TNT Sports
More than one favourite
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Published 18/08/2003 at 12:43 GMT+1
Andy Roddick may be coming off back-to-back Masters Series wins, but on the eve of his 21st birthday, the American has yet to win a grand slam. Can he take the heat in Flushing Meadows next week? James Buddell takes a closer look at the main contenders.
Eurosport
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With defending champion Pete Sampras missing, the stage is set for Roddick.
The Nebraskan is certainly the bookmaker's favourite and with Sunday's enthralling three set victory over best friend Mardy Fish in Cincinnati he became only the eighth player since 1990 to seal back-to-back Masters Series wins.
But others have their eye on the Big Apple.
ANDRE AGASSI
Last year's finalist has lost in three U.S. Open finals to Sampras, so when his long-time nemesis decided to take a year-long sabbatical this season, Agassi, 33, began to dream of Grand Slam number nine.
The two-time champion rewrote the history books in January at the Australian Open when he became the first overseas player to win four singles crowns.
Since then, wins in San Jose, Houston and at the Miami Masters Series have proved that the Vegas Kid can still cut it at the top of a young man's game.
But Agassi did not escape unscathed from his run to number one: nagging hip and wrist injuries may plague him yet at the U.S. Open.
LLEYTON HEWITT
Five months ago the 2001 Flushing Meadows champion was riding the crest of a wave winning back-to-back titles in Scottsdale and at the Masters Series of Indian Wells, but then a series of disputes altered everything.
Hewitt lost his coach of 16 months Jason Stoltenberg and his number one ranking on the eve of Queen's Club. The Australian then proceeded to lose his Wimbledon crown to Croatian beam-pole Ivo Karlovic on the first afternoon.
The 22-year-old may have reached the final in Los Angeles but rumours persist that all is not well in Hewitt's camp.
His chances of challenging at the final Slam of the year rest on the return of his greatest assets: his speed and ability to mix-and-match all manners of ball.
ROGER FEDERER
The 22-year old Swiss came of age at Wimbledon this summer winning praise from his critics and fans alike for a triumph that had been brewing ever since 1998 when he captured the junior title.
Four other singles titles in Marseille, Dubai, Munich and Halle, not to mention two final appearances in the Rome Masters Series and Gstaad highlight his form this year.
But he may have played that one tournament too many when he honoured a commitment made to Gstaad tournament directors - who gifted him his first wildcard as a professional - in the week that followed Wimbledon.
So while he has the potential to win a second major title the Flushing Meadow fortnight, the Basel-born right-hander needs to regain the use of legs that turned to clay on the Cincinnati hardcourt.
OTHERS TO WATCH
No longer taunted by his fellow Spanish players after his victory at Roland Garros in June, JUAN CARLOS FERRERO could surprise many with his energy and determination on a surface on which he is starting to feel comfortable.
Although European clay will forever be the 21-year old's favourite surface, an appearance in the final in Sydney at the beginning of the year and a fourth round showing at Wimbledon proved he is capable of exporting his game to other surfaces.
However the "Mosquito" has already played over 60 matches on the tour this year and may be suffering from over-exposure in the same way as Federer clearly is.
Last year's semi-finalist SJENG SCHALKEN was the surprise package and the talk of the tournament. In seven year's of competition at the four Grand Slams the Dutchman had lost 15 times in the first round.
Although Sampras given eventually outplayed him, if Schalken avoids a big-name seed early on the chances of reaching the second week and beyond seem likely.
For others, MARAT SAFIN remains the sleeping giant of the tour. The champion of 2000 has suffered for six months with a shoulder injury and his most recent comeback in Los Angeles finished in first round retirement.
He certainly has the talent to win again but with inconsistency becoming as major a part of his game as the smashing of his racket frames rackets, the best the 23-year old can hope is to survive an early round scare.
If he does, then the Russian's bandwagon could gain the kind of momentum that will be very hard to stop. The same could be said of Wimbledon runner-up MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS who reached the 1998 Flushing Meadow final only to be beaten by fellow-Australian Pat Rafter.
Follow Eurosport TV and eurosport.com/.co.uk's around-the-clock LIVE coverage of the US Open starting next Monday.
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