Women's report (Nos. 1-16)

	U.S. Open preview Who will win on the men's side? SI.com's Jon Wertheim says, bet on Roger Federer. • U.S. Open men's seed report

1. Justine Henin-Hardenne, Belgium: The defending champ answered a lot of questions in Athens, and she doesn't face a top-100 opponent until the Round of 32. But after battling a virus for much of the year, is she ready for seven matches under these conditions?

2. Amelie Mauresmo, France: Were Mauresmo to slay her mental demons and win her first Slam, it would make for a heart-warming story. (She sure can't complain about her draw.) But, alas, we still cringe at the prospects of her serving at 4-4 deep in the third set of a high-stakes match.

3. Serena Williams, United States: It's her last chance to salvage a forgettable year. Both the seedings folks and draw deities smiled on her, but can she keep the ball in the court for two weeks?

4. Anastasia Myskina, Russia: It will be interesting to see how the highest ranking Russian recovers from her Athens disappointment. She's a skilled hard-court player, but you wonder how she will fare against Lindsay Davenport or Venus Williams when the crowd is against her.

5. Lindsay Davenport, United States: She got a raw deal from the seedings committee, but if she stays healthy it won't matter. In what may well be her final Slam, we're guessing she extends her current 17-match win streak to 24.

6. Elena Dementieva, Russia: Former semifinalist should cruise through her first week. But achieving much more? Not ... with ... that ... serve.

7. Maria Sharapova, Russia: She probably wishes she could hit the "delete" key on her post-Wimbledon results. But is there any doubt she can hold her own on the big stage? A potential quarterfinal showdown against Henin-Hardenne could be a gem.

8. Jennifer Capriati, United States: The Capster hasn't been the same since last year's Open. She comes in playing solidly and shouldn't face much resistance early.

9. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia: She still has a low profile but is hailed by many as the best of the Russians.

10. Vera Zvonareva, Russia: She has put together a nice summer and plays well on hard courts. Now if she could improve her on-court demeanor.

11. Venus Williams, United States: With both her confidence and aura in a free fall, the two-time champ is desperate for a strong tournament. Potential showdown against Davenport in Round 4 could be a de facto final.

12. Ai Sugiyama, Japan: A deceptively tricky draw, but this Japanese veteran plays well on hard courts and has improved her ability to close out matches.

13. Paola Suarez, Argentina: A surprise quarterfinalist last year, but will she be able to beat Myskina in the Round of 16?

14. Nadia Petrova, Russia: Her game seems to have stagnated a bit. She ought to live up to her seeding, but it's doubtful she'll defeat JH-H.

15. Patty Schnyder, Switzerland: Same old story: long on natural talent, short on mental fortitude.

16. Francesca Schiavone, Italy: Feisty, swashbuckling baseliner, who can make life tough for the right foe but still lacks the necessary weaponry to slay bigger players.

Seeds to watch (Nos. 17-32)

17. Alicia Molik, Australia: Hard-serving Aussie, who was the surprise bronze medalist in Athens, has been hot all summer and is due for a good showing in a Grand Slam. She could face Serena in a heavy-hitting fourth-round match.

18. Karolina Sprem, Croatia: The player to watch. She is still waiting for a breakthrough on this continent, but as we saw at Wimbledon, the power is there.

20. Chanda Rubin, United States: She's not the player she once was, but she is a tough matchup early in the tournament.

21. Amy Frazier, United States: North of 30, the American veteran has had a terrific year, and she plays her best on asphalt.

27. Mary Pierce, France: Fresh from beating Venus in Athens, this powerful ball-striker is always dangerous.

29. Eleni Daniilidou, Greece: It's disappointing that such a power player has yet to make the next jump. Maybe this is her time. But she's got a tough first match against Croatia's Silvija Talaja.

30. Tatiana Golovin, France: She's a future top-10 player, who is aided by a soft draw.

Dark horse nation

Mashona Washington, United States: A veteran comes in playing the best tennis of her career.

Jelena Kostanic, Croatia: She's another wily veteran, who won't knock off the heavy hitters but could beat Sprem early.

Marion Bartoli, France: Don't be surprised if she beats Meghann Shaughnessy right off the bat.

Jelena Dokic, Serbia: Sadly, a shadow of her former self, but you have to believe she'll turn things around eventually.

First round matches to watch

Maria Kirilenko vs. Elena Likhovtseva

Pierce vs. Emilie Loit

Laura Granville vs. Sharapova

Sprem vs. Kostanic

Daniela Hantuchova vs. Sandrine Testud

Semifinal matchups

Henin-Hardenne vs. Davenport

Mauresmo vs. Serena Williams

Final

Davenport vs. Williams

Winner: Davenport

Doubles winners: Rennae Stubbs and Cara Black

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim covers tennis for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com.