US Open 2013: Early Predictions Post Wimbledon

Though the 2013 U.S. Open may be somewhat far away, it is important to analyze how this year's Wimbledon results may impact performances at the final major of the year.

Andy Murray and Marion Bartoli were the champions on the men's and women's sides, respectively, and both were very dominant during the Wimbledon fortnight.

It is tough to give some of the top players odds right now because it is still too early to tell how they will do during the summer swing.

But we can predict their U.S. Open runs based on the idea that grass courts are almost as quick as the hard courts in Flushing Meadows. These predictions are also assuming that everybody stays healthy throughout the summer ATP and WTA1000 tournaments.

Here are some early predictions for the Slam in New York.

Novak Djokovic Will Be Tested in the Second Week

Nole usually has no problems in the opening week of majors.

This Wimbledon was the first Wimbledon where he reached the quarterfinals (and semis) without dropping a single set.

Of course he was tested by Juan Martin del Potro in the semis and lost to Andy Murray in the championship match.

He has been constantly fighting through epic matches lately, and most of these are not even in the final. I just think that people will come up with better solutions against him when the matches become more important.

He may still win these tough matches but I think his physicality cannot be the best in the field forever. We will see.

Sabine Lisicki Will Reach the Fourth Round

Sabine Lisicki has been a giant-killer at Wimbledon for a few years now.

However, that success has never really translated well to the other big tournaments.

I predict that she will have a somewhat tough draw yet again at the U.S. Open, but this time she will not be pulling off any significant upsets.

This has nothing to do with her poor performance in the women's final—it has everything to do with her grass-court-specialist status.

Andy Murray Will Compete in Yet Another Major Final

Andy Murray has now played in four consecutive major finals (though he skipped the French Open due to injury, and had he played in it he would have likely changed the dynamics of the draw due to Rafa's low seeding at the time).

Capturing two of those four, there is no reason for him not to duplicate that success at the U.S. Open.

He may not win the title and may drop his form a bit in the next two months but it is hard to rule him out prior to the semifinals or final.

He has a consistent game and loves playing on fast courts with a loud, cheery atmosphere.

David Ferrer Will Make the Quarterfinals

David Ferrer had two big chances to reach the semis or better at the French Open and here at Wimbledon.

He seized his opportunity at Roland Garros but was not able to overcome Juan Martin del Potro at SW19. He did not play his best tennis by any means during the first week and perhaps had a nagging injury that was affecting his game.

The scrappy Spaniard still replicated his best result at Wimbledon by reaching the quarters, but did not venture that extra match further when he had a decent chance against a player he is generally comfortable with.

For this reason I believe Ferrer will be steady in the first week of the Open but will lose in the quarterfinals—not the semifinals—this year.

Marion Bartoli Will Fall in the Fourth Round

Bartoli played the best tennis of her life these past two weeks but this is not the only time she has gone far in a Slam.

Her successes or dips in play happen sporadically, and she does not usually carry any sense of consistency with her.

Grass and clay courts are generally her best surfaces but maybe she can maintain her form at Flushing Meadows.

Still, I do not think she will even make it to the quarterfinals this year, but think she can have a great 2014 season.

Roger Federer Will Regroup and Make the Semis or Better

Many times in the past two or three years, Roger Federer has looked to be down and out.

With his impressive record streak of 36 consecutive quarterfinals snapped in the second round, I believe we all finally realize just how big that feat was.

I also think something has sparked inside of him because of that loss and that he may now have more motivation than ever.

Hopefully he takes his practice sessions more seriously and turns to a more rigorous workout plan, or else he may face more early exits.

But this man always has an answer when the going gets tough. Do not doubt that Federer will be back with a bold response in the coming months.

Serena Will Win the US Open with a Vengeance

Serena has been a confusing player in the last year and a half. She is always listed as the clear favorite (and, quite frankly, should be because she is one of the few consistent champions) but finds a way to lose some matches out of the blue.

Last year she looked motivated going in to the French Open but fell in the first round for her first time ever. She rebounded and won two straight Slams (though Victoria Azarenka nearly took the U.S. Open away from her) and the Olympic gold medals.

Then again, this year she stumbled in the Australian Open quarterfinals to a player who was not yet known on a huge media level, Sloane Stephens. She bounced back by winning tournament after tournament and going on a 34-match winning streak, wherein she won the French Open for the second time in 11 years.

But she fell to Sabine Lisicki in the fourth round in a match that she played tentatively and nervously for the most part. I expect her to defend her U.S. Open title, crushing everybody in the early rounds just to make a statement because at the end of the day, Serena is Serena.

Juan Martin Del Potro Will Go Far into the Second Week

Juan Martin del Potro had a horrendous clay court season and did not look great in a grass court tune-up to Wimbledon.

However, he played a dominant first week and did not lose a set en route to the semifinals.

There he lost a tough five-setter to Novak Djokovic, but he proved that he is on the come-up again.

Delpo generally does well at Flushing Meadows and I think if he has a favorable draw, he will be quick to capitalize on it. His hard groundies and serve will lead him to at least the quarterfinals in New York.

Agnieszka Radwanska Will Begin to Slip

Radwanska has been at the top of the women's game for a year or two now.

Her deceptive shot-making and wonderful anticipation has led her to the second week of Slams time and time again, even with her lack of power.

However, she just did not look the part this Wimbledon. Making the semifinals and giving herself a chance to participate in consecutive finals, she never really looked all that comfortable.

If anything she was hitting softer shots than usual and did not do many different things in her various matches.

I doubt her "reign" will continue, as new faces begin to emerge in the women's game.

I'm calling an upset alert on Radwanska at the U.S. Open and a minor dip in her 2014 results.

Rafael Nadal Will Bounce Back Just Fine

Rafael Nadal came back in a strong fashion after being out of the sport for several months in 2012 and early on this year.

He has no points to defend this summer, and I think he will surpass David Ferrer in the rankings to get back into the Big Four.

Also, I think his chances are quite good at the U.S. Open, as he had much confidence prior to Wimbledon.

He still has an edge on Andy Murray and Roger Federer, with a decent chance of also beating Novak Djokovic, and so he cannot be forgotten in the Open discussions.

I doubt he will win the event but then again, he only has done so once in his lifetime, as it is one of his toughest tournaments historically.

Reaching the semis should be enough for his confidence, and Rafael Nadal's 2014 season definitely looks bright regardless of how he lost at Wimbledon.