Men

Quarterfinals
Djokovic v. Raonic
Nishikor v. Dimitrov
Wawrinka v. Murray (Kyrgios)
Tomic v. Federer

Semifinals
Djokovic v. Nishikori
Murray v. Federer

Final
Nishikori v. Federer

Champion
Federer

Biggest Loser: Murray (hedging my bets here)

Women (I have no idea here)

Quarterfinals
Serena v. Bencic
Makarova v. Carla Suarez Navarro
Garbine Murgurza v. Stosur
Azarenka (Kerber) v. Halep

Semifinals
Bencic v. Navarro
Murguza v. Halep

Final
Bencic v. Halep

Champion
Bencic

Biggest Loser
Kvitova

EDIT: Sharapova withdrew, so I adjusted my picks.

Last edited by Forehand_lob (8/31/2015 7:33 am)

Muguruza has not won a set since the Wimbledon semis. Suarez Navarro I believe has lost six consecutive matches. 

Both of us went with Muguruza and you went with Suarez Navarro, too. 

If Federer and Djokovic make the final, I want to see a lot more self-belief from Federer than he showed at Wimbledon. The Djoker is vulnerable, having settled into a defensive mode of "I'll play my game and see if you're good enough to beat me" even though he has the ability to hit winners whenever he wants. I think Federer's best this year has been better than the best of anyone else, and it's been eight years since I've felt that way. 

True that.

About five years ago I picked Nalbandian to go far after watching him win Washington. Then another time I picked Dolgopolov to go far after watching him win Washington.

Both lost early in Queens.

Nishikori and Safarova are our biggest losers.  You'll be getting 2 points for your Bacsinszky pick.

Pardon my delusions, but I'm just wondering, after watching Fognini play three of the best sets of tennis I've ever seen last night, why he can't win the U.S. Open? I know, I know, he's 28, he's never done jack on hard courts (or anywhere else at a slam for that matter), he's a tanker, a crank and no one every comes from nowhere to win a major. And I know Nadal is nowhere near what he used to be, although that was vintage Nadal for the first two-and-a-half sets. 

But Fognini is the fastest player on the tour. He can hit winners from anywhere on the court on his forehand and backhand side. His volleys are excellent, and he is incredibly quick to the net to put away shots in the air when oppoents hit defensive balls. He also is fit, having won five matches in his career from two sets down, so although he may be worn down from the exertion of beating Nadal, it's not a guarantee. 

Lopez is next, which will test Fognini's return the way Rafa didn't. If he gets by that, he faces Djokovic, who got ouptlayed by Nishikori in the semifinals last year. The Fognini I've seen in this tournament (and incredibly, I've seen parts of all three of his matches) exceeds Niskhikori's movement and power. In his otherwise scratchy first round match against Steve Johnson (who I thought would beat him), he won four straight points in the fourth-set TB to go up 5-0, and I'm not kidding, those were the four best consecutive points I've ever seen anyone play in a TB. He hit a screaming running cross court forehand winner for 2-0 after Johnson hit a shot down the line that I thought would be a winner itself. 

Look, I'm not predicting Fognini will win the tournament. He could lose to Lopez tomorrow. 

But if you disregard history and just go by current form and ability, it's not out of the question if Fognini recovers physically from last night's match. A few years ago, I called Li Na winning Roland Garros at the start of the fourth round based on the way she was playing even though nothing from the past indicated she would do it. Two years ago, I called Bartoli winning Wimbledon before the quarterfinals started because of the way she was playing. There weren't any Djokovics or Federers in their way, of course, but in a lifetime of watching tennis, I've never seen better shot-making that what Fognini has produced for significant portions of his first three matches.