US Open 2014: Final Grades for Top Stars at Flushing Meadows
Serena Williams had one of the most dominant performances in U.S. Open history, but was it good enough for her earn an "A" grade, or perhaps an "A+"?
Should men's champion Marin Cilic get a higher grade than Williams based on his surprising run through a gauntlet of seeded players? What grade should No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic get after beating Andy Murray but losing to a player who was not even ranked in the top 10 at the time?
Finally, how should we rate the performances of the four surprise stars of the tournament, CiCi Bellis, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, Belinda Bucic and Aleksandra Krunic?
Our grades were based primarily on how far the player advanced and the caliber of competition the player faced. Some consideration was given to how the player fared relative to expectations.
Those criteria were largely ignored when rating the four surprise stars, whose grades were based on more subjective factors that made them such a big part of the U.S. Open story this year.
We graded 25 players (14 women and 11 men). All eight semifinalists received a grade as did the most famous other payers and the four surprise stars. Players are listed in ascending order, with the last player listed receiving the highest grade for the tournament.
David Ferrer
1 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Gritty David Ferrer is consistent enough to beat most players ranked below him. But he does not have the weapons to knock off the elite players very often.
Ferrer is ranked No. 5 and has been ranked among the top eight every week since November 2010. He had reached at least the quarterfinals in eight straight Grand Slam events before losing in the second round at Wimbledon this year. But he has not won any Grand Slam titles and reached the final of only one, the 2013 French Open.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Ferrer's performance was worse than expected. He has made his name on consistently defeating players he is expected to beat, but he lost his third-round match in four sets to No. 29-seeded Gilles Simon, a player Ferrer had beaten in their last three encounters without the loss of a set.
The No. 4-seeded Ferrer had to go four sets to beat first-round opponent Damir Dzumhur, who was ranked No. 119, then he got a walkover to advance to the third round.
It makes you wonder whether the 32-year-old Ferrer is on the decline.
Final Grade: D+
Agnieszka Radwanska
2 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Agnieszka Radwanska was the No. 4 seed at the U.S. Open, but few spoke of her as a title contender.
She has never won a Grand Slam title and got to the final of only one, Wimbledon in 2012. Radwanska had won one of her three hard-court tuneup events leading up to the Open, but she had never reached the quarterfinals in any of her eight previous trips to the U.S. Open.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Radwanska's struggles at the U.S. Open continued as she lost in the second round to Peng Shuai, who was ranked No. 39. Radwanska had beaten Peng in three of their four previous meetings, the only loss being Peng's second-round victory in the 2010 U.S. Open. The fact that Peng then advanced to the semifinals lessened the blow only slightly.
Final Grade: D+
Simona Halep
3 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Simona Halep was a prime contender at the U.S. Open, and it seemed to be only a matter of time before she would claim a major title.
She had reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the final of the French Open and the semifinals at Wimbledon. Her ranking had skyrocketed to No. 2.
The 22-year-old Halep did not enter the U.S. Open with a lot of momentum, however. She failed to get past the quarterfinals in her two hard-court warm-up events, and she lost to No. 68-ranked Magdalena Rybarikova in the first round of her final tuneup.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Halep's successful 2014 season took a dramatic downward turn when she lost to No. 121-ranked Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in straight sets in the third round.
Concerns may have arisen when Halep lost the first set in her first-round match against Danielle Rose Collins, who was ranked No. 583. Halep rallied to win the next two sets easily in that match, but she could not find her game against Lucic-Baroni.
It was a glorious moment for the 32-year-old Lucic-Baroni, but it was a major setback for Halep, whose fine 2014 season was suddenly spoiled.
Final Grade: C-
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Petra Kvitova
4 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Handicapping Petra Kvitova is always dicey, and such was the case for the 2014 U.S Open.
She had won her second Wimbledon title a month earlier and was ranked No. 4 in the world. Plus she had won her final hard-court tuneup event before the Open.
However, Kvitova had some inexplicable losses in 2014, such as the first-round loss to Luksika Kumkhum in the first hard-court Grand Slam event of the year in Australia. Further complicating predictions was the fact that Kvitova had never advanced past the round of 16 at the U.S. Open.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Kvitova's 2014 season became even more difficult to assess after she lost 6-4, 6-4 in the third round to qualifier Aleksandra Krunic, who was ranked No. 145 and had lost nine matches to players ranked outside the top 150 in 2014. The powerful Kvitova committed 37 errors against the steady Krunic.
Kvitova ended up winning the most prestigious tournament of 2014, Wimbledon, but failed to get past the third round in any of the other three majors.
Final Grade: C-
Grigor Dimitrov
5 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Grigor Dimitrov seemed to be realizing his considerable potential in 2014, and he looked like a force to be reckoned with at the U.S. Open.
Ranked No. 22 in late February, the 23-year Dimitrov had zoomed to a career-high No. 8 ranking entering the U.S. Open. He took a major step forward by reaching the semifinals at this year's Wimbledon event, where he beat Andy Murray in straight sets and gave Djokovic a significant challenge in a four-set loss.
The one bad sign was that Dimitrov had not experienced any success in past U.S. Opens, winning no matches in his only three previous entries in the U.S. Open main draw.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Dimitrov's fourth-round, straight-sets loss to the No. 20 seed, Gael Monfils, was a disappointment, especially since Dimitrov admittedly did not play well.
“I think, first of all, it was a very poor match for me,” Dimitrov said (via The New York Times). "Didn’t play as close to the way I wanted to."
Of course, Monfils has a knack for doing that to opponents.
Although Dimitrov's result was a dramatic improvement over his past performances at the U.S. Open, more was expected of the No. 7 seed at this stage of his career.
Final Grade: C+
Victoria Azarenka
6 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Even though Victoria Azarenka was a U.S. Open finalist the past two years and was ranked No. 2 as recently as February, she did not look like a title contender heading into the 2014 U.S. Open.
She had played just five tournaments since the Australian Open because of a nagging foot injury, and she had mediocre results in those five events. Her ranking had slipped to No. 17 for the U.S. Open, and a turnaround did not seem imminent.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Azarenka did well just to make it to the quarterfinals, although she did not have to beat any seeded players to do it.
Azarenka had to go three sets to eliminate qualifier Aleksandra Krunic in the fourth round before losing 6-4, 6-2 to No. 17-seeded Ekaterina Makarova.
Azarenka appeared to be slowed by various injuries as well as a case of food poisoning that struck the day before her quarterfinal loss, according to The Telegraph. Azarenka showed her frustration by smashing her racket and earning a code-violation warning for racket abuse.
She dropped out of the top 20, falling to No. 24, in this week's rankings, which is a bitter pill for someone who was ranked No. 1 in February 2013.
Final Grade: B-
Maria Sharapova
7 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Maria Sharapova was considered one of the contenders for the 2014 U.S. Open title. Ranked No. 6 entering the Open, Sharapova won this year's French Open but lost in the round of 16 in the other two 2014 majors.
She has a U.S. Open title on her resume, but that was achieved eight years ago. At least she was healthy this time, something she could not claim last year, when she missed the U.S. Open with a shoulder injury.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
The No. 5-seeded Sharapova got by No. 26-seeded Sabine Lisicki in the third round, but she lost in the fourth round to Caroline Wozniacki. It means Sharapova failed to reach at least the quarterfinals in three of the four majors this year.
Losing to the No. 10-seeded Wozniacki is no embarrassment, considering how well Wozniacki is playing. However, when Sharapova rolled through the second set 6-2 after losing the first, it seemed she had the upper hand.
Sharapova had won 13 of her past 16 matches that had gone three sets, and she had defeated Wozniacki the last three times they met. But this time she could not put away Wozniacki, who finished off a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 victory.
Final Grade: B-
Stan Wawrinka
8 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Stan Wawrinka provided a confusing picture entering the U.S. Open. He had opened eyes in last year's U.S. Open, beating Murray in straight sets and taking Djokovic to five sets before losing in the final. He then had his major breakthrough by winning the 2014 Australian Open, beating both Djokovic and Rafael Nadal along the way. His ranking jumped to No. 3.
However, he was inconsistent after that, losing in the first round of the French Open and the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and suffering several bad losses during the summer.
Wawrinka did nothing of significance in his two hard-court warm-up events before the Open.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
The No. 3-seeded Wawrinka showed flashes of the form that helped him win the Australian Open.
Beating No. 16-seeded Tommy Robredo in four sets was a good result, and Wawrinka seemed to have every chance to get past No. 10-seeded Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals. Wawrinka looked like the fresher player in the fifth set, but he could not finish off Nishikori, who pulled out a 3-6, 7-5, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 victory.
After jumping to No. 3 in the rankings following his Australian Open win, Wawrinka failed to get past the quarterfinals in the three other majors in 2014. His ranking dropped to No. 4 following the Open.
Final Grade: B-
Eugenie Bouchard
9 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Eugenie Bouchard seemed destined to win a Grand Slam title pretty soon based on her success in this year's majors. Her picture was on the cover of the The New York Times Magazine just before the start of the U.S. Open.
She is a bit of an enigma, though. Bouchard has not had much success outside the majors, and she won only one match in her three hard-court tuneup tournaments for the Open.
She had been the most consistent player in the world in the first three Grand Slam events this year, though, reaching the semifinals of the Australian and French Opens and the final at Wimbledon. Her ranking had jumped from No. 59 at this time a year ago to No. 8 entering the 2014 Open.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
The heat and No. 17-seeded Ekaterina Makarova got the better of Bouchard in a fourth-round match.
Bouchard said she felt dizzy at times and called a medical timeout in the second set of the straight-sets loss, according to ESPN.com's account of the match. Bouchard also admitted that she has struggled since Wimbledon because of various injuries, limiting her expectations for the U.S. Open.
Although the U.S. Open represented her worst showing in a Grand Slam event this year, Bouchard's performance in the four 2014 majors compares favorably with any woman in the world.
Final Grade: B
Tomas Berdych
10 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Tomas Berdych has the weapons to be dangerous to any opponent on any court, and he has occupied a spot in the top 10 since June 2010. But he has reached the final of only one Grand Slam event (2010 Wimbledon) and has not won any.
He got to the semifinals of the Australian Open this year and the quarterfinals of the French Open, but he did nothing in hard-court warm-up events for the U.S. Open to suggest he was a threat to win it.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
The No. 6-seeded Berdych was extended to five sets in his second-round match by No. 65-ranked Martin Klizan, but Berdych rolled through his other three early-round matches without losing a set to reach the quarterfinals.
However, Berdych could not handle No. 14-seeded Marin Cilic, who had beaten Berdych at Wimbledon and did it again in the U.S. Open quarterfinals 6-2, 6-4, 7-6.
Berdych had not lost his serve a single time in his two previous matches of the tournament, but he made only 40 percent of his first serves in the first two sets against Cilic. Berdych double-faulted on break point of the very first game and never recovered in the rather lopsided loss.
Berdych at least got to the quarterfinals in three of the four majors in 2014, the first time in his career he was able to do that.
Final Grade: B
Milos Raonic
11 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Milos Raonic was inching closer to a major breakthrough as his results and ranking continued to improve heading into the U.S. Open.
He lost in the third round at the Australian Open, but he got to the fourth round at the French Open on clay, which does not figure to be his best surface. Raonic then had the best Grand Slam result of his career by reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon.
He won the hard-court tuneup event at Washington, D.C., against mediocre competition and got to the semifinals of his final warm-up tournament in Cincinnati.
His ranking was up to a career-high No. 6 by the time the U.S. Open rolled around, and the 23-year-old Canadian seemed ready to make some noise.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Raonic and his big serve blew through the first three rounds without the loss of a set, and he led No. 10-seeded Kei Nishikori two sets to one in the round of 16. However, Raonic was unable to get a single break point against Nishikori's serve in the final two sets, and Nishikori earned a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-4 victory in a match that ended at 2:26 a.m.
It was small step back for Raonic, who had beaten Nishikori in four sets at Wimbledon.
Final Grade: B
Andy Murray
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2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Andy Murray was not among the favorites as his skid since winning the 2013 Wimbledon crown continued. Entering the 2014 U.S. Open, he had not reached the final of a single tournament since that breakthrough win at Wimbledon. He also had not beaten a single top-10 player in that 14-month span.
He was ranked No. 9 entering the Open after being No. 2 last August. He had lost in the quarterfinals of his two hard-court tuneup events for the Open.
Murray had the misfortune of being placed in the same quarterfinal bracket as Djokovic at the U.S. Open, although Murray had himself to blame for letting his ranking slip that far.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Murray did about what was expected, getting to the quarterfinals before losing to Djokovic in four sets.
Obviously the draw, which forced him to play the No. 1 player in the quarterfinals, worked against him. Also working against him were back problems that arose after he split the first two sets with Djokovic. Murray played pretty well before the back trouble interfered, as his straight-sets victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round and his play in the first two sets against Djokovic demonstrated.
Murray finished the year with three quarterfinal berths and one semifinal berth in the Grand Slam events. That's not bad for a lot of players, but it's a step back for Murray.
Final Grade: B
Gael Monfils
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2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Gael Monfils, 28, has reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam singles event only once, in the 2008 French Open, and with a No. 24 ranking and a game that lacks consistency, he seemed unlikely to contend for the 2014 U.S. Open crown.
However, the unorthodox Monfils sometimes gets on runs of spectacular, athletic tennis that can be a problem for even the best players. Monfils took a set from Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in his losses in his two hard-court tuneup events. He has a knack for getting on those runs while on the big stage, so he is a concern for the favorites.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Monfils had one of his amazing runs in the U.S. Open, and it almost carried him to his best showing as a pro.
He was the only male in the tournament who did not lose a set in his first four matches, and that included a 7-5, 7-6, 7-5 upset of No. 7-seeded Grigor Dimitrov in the round of 16.
Monfils was then on the verge of upsetting No. 2-seeded Federer in the quarterfinals, which would have represented the most significant win of his career. Monfils won the first two sets, then had a double match point with Federer serving at 4-5, 15-40 in the fourth set. Federer saved the two match points, and Monfils faded badly after missing his opportunity, losing 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2.
Final Grade: B+
Roger Federer
14 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
The 2014 U.S. Open looked like Roger Federer's best opportunity in years to capture his 18th Grand Slam singles title.
His berth in the Wimbledon final, where he lost in five sets to Djokovic, demonstrated that he was playing considerably better than last year. The recent play of the 33-year-old Federer was reminiscent of his glory days as he reached the final in both of his hard-court tuneup events and won the latter while beating three top-10 players.
The absence of Nadal was also a boon to Federer's Open chances because Nadal had beaten Federer the last five times they met, four of which were on hard courts.
The draw also favored the No. 2-seeded Federer, with Murray, Wawrinka and Djokovic all in the other half.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Federer reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam event for the 36th time in his career and for the third time this year. For most players, those would be significant accomplishments. For Federer, the 2014 U.S. Open represented a disappointment.
The draw opened up nicely for Federer, who could have won the title without beating a single player ranked in the top 10.
He nearly lost in the quarterfinals to No. 20-ranked Gael Monfils. Federer did not play well in that match, but he showed his toughness by fighting off a double match point against him in the fourth set to rally for a 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 victory.
Federer seemed to have the luxury of facing No. 14-seeded Marin Cilic in the semifinals. Federer had beaten Cilic in all five of their previous meetings, including four times on hard courts, but this time Cilic dominated Federer. It took Cilic just one hour and 45 minutes to polish off Federer 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. It wasn't just the loss but the way Federer lost that was so surprising.
Final Grade: B+
Novak Djokovic
15 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Novak Djokovic came into the U.S. Open as the favorite. Not only did he win Wimbledon to reclaim the No. 1 ranking that he carried into the U.S. Open, but one his biggest obstacles was also removed when Nadal pulled out of the Open with an injury.
Djokovic had reached at least the semifinals in 16 of his past 17 Grand Slam events and had gotten to the final in four of his last five.
There were only two concerns. First, he had lost early in both of his hard-court tuneup events, so he was not riding any momentum. Second, he faced a difficult draw with Murray in his quarter, and Wawrinka in his half of the draw.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Djokovic got to the semifinals for the 17th time in his last 18 Grand Slam tournaments and beat Murray along the way. But anything less than a title in a major rates as a failure for Djokovic.
Djokovic seemed to be rolling toward the final. He dominated his first three opponents, and the second-set tiebreaker he lost to Murray was the only set he dropped on his way to the semifinals.
Djokovic was the clear favorite in the semifinals against Kei Nishikori. Nishikori had won their most recent matchup, but that was back in 2011. Plus Nishikori had played long five-set matches in both the fourth round and the quarterfinals, giving Djokovic an apparent edge in staying power for the semifinals.
However, with the temperature on the court approaching 100 degrees, Nishikori appeared to be the fresher player in his 6-4, 1-6, 7-6, 6-3 upset of Djokovic. The turning point came in the third-set tiebreaker after Djokovic had dominated the second set. Djokovic made four unforced errors and added a double fault in that tiebreaker, which he lost 7-4.
“Other than the second set, my game today was not even close to what I wanted it to be," Djokovic said, (via The New York Times). "A lot of unforced errors, a lot of short balls. Just wasn’t myself.”
Final Grade: B+
Ekaterina Makarova
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2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Ekaterina Makarova was a dark-horse contender at the U.S. Open. She got to the quarterfinals in two of the past three hard-court Grand Slam events (the 2013 Australian and U.S. Opens) and beat a top-five player in each.
She had the best Wimbledon showing of her career this year, getting to the quarterfinals, and her ranking was at an all-time high of No. 18 entering the U.S. Open. Makarova had reached the semifinals of her first two hard-court events this summer.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Makarova advanced to the semifinals of a Grand Slam event for the first time. Coupled with her quarterfinal showing at Wimbledon, her U.S. Open performance indicates bigger things may lie ahead for the 26-year-old left-hander.
Makarova won her first five matches of the tournament without the loss of a set, including a 7-6, 6-4 fourth-round victory over No. 7-seeded Eugenie Bouchard and a 6-4, 6-2 quarterfinal win over No. 16-seeded Victoria Azarenka.
Makarova was simply outclassed in the quarterfinals, losing to Serena Williams 6-3, 6-1. That lopsided result took some of the luster off her five tournament wins. However, she appears to be a player on the rise. After losing in the first round of four consecutive U.S. Opens (2008-2011), Makarova got to the third round in 2012, the quarterfinals last year and the semifinals this time.
Final Grade: B+
CiCi Bellis
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2014 U.S. Open Expectations
CiCi Bellis received a wild-card berth in the U.S. Open because she had won the United States Girls 18 Championship earlier in the summer, despite being just 15 years old.
Nothing indicated the American teenager would make any noise at the U.S. Open, though. She had played only a handful of lower-division tour events and had beaten no one ranked among the top 300 in the world. Bellis' ranking of 1,208 reflected her results and her limited participation. The U.S. Open was her first tour-level event.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Bellis made a name for herself when she stunned 2014 Australian Open runner-up and No. 12-seeded Dominika Cibulkova 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in the first round. The 15-year-old Bellis became the youngest player since 1996 to win a U.S. Open match.
In her second-round match against Zarina Diyas, Bellis won seven straight games at one stage, winning the second set at love and taking a 1-0 lead in the third. But Diyas took control at that point for a 6-3, 0-6, 6-2 victory.
Although Bellis won only one match, she was the story of the first week of the U.S. Open. Her final grade is based on that as much as her results.
Final Grade: B+
Aleksandra Krunic
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2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Few people had even heard of Aleksandra Krunic before the U.S. Open.
Ranked No. 145, Krunic did not even make the main-draw field for the first three Grand Slam events this year, losing in the first round of qualifying for the Australian Open and Wimbledon and the second round of qualifying at the French Open.
Winning her three qualifying-round matches for the U.S. Open this year enabled her to play in the main draw of a Grand Slam event for only the second time. She lost in the first round of the 2013 U.S. Open in her first Grand Slam appearance.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Beating Katarzyna Piter in the first round was a major accomplishment for the 21-year-old Krunic because it was her first career win in a Grand Slam singles event. But she quickly bettered that by upsetting No. 27-seeded Madison Keys in the second round.
Still the best was yet to come for Krunic, who pulled off a major surprise in the third round by taking out reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
Not only did Krunic beat the No. 4-seeded Kvitova, but she did it in relatively routine fashion 6-4, 6-4. Krunic's upset win came one day after another qualifier, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, had upset No. 2-seeded Simona Halep in the third round. Those two wins rank among the greatest upsets in U.S. Open history.
Krucic won the first set from No. 16-seeded Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round, but Krucic lost that match 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Final Grade: A-
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni
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2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Absolutely nothing was expected of Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the 2014 U.S. Open.
Once a promising teenage player who beat Monica Seles to reach the 1999 Wimbledon semifinals at age 17, Lucic-Baroni fell on such harrowing hard times personally and professionally that she virtually quit tennis for four years before returning in 2007.
Coming into this U.S. Open, the 32-year-old Lucic-Baroni was ranked No. 121 and had lost her first match in each of her last seven tournaments, including the first round of qualifying in four of the seven. She had to win three qualifying matches just to get into the main draw of the Open and considered herself fortunate to achieve that.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Lucic-Baroni turned out to be the feel-good story of the 2014 U.S. Open after the personal difficulties she had endured years earlier. Her first-round victory over No. 25-seeded Garbine Muguruza was a major achievement for Lucic-Baroni, who also got by Shahar Peer in three sets in the second round.
Lucic-Baroni then pulled off the biggest surprise of the tournament and one of the biggest upsets in U.S. Open history by knocking off No. 2-seeded Simona Halep in straight sets in the third round. “Best day of my life,” Lucic-Baroni said, (via The New York Times).
Despite assorted aches and pains, Lucic-Baroni took a set from No. 13-seeded Sara Errani in the fourth round, but the dream run ended there in a 6-3, 2-6, 6-0 defeat.
Final Grade: A-
Belinda Bencic
20 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
A highly regarded junior player who won both the French Open and Wimbledon junior tournaments last year, 17-year-old Belinda Bencic looks like a star of the future. She hinted that her breakthrough might come sooner than later when she reached the third round of her first Wimbledon this year.
She is coached by Martina Hingis' mother, Melanie Molitor, breeding further optimism for Bencic's future.
However, Bencic did nothing in her three hard-court tournaments this summer to suggest she would be a threat in her first U.S. Open.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Bencic exceeded expectations and confirmed the notion that she is a star-in-the-making by becoming the youngest U.S. Open quarterfinalist since Hingis in 1997.
Ranked No. 58 when the tournament began, Bencic upset two top-10 players in consecutive matches without the loss of a set. She knocked off No. 6-seeded Angelique Kerber 6-1, 7-5 in the third round and then fought off three set points against her en route to a 7-6, 6-3 victory over former No. 1 player Jelena Jankovic, the No. 9 seed.
Bencic's run came to an abrupt end when she lost to unseeded Peng Shuai 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.
Final Grade: A-
Peng Shuai
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2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Peng Shuai did not figure to be a factor in the 2014 U.S. Open. Better known for her doubles play, Peng had never reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam singles event and had lost in the first and second round of the past two U.S. Opens.
She had been ranked as high as No. 14 in August 2011, but she came into this year's Open ranked No. 39 and with no momentum. In her final three hard-court warm-up tournaments before the Open, she had lost in qualifying of one, in the first round of a second and in the second round of a third.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Peng came up with the best showing of her career in a Grand Slam singles event, beating three seeded players in a row and reaching the semifinals.
Peng's surprising run came to a painful end when she had to retire because of heat illness in the second set of her semifinal match against No. 10-seeded Caroline Wozniacki.
Before that, Peng had won all five of her matches in straight sets. That included a 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 4-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round, a 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 28-seeded Roberta Vinci in the third round and a 6-3, 6-4 triumph over No. 14-seeded Lucie Safarova in the fourth round. Peng then dominated rising teenager Belinda Benic 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.
Peng lost her serve only three times in those first five matches, but she was unable to finish off the first set while serving at 6-5 against Wozniacki in the semifinals. Wozniacki led 7-6, 4-3 when Peng collapsed to the court, unable to continue. She was taken off the court in a wheelchair.
Final Grade: A-
Caroline Wozniacki
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2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Caroline Wozniacki showed signs in 2014 that she was regaining the form that made her the world's No. 1 player in 2010 and 2011. Her best surface is hard courts, and she has had the most success at the U.S. Open, reaching the final in 2009 and getting to the semifinals the next two years. Her ranking was back up to No. 11 entering the Open after slipping to No. 18 in March.
Wozniacki performed well in the hard-court tournaments leading up to the Open, twice taking a set from Serena Williams in the process. The fact remains that, despite her 15-month run at No. 1, she has never won a Grand Slam title and has gotten to the final of only one.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Wozniacki came up with her best performance ever in a Grand Slam event before losing to Serena in the final.
This showing was better than her run to the 2009 U.S. Open final for two reasons. First of all, she beat three seeded players on her way to the final. Second, her three-set, fourth-round victory over No. 5-seeded Maria Sharapova, the French Open champ, and her 6-0, 6-1 blowout victory over No. 13-seeded Sara Errani in the quarterfinals were particularly impressive.
Wozniacki lost rather convincingly 6-3, 6-3 in the final against Williams, but she still probably gave Williams her toughest challenge of the tournament.
Whether it's coincidence or not, Wozniacki's game has picked up since her publicized breakup with golfer Rory McIlroy in May. She has her highest ranking of the year at No. 9 this week.
Final Grade: A-
Kei Nishikori
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2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Kei Nishikori showed he can present a problem for any opponent on hard courts, and a major breakthrough seemed forthcoming for the 24-year-old Japanese player. It did not seem he had the weapons or wherewithal to contend for a U.S. Open title quite yet, though.
Although he had been ranked as high as No. 9 earlier this year, he had not had a great deal of success in Grand Slam events. Nishikori had reached the quarterfinals in only one major, the 2012 Australian Open, and had lost in the first round of last year's U.S. Open.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
The No. 10-seeded Nishikori made a major breakthrough in the 2014 U.S. Open, beating three players ranked in the top six, including the world's No. 1 player, to reach his first Grand Slam final.
Had he beaten Marin Cilic in the final, Nishikori probably would have been rewarded with the best grade of the tournament. He still received high marks for his accomplishments.
Nishikori beat four seeded players in the tournament, including long, five-set victories in back-to-back matches against No. 5-seeded Milos Raonic and No. 3-seeded Stan Warinka. Nishokori then made a major statement by beating No. 1-seeded Novak Djokovic, the reigning Wimbledon champion, in four sets in the semifinals.
Beating three of the top five seeds in the same U.S. Open is rare, but it has been done before on the men's side. Federer accomplished it in 2007, and Wawrinka did it just last year.
Nishikori became the first Asian male to play in the final of a Grand Slam singles event, and there was every reason to believe he could beat Cilic in the title match. Nishikori had beaten Cilic the last three times they had met, with two of those wins coming on hard courts. But Cilic overpowered Nishikori this time, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Nishikori moved up to No. 8 in the rankings, but it remains to be seen whether his U.S. Open run was a fluke or an indication that he can challenge the elite players on a regular basis.
Final Grade: A-
Marin Cilic
24 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Marin Cilic's big serve makes him dangerous, and hiring Goran Ivanisevic a year ago to provide coaching seemed to be paying dividends. Cilic played well at this year's Wimbledon, where he beat Berdych and took Djokovic to five sets before losing in the quarterfinals.
That result and his quarterfinal berths at the U.S. Open in 2009 and 2012 suggested he could make some noise at this year's Open. He missed last year's U.S. Open while serving a suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
The No. 14-seeded Cilic had the tournament of his life. Not only did he win his first Grand Slam singles title the first time he reached a major final, but he also did it in overpowering fashion.
Cilic beat five seeded players in all, and he did not lose a set while winning his final three matches against players seeded among the top 10.
There was nothing special about Cilic's four-set victory over No. 18-seeded Kevin Anderson in the third round or his five-set win over No. 26 Gilles Simon in the fourth round. However, Cilic started opening some eyes with his straight-sets, quarterfinal victory over No. 6-seeded Berdych, duplicating his win over Berdych at Wimbledon.
Cilic followed that up with the biggest win of his career. Federer, the No. 2 seed and the winner of 17 Grand Slam singles titles, had beaten Cilic in all five of their previous matches, including four on hard courts. But Cilic not only beat Federer in the semifinals, he also did it decisively. He polished off Federer 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in just one hour and 45 minutes.
The 6'6" Cilic was equally dominant in the final, needing just one hour and 54 minutes to crush No. 10-seeded Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Had it not been for Serena's milestone achievements, Cilic would have received the highest grade in the tournament. It was still a close call.
Final Grade: A
Serena Williams
25 of 25
2014 U.S. Open Expectations
Even though Serena Williams performed poorly in the first three Grand Slam events of the year, she still came into the U.S. Open as the favorite. After all, she was still ranked No. 1 by a wide margin and had won the U.S. Open five times, including the last two years in a row.
She might be be feeling more pressure than usual after failing to reach the quarterfinals in any of the first three majors, but she was playing well going into the Open, winning two of her three hard-court tuneup tournaments.
2014 U.S. Open Performance
Williams' run to her third straight U.S. Open title ranks as one of the most significant U.S. Open performances ever.
From a historical perspective, it was her sixth U.S. Open title, tying Chris Evert for the most in the Open Era (since 1968) and leaving her just two behind Molla Mallory's record of eight U.S. Championships. Williams' first U.S. Open title came at age 17 in 1999, and the 15-year span between that championship and her 2014 title represents the largest gap between Grand Slam singles titles in history, according to USA Today.
More important is the fact that this was Williams' 18th Grand Slam title, pushing her into a tie with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for the fourth-most major titles. She is just one behind Helen Wills Moody, and Steffi Graf's Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam titles is within reach. Whether the 32-year-old Williams can match Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles is debatable.
From a sheer performance standpoint, this was one of the most impressive tournament runs in U.S. Open history. Williams did not lose a set in the tournament, and she did not lose more than three games in any set.
Her 6-3, 6-3 victory over Caroline Wozniacki may have been her most challenging match of the tournament. Only Evert's run in 1976 and Navratilova's performance in 1983 rate as more impressive U.S. Open runs in the Open era.
The only qualifying factor in Williams' performance was the caliber of competition she faced. Although she beat three seeded players, Williams did not face a single player ranked in the top 10.
Williams' 2014 season as a whole might still be a disappointment, but her performance at the U.S. Open made it look a lot better.
Final Grade: A+
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