US Open Tennis 2015: Players Most Likely to Score Stunning Upsets
The U.S. Open appears to be a tournament where the stars will shine.
Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray appear to be at or near the top of their game, and it would be a surprise if one of those players does not win America's national tennis championship.
However, it doesn't always work out that way. At this year's French Open, a gutty Stan Wawrinka got the best of Djokovic in the championship round, and just a year ago, Marin Cilic defeated Kei Nishikori in the 2014 U.S. Open final.
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This tournament is played by human beings and not machines, and in this piece we look at the players on the men's side of the draw who have the best chance of coming up with a championship run through the tournament.
The oddsmakers say it is highly unlikely that one of the top three seeds do not end up covered with championship glory by the time the tournament concludes. Djokovic is a plus-120 favorite, while Murray is plus-350 and Federer is plus-450, according to Odds Shark.
None of the other players in the tournament come in at odds of less than plus-1,200.
| Player | Seed | Odds |
| Novak Djokovic | 1 | +120 |
| Roger Federer | 2 | +450 |
| Andy Murray | 3 | +350 |
| Kei Nishikori | 4 | +1,400 |
| Stan Wawrinka | 5 | +1,200 |
| Tomas Berdych | 6 | +3.300 |
| Rafael Nadal | 8 | +1,400 |
| Richard Gasquet | 12 | +15,000 |
| Alexandr Dolgopolov | Unseeded | +10,000 |
Kei Nishikori (+1,400) of Japan is the No. 4 seed, and when he is on his game, he appears to have enough talent to give any of the Big Three a battle. Consistency has been a problem for him this year, as he has not been impressive in any of the majors after last year's run to the final.
Nishikori has won three tournaments this year, and he has an eye-catching 46-10 tournament record in 2015. The 25-year-old Japanese star ripped through his first three opponents in the Rogers Cup in Montreal earlier this month, including a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. However, he fell apart in the semifinals against Andy Murray, dropping a 6-3, 6-0 decision.
Nishikori has the complete game to cause problems in any round, but he has to show more consistency against the top players. The problem could be a lack of confidence, but he is fundamentally strong enough to make a deep run in this tournament once again.
Fifth-seeded Stan Wawrinka (+1,200) does not have an issue when facing the game's best players. That was the case when he met Djokovic in late June in the French Open. Few thought he had a chance when he stepped onto the court at Roland Garros against the best player in the world in the championship match, but he dispatched Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
Since then he has struggled, including a loss to Nick Kyrgios in his round-of-32 match in the Rogers Cup and in the return match against Djokovic at Cincinnati's Western and Southern Open. Still, if he can find his form in New York, he will be a tough out.
Unseeded Alexandr Dolgopolov (+10,000) wouldn't appear to have much of a chance, but this 26-year-old from Ukraine just may have a chance to pull off a series of upsets.
Dolgopolov, nicknamed "The Dog," plays with tenacity and grit. He had Djokovic on the ropes after winning the first set, but he couldn't put him away in the second-set tiebreaker before losing the match in the third set.
However, if Dolgopolov can make the adjustment and win some of those late, key points, he will have a shot because he does not appear to be intimidated.
Tomas Berdych (+3,300) does not have a high profile, but he is the tournament's sixth seed. Berdych has a strong 42-14 match record this year, but he has not been able to seal the deal in any of the tournaments he has played. Still, he has won more than $2.4 million on the tour, and he should not be discounted.
Rafael Nadal (+1,400) has not been the darling of the tennis world for several seasons. His brilliant athleticism and stellar return game have not been on display in the sport's big events, as the 29-year-old Spaniard lost in in the Australian Open and French Open quarterfinals before a shocking round-of-64 loss to German player Dustin Brown at Wimbledon.
Nadal (seeded eighth) seems to have lost his edge and will need to find it quickly if he hopes to make a run in New York.
Keep your eye on Richard Gasquet (+15,000) of France if you want to back a substantial long shot. The 12th seed made it to the Wimbledon semifinal, and he is having the best year of his career. If the 29-year-old, with a 30-11 match record this year, can win a couple of early matches and get his confidence rolling, he has a chance to get at least as far as he did at Wimbledon.
All odds provided by Odds Shark.
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