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Breaking down the U.S. Open draw
SI staff writer Jon Wertheim peers into his crystal ball to reveal the fate of all 32 seeds for the U.S. Open. Scroll down to see the first-round matches you shouldn't miss, some darkhorse candidates to advance to Week 2, and his championship predictions. WOMEN'S REPORT | Men's Report 1. Martina Hingis: For a player who has won one Slam since February 1998, Hingis is essentially No.1 in title only. She's overdue for a big win, but won't run the table here. 2. Lindsay Davenport: Looking to snap out of her summer of discontent, she has the game to win here, but the Williams juggernaut -- Serena in particular -- seems to have her number. If her foot isn't healed, she could fare as poorly as she did in Paris. The slowish courts don't help her either. 3. Venus Williams: We haven't seen the invitation list, but this should be her party. She will get a stern early test from Anne-Gaelle Sidot, though. 4. Mary Pierce: French Open champ has been AWOL since Paris. If her shoulder is healthy, she is one of the few players with the artillery to challenge either of the Williams sisters. If not, she could be a first-week casualty.
5. Serena Williams: Mama Smash is playing well enough to defend her title, but --despite her protestations to the contrary -- she has a monstrous mental block against playing big sis. 6. Monica Seles: We can dream, can't we? 7. Conchita Martinez: Could cement a surprisingly stellar year with a strong performance. She has been utterly beatable, though, since moving to hard courts and may well lose to Amy Frazier in her first match. 8. Nathalie Tauziat: Her game has slipped since she became the WTA Tour's answer to Salman Rushdie. This, however, is her last chance to show the French federation how badly they erred in leaving her off the Olympic team. 9. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario: Should have plenty of time to write thank-you notes and return items from her bridal registry. A generous draw, yes, but she certainly won't beat Venus in the quarters. 10. Anke Huber: Expect the usual three-wins-and-a-fourth-round-loss tango, provided she beats Elena Likhovtseva. 11. Sandrine Testud: Has the game to beat the top players, but tends to come unhinged when the pressure's on. Look for her to take a higher seed to three sets and then lose. 12. Anna Kournikova: Has to be encouraged by results this summer, but still lacks the consistency to last much past Labor Day. 13. Amanda Coetzer: Disappointing year should continue here. 14. Dominique Van Roost: Doesn't have the weapons to win, but can still challenge the seeds. 15. Jennifer Capriati: Her game has gone down under since Australia. A gentle draw could help her rebound. 16: Julie Halard-Decugis: See Coetzer. DANGEROUS FLOATERSAmy Frazier: Don't let the Ladies 45's leitmotif fool you. Resurgent veteran has ideal baseline game for hardcourts. Elena Dementieva: The best player you've never seen. Magdalena Maleeva: In the throes of a nifty comeback after years of injury rehab, she still has some ammunition left. Barbara Schett: Still firmly in the "should-be-better-than-she-is" category, but is still as good as any of the 9-16 seeds. Patty Schnyder: Has fallen fast since beating Graf here two years ago, but her looping, penetrating lefty strokes can give opponents fits. FIRST-ROUND MATCHES TO WATCHSidot vs. Venus Williams : If Venus is sharp, this could be a 40-minute whitewash. If not, look out. Frazier vs. Conchita Martinez: Your blue-plate, upset special. Cara Black vs. Nathalie Dechy: A battle of two sleepers. Alexandra Stevenson vs. Pierce: For the Q-rating only. PREDICTIONSSemifinals: Hingis vs. Venus Williams; Serena Williams vs. Pierce Finals: Venus vs. Serena Champion: Venus Sports Illustrated staff writer Jon Wertheim covers the tennis beat for the
magazine and will be filing daily reports from the U.S. Open for CNNSI.com.
Click here to send a question to his mailbag.
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