has remarkably never lost at the US Open before the fourth round, but if she starts tentatively, history might be rewritten by the comeback Australian.
Prediction: Quarterfinals

(8) Vera Zvonareva (First Round: Barbora Zahlavova Strycova)
Zvonareva helped complete Russia’s sweep of the Olympic medals in Beijing by beating Na Li for the bronze medal. This season has been a remarkable comeback for Zvonareva. She has completely turned her career and on-court demeanor around, proving that she has what it takes to battle the best players in the world.

The Czech Republic’s Barbora Zahlavova Strycova is an unfamiliar face to many fans, but the twenty-two year-old enjoyed solid results as a junior, including two Australian Open singles titles.
Prediction: Quarterfinals

Other must-see first round matches include (23) Lindsay Davenport vs. Stanford champion Aleksandra Wozniak, (24) Shahar Peer vs. Na Li, and (32) Amelie Mauresmo vs. Nathalie Dechy.

To view a real-time copy of the 2008 US Open draw, please visit www.usopen.org. On the Baseline’s live coverage of the tennis season’s final Grand Slam begins next week!

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