Federer, Sharapova looking for a boost at the U.S. Open series
The U.S. Open Series is the ultimate platform for a handful of players to salvage a less-than-stellar 2008 campaign. It's up to players like Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova to ratchet up their games.
It seems like only yesterday that Roger Federer's bout with mono was a hot topic of conversation. That was almost six months ago.
The first three Grand Slams of 2008 have whizzed by faster than an Ivo Karlovic ace, so time is running out for those looking to salvage the season.
Here's a few who could use a boost during the "Greatest Road Trip in Sports," the U.S. Open Series, which culminates with the frantic U.S. Open in New York that begins in late August.
Men
1. Roger Federer: Even in a worst-case scenario -- not counting injuries -- who would have thought Federer would be 0-for-3 in the majors this season and no closer to matching Pete Sampras' men's record haul of 14 Grand Slam titles?
The Swiss has claimed a paltry two titles in 2008, and more than a few can't wait to see how he'll react after his "hardest" loss, that epic five-set defeat to Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon final that ended his reign at the All England Club.
With few points to defend the next two months, Nadal is breathing down Federer's neck for the top ranking.
"I'm curious to see how Roger will handle the summer," six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker said in the wake of the London finale.
It appears so.
Maybe the tireless Russian needed some time off, given that his results in majors in 2008 have been uncharacteristically poor. A fourth-round loss down under, a shocking third-round defeat to Ivan Ljubicic at the French Open after holding a two-set advantage and an opening-round reverse at Wimbledon can't be classified as successes.
Davydenko, one of the purest ball strikers around, should be heartened by his title at the hard-court Sony Ericsson Open in April, when he ousted both Nadal and Roddick. He also has reached back-to-back semifinal appearances at the U.S. Open.
6. Andy Roddick: Roddick isn't the sort to bail on commitments easily, whether it's World Team Tennis or a high-profile tourney, so his withdrawal from a WTT encounter in St. Louis last weekend isn't good news. The Austin, Texas, resident cited the "same injury" he's been rehabbing since the middle of May, which presumably means the shoulder malaise that sidelined him at the French Open and must have hindered him and his big serve a tad at Wimbledon.
Assuming he's soon fully healthy, Roddick, who's bypassing the Olympics to gear up for the U.S. Open, needs to crank it up. Those victories over Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic early this season are one thing; exiting in the third round at the Australian Open and second round at Wimbledon are quite another.
8. James Blake: The U.S. Open Series couldn't come fast enough for Blake.
After a strong start to the campaign that included a final-eight showing at the Australian Open, his first Grand Slam quarterfinal outside New York, he went 8-8 from mid-April until the beginning of this week's Indianapolis Tennis Championships.
Here are some better numbers: The go-for-broke baseliner, backed by his fans and affectionately dubbed "J-Block," compiled a 48-15 record with three titles in the previous three U.S. Open Series.
Women
Regardless of the extent of the injury, the elastic baseliner with the improving forehand wasn't expected to seriously contend in London. Grass is not her favorite surface.
Similar to Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jankovic's stellar 36-11 record this season hides the fact that she has trouble winning the big one. Recall that she led eventual champion and countrywoman Ana Ivanovic by a break late in the third set of their French Open semi before faltering.
3. Maria Sharapova: Sharapova has no trouble winning the major events, as evidenced by her dominant display at the Australian Open and going 18-0 to start 2008. So it was bizarre to witness what transpired at the French Open.
The crowd was not taking kindly to the Russian's incessant grunts, and an irate Sharapova blew a match point and fizzled in the fourth round versus Dinara Safina.
Safina was riding a hot streak and is no slouch on clay, but Alla Kudryavtseva?
Sharapova's comedic countrywoman, then ranked outside the top 150, sent her packing in straight sets in the second round at Wimbledon, Sharapova's earliest exit at the All England Club.
4. Svetlana Kuznetsova: Despite her enormous weapons, you can understand if some call the bubbly Russian a one-Slam wonder.
But Kuznetsova did have a good chance to claim a second major at Roland Garros this year; she was handed a comfortable draw, and Justine Henin wasn't around.
So what happened in the semifinals? Kuznetsova put in a dismal display and managed five games against Safina.
And talk about a misleading record of 29-11.
Besides Paris, there were third- and fourth-round losses to clever Pole Agnieszka Radwanska at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, respectively. Her last title was a small one, in New Haven, Conn., the week before the 2007 U.S. Open. (Hungarian Agnes Szavay retired after winning the first set.)
Perhaps memories of her 2004 U.S. Open championship can spur Kuznetsova.
5. Serena Williams: Injury-free, in shape and seemingly motivated, Williams was the hottest player on the women's tour when Henin abruptly called it quits in May. She hasn't been able to keep it going.
Williams recovered from her unexpected loss to steady Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik in the third round of the French Open by making the Wimbledon final -- that was the good news. The bad news is that she squandered a break advantage deep in the first set against older sister Venus and never really recovered.
Trying to stay busy to help ease the disappointment, Williams is featured in World Team Tennis and entered this week's Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Calif.
Ravi Ubha is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com.
