2010 U.S. Open Tennis Profile: Sergiy Stakhovsky Into Finals?

Sergiy Stakhovsky is one of my two dark horse picks to end up in the 2010 U.S. Open Finals. The other is Richard Gasquet, who will be profiled tomorrow.

Neither exciting or particularly wonderful in any phase of his game, Stakhovsky has fairly good court coverage and is relatively steady from the backcourt. If there is a strength, it is his drop shot, which is fairly accurate especially if done from a fairly weak return. He is also fairly good at moving players around to set them up for a ground stroke winner.

Stakhovsky has an average serve and slight looks. At 6'4" (1.93m), he weighs only 176 pounds (80 kilos). He is so skinny that he appears more slight than any other tennis winner this year. Yet the Ukrainian is ninth in aces, with 29 in his first round. He also won the Pilot Pen against a relatively weak field. 

American Qualifier Ryan Harrison, at 18 the youngest player left in the 2010 US Open, is Stakhovsky's current opponent. He is not likely to put up much of a fuss, although Harrison is playing very well at the moment in front of a home crowd.

In looking at the rest of the men's draw, Stakhovsky will probably face Feliciano Lopez next. Lopez beat Rafael Nadal at this year's Queen's Club in June, his first win against six losses since 2003. 

After this, if Nadal gets past his next few opponents, Stakhovsky will meet him in the Round of 16. That match will be the first for them if they meet.

Getting by Nadal and likely next opponent Fernando Verdasco would set up a semifinals match against likely opponent Andy Murray. If by some miracle he reaches the finals, most believe he will meet Roger Federer, who he has also never met.