In the Hunt at Flushing Meadows

1. Caroline Wozniacki

Caroline Wozniacki headed into the US Open on a winning streak that had many pundits, myself included, wondering if she would be able to maintain. She had a packed schedule during the summer, but you would not know it if you saw her compete now. After dropping just three games in as many matches during the early rounds, Wozniacki simply pulverized Sharapova in the round of sixteen yesterday.

Is the young Dane sending a message to the world that she is finally ready to live up to the expectations? I think so—-and the only person capable of stopping her might be Kim Clijsters.

2. Kim Clijsters

The pressure of a repeat victory lies solely on the back of Kim Clijsters. But compared to Clijsters 1.0, this relaxed and recharged mother has shown that she can deal with the expectations. Clijsters showed no mercy to Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round and as the tournament continues, expect her to play more aggressively and continue to dominate.

Her next opponent, Samantha Stosur, will be no pushover, but if Clijsters can get into Sam’s head from the early stages of the match, she will score a two sets victory.

3. Venus Williams

Once again, all the attention has been on Venus’ choice in outfits, rather her tennis game. Surprisingly, she is not even being touted as a title contender, making her a dangerous floater in the draw.

Although it has been a long time, Venus Williams knows what it takes to win a major title at Flushing Meadows. She is in the loaded bottom half of the draw, so from here on out, she will have to play near perfect tennis if she wants a shot at the title.

5. Samantha Stosur

Far removed from her old status as a doubles specialist, Samantha Stosur has emerged as a legitimate challenger at every tournament, regardless of the surface. Even if she were to flame out in Flushing Meadows right now, the Australian star has to be thrilled with her achievements this year.

That being said, Sam needs another opportunity to prove that she will not freeze up in a major final, as in Paris. Her next opponent knows a thing or two about pressure (and blanking out in big matches), but if Clijsters and Stosur manage to both bring their “A” games out to play tonight, this could very well turn into the best match of the tournament so far.

6. Francesca Schiavone

She may not win the US Open, but Francesca Schiavone is going to have the time of her life during the attempt. The Italian veteran has been a breath of fresh air this season, and six months ago, who would have guessed that Schiavone could be in the hunt for her second major title?

After her storybook run at the French Open, I believe anything can happen. She is playing Venus in the quarterfinals, which is a very winnable match for her.

7. Vera Zvonareva

The sole Russian in the Top 10, Vera Zvonareva is also the last Russian left alive in the women’s draw. Zvonareva has developed into a very consistent hard-court player, something that most thought we would never see from her. She has gotten a grip on her emotions and is playing the best tennis of her career.

Zvonareva is in the top half of the draw, which looks weaker on paper, despite the presence of Wozniacki. Zvonareva is still one match away from taking a stab at Caroline, and first, she’ll have to get past Kaia Kanepi, who she has never faced before.

31. Kaia Kanepi

The Estonian twenty-five year old has reached the quarterfinal round at back-to-back majors for the first time in her career. She bumped off Jelena Jankovic in two sets during the fourth round, which should give her enough confidence to believe that she has a chance against Vera.

Zvonareva is a legendary opponent on the WTA Tour, so Kanepi is sure to realize that this might be a winnable match if she can seize the momentum from the beginning in hopes that the old Vera begins to crack. I doubt it will happen, though, as Zvonareva might finally have laid those old demons to rest for the last time.

Dominika Cibulkova

Every grand slam has its surprise and this year’s edition has been Dominika Cibulkova. She is appearing in just the second quarterfinal of her career, and she’s already posted some impressive victories at this year’s tournament including beating former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.

At just five feet, three inches, Cibulkova is one of the shortest players in the field, but her lack of height is surprisingly not bothering her on these hard courts. As she could handle the blistering power shots of Kuznetsova, she should not have to worry about being blown off the court by Wozniacki. Still, Caroline’s game is so impressive these days that Cibulkova would have to play the best tennis of her life to beat her.