Wimbledon 2016 Results: Men's Final Score and Early US Open Predictions
Andy Murray sealed the second Wimbledon crown of his career on Sunday after hauling in the 2016 title thanks to a 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) win over Milos Raonic, setting up a rejuvenated run at this year's U.S. Open.
Raonic was the only one of the pair to give up a break on Centre Court as a gleaming performance from Murray saw him overcome the Canadian's serving prowess to seal another title at SW19 with two tiebreak wins.
Serena Williams clinched the women's title on Saturday, when she handed Angelique Kerber a 7-5, 6-3 defeat and got revenge for the loss she suffered in this year's Australian Open final to the same opponent.
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A surprise third-round exit meant Novak Djokovic wasn't in the running to claim another Wimbledon win this year, but that early departure will have undoubtedly renewed his motivation for a run at the U.S. Open.
The tournament doesn't kick off until the last week of August, but following on from Murray's triumph at Wimbledon on Sunday, we profile a selection of predictions for what might unfold in New York next month.
Djokovic Realises American Dream
A defeat to Sam Querrey in the third round of Wimbledon 2016 exposed world No. 1 Djokovic as human after all, and the next few months of his career could be some of the most defining in his career.
Tennis writer Chris Skelton recently argued that a humbling loss at Wimbledon will actually make the Serb even more of a threat in New York, too, as opposed to looking like a weaker foe:
Djokovic will certainly be invigorated to make up for his mistakes at SW19, that's for sure, having missed out on his chance to complete a hallowed calendar Super Slam, as illustrated by the London Evening Standard:
The 2016 Rio Olympics are certain to have an impact on any players hoping to compete in both Brazil and New York, but Djokovic—revered for his superb stamina—has the will to stand up to such a test.
Between that and the 29-year-old's insurmountable fortitude, which will assuredly push him to bounce back as strong as ever, we're likely to see a revived Djokovic make his way across the pond come late August.
Victoria Azarenka Back With a Bang
Wimbledon 2016 was the first major tournament missed by Victoria Azarenka in more than two years, but the hope is she'll recover from yet another knee injury to line up in New York next month.
As things stand, Williams is the clear favourite to extend her Grand Slam run on home turf at the U.S. Open, having defeated Angelique Kerber on Saturday to clinch her sixth Wimbledon crown, per the Sun:
However, home advantage or not, Azarenka has proved herself capable of toppling the 34-year-old veteran in the past, and WTA Director Kevin Fischer even pinpointed the Belarusian as something of a Kryptonite for Williams:
That being said, regardless of whether or not it's Williams whom Azarenka has to down if she's to seal her third U.S. Open final, she's able to match and indeed surpass the best on the circuit on her day.
It's been more than three years since world No. 6 Azarenka won the most recent of her two major titles (Australian Open in 2012, 2013), but an injury respite could do her a world of good in sustaining a U.S. Open title bid.
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