US Open 2013: The contenders, the young guns and the veterans

The final grand slam of the season gets underway in New York today. The US Open offers $34.3 million in prize money, with more than a 30 per cent increase for players across rounds as compared to last year. Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams have the chance to earn $3.6 million ($2.6 million for the US Open champion and a $1 million bonus for winning the Emirates Airlines US Open Series) – the biggest single day payout in the history of game. Here are some of the stories to keep an eye on from Flushing Meadows over the next two weeks.The Men: The post-Wimbledon swing has been all about Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard is on a 15-match winning streak on hardcourts but how his knees hold up during seven best-of-five set matches remains to be seen. World no. 1 Novak Djokovic and defending champion Andy Murray have not had the best preparations heading into New York, with neither of them making a hardcourt final during the American summer, and are placed in the same half of the draw. But the biggest questions will be asked of Roger Federer. Now 32, and down to no. 7 in the world, the Swiss badly needs a decent showing in New York. Anything short of a quarter-final finish (where he could meet Nadal for the first time in New York and the 32nd time in their careers) will send the obituary writers into overdrive. Juan Martin del Potro, the only player besides the Big Four to win a slam in the last 34 majors, is also in the mix, as is the remaining cast of the ATP second tier (David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych) and a bunch of youngsters — 20-odd year olds Milos Roanic, Grigor Dimmitrov, Kei Nishikiori, Jerzy Janowicz and Benoit Paire.[caption id="attachment_1060617" align="alignleft" width="380"]Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal. Getty Images[/caption]The Women: Maria Sugarpova may have dominated the headlines in the week prior to the Open, but this fortnight, much of the attention will be focused on world no. 1 Serena Williams and world no. 2 Victoria Azarenka. Williams, who turns 32 next month, is aiming to win in New York for the fifth time and is in prime position to end the year as world no. 1. But if she fails to add to her grand slam tally in New York, she and us would consider her one-slam season a disappointment. Azarenka, on the other hand, has established herself as the biggest challenger to Serena’s throne. The Belarusian has won two of their three meetings this year and can certainly hold her own tennis-wise and mental toughness-wise against the American.Besides these two, there is the cast of usual suspects from where an unlikely finalist or champion could always emerge. Li Na, Petra Kvitova, Samantha Stosur would hope to win their second grand slam title while Agnieszka Radwanska, Sara Errani and Caroline Woznaicki would be aiming break their grand slam drought. There’s a whole bunch of youngsters rising in the women’s game to keep an eye on — 20 year old Sloane Stephens (due to meet Serena in an eagerly-awaited fourth round clash), 19 year olds Laura Robson, Eugenie Bouchard and Monica Puig, 18 year old Madison Keys and 17 year old Donna Vekic.The Golden Slam: One of the more underrated stories going into New York is the Bryan Brothers' attempt to win a calendar year grand slam. The 35 year old American twins are already the reigning champions at all the four slams and the Olympics; and are now just six wins away from becoming the first duo to win all four majors in the same calendar year since Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman did it in 1951. The Bryans already have more grand slams and doubles titles than any other team in the history of the sport. So it’s no wonder this is how they feel: "It just feels like we’re adding nuts and whipped cream and cherries to our great career. We said that a few years ago: If we retire today, we feel like we’ve done it all. Let’s go have some fun and add to whatever it is."Indian men in New York: Somdev Devvarman, who has climbed more than 500 spots in the rankings this year, has won three matches in qualifying to secure his place in the main draw (the fifth year in a row he is in the US Open singles main draw). The 28 year old Indian, one win away from breaking back into the top 100, meets world no. 84 Lukas Lacko in the first round and could meet 20th seeded Italian Andreas Seppi in the second. But as usual, it’s our doubles players who will be shooting for the silverware. Leander Paes is partnering with lady-killer Radek Stepanek and is seeded 4th, Rohan Bopanna and Eduardo Roger Vasselin are seeded sixth while Mahesh Bhupathi-Phillip Petzschner and Divij Sharan-Yen-Hsun Lu are unseeded. In the women’s draw, Sania Mirza and new partner Jie Zheng are seeded 10th and come off a title win in New Haven on Saturday. And there’s also the mixed doubles – Sania will partner Horia Tecau, Paes will play with Daniela Hantuchova while Bopanna and Bhupathi’s partners are yet to be announced.One Last Time: Marion Bartoli never gave her fans in New York a chance to bid her goodbye and it seems unlikely that Mardy Fish will ever play at Flushing Meadows again. But for tennis fans, there are a host of other veterans to root for since we never know if they will be back again next year. And who knows, perhaps one of these could go on a Jimmy Connors-circa 1991-like run. Two-time former champion Venus Williams has been battling her body for far too long now and one of these days, she is going to realise that she just does not have what it takes to win seven matches in a row in singles (though she could play top-level doubles for years to come). Venus takes on the 12th seed and Wimbledon semi-finalist Kirsten Flipkens in what should be an entertaining first round. And there’s also 42-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm and 33 year old Francesca Schiavone (up against Serena in the first round). 32-year-old Martina Hings is back in doubles with Daniela Hantuchova. The pair face the world no.1s Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani in the first round and the way Hingis’ comeback is going (she wanted to cry after her first round loss in New Haven), the Swiss Miss may pack her bags before the 2014 US Open comes around.On the men’s side, former world no. 4 James Blake, who meets big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic in the first round, will hold a press conference on Monday morning in New York during which he is expected to announce his retirement from the game. Former world no. 1 Lleyton Hewitt and 35-year-old Tommy Haas are other veterans to watch out for.Re-runs from earlier years: There are certain themes that have become a tradition at the US Open over the past few years and one can fully expect them to play out this year as well. There will be talk of the Monday finish to the tournament; the lack-of-a-roof story will be replaced by thoughts on the new USTA proposed roof over Ashe Stadium; there will be at least one five-hour men’s marathon match that is going to become an insta-classic; the decline of American men’s tennis will come under the scanner (especially if John Isner loses early); there will be comments on the equal prize money issue and the increased prize money on offer this year; and the players' attire will be dissected and discussed just as much as their equipment and their game. All in all, it’s going to be an exciting two weeks ahead of us.