Top 10 reasons to watch the U.S. Open
Posted by Ravi Ubha, ESPN.com
Editor's note: Beginning Aug. 17, Ravi Ubha unveils the top 10 reasons to watch the 2009 U.S. Open. Check back each weekday until Aug. 28 as we count down to No. 1.
Yes, the usual suspects in American tennis figure to go deep.
Renewed optimism surrounds Andy Roddick following his gritty display at Wimbledon, and Serena Williams is the heavy favorite in the women's draw for the umpteenth time.
But, they have some company in Sam Querrey, who might be ready to make his big breakthrough at a major, perhaps reaching the quarterfinals.
The laid-back Californian is on a roll, going 14-4 since dropping a heartbreaker to the suddenly slumping Marin Cilic at Wimbledon. His spirited performances during the U.S. Open Series include winning in Los Angeles and reaching the final in Indianapolis, backed by the his loyal fan club, the Samurai, similar to, and as vocal as the J-Block. (Tommy Haas, a serious sort, can attest to that.) In today's big bang tennis, Querrey, a feisty loser to Rafael Nadal in the fourth round last year, possesses the requisite huge serve and forehand. He's also worked on his fitness a ton.
James Blake is out of form and missed the Montreal Masters with a foot injury, so he could use the J-Block's hefty encouragement. Good friend Mardy Fish, a quarterfinalist in 2008, is fighting off an abdominal strain.
John Isner and Robby Ginepri, the Indy winner, recently returned from mono and appendix surgery, respectively, which means best-of-five matches will be tough. Who knows, they might be capable of pulling off an upset or two.
Melanie Oudin captivated fans at the All England Club with her march to the fourth round as a qualifier. Now the 17-year-old, armed with a "come on" to rival Lleyton Hewitt's motivational tactics, wants to back it up at Flushing Meadows.
Oudin maintained the momentum by winning three rounds of qualifying, then testing eventual champion Marion Bartoli at the Bank of the West Classic, qualifying for Los Angeles and taking a set off Daniela Hantuchova and claiming a set off Ana Ivanovic in Cincinnati in one of those wacky women's encounters.
