US Open Tennis 2011: 15 Players Vying for Their First Grand Slam Crown

Over the past several years in the ATP World Tour, we've seen countless players surprise the field and make a deep run—take Melanie Oudin who went to the quarterfinals in 2009.

However, it seems that "new blood" has had a little trouble cracking the final code to earn a Grand Slam title.  Some will come so close, only to come up just short in the end.  It's always heart-breaking to watch.

After all, who doesn't love a good Cinderella story?  We all love it when it comes in March with basketball, so it's no different in tennis.

The following 15 players are the top candidates to make the deep run and record their first Grand Slam title.

15. Nadia Petrova

Petrova brings a great amount of experience, given that she's been a pro since 1999.

In her time in the WTA, Petrova has broken into the quarterfinals or later only eight times.  On the contrary, she has won ten titles in her career overall, including the 2011 Citi Open. 

In 2011, Petrova has defeated fellow top 25 players Ana Ivanovic and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Clearly, there's something left that Petrova has to offer.  It could be her last opportunity, so look for her to come out swinging.

14. Sabine Lisicki

Lisicki has come on strong recently, having a stellar 39-15 year.  This comes after she went 6-13 in 2010.

Lisicki won the Texas Tennis Open and even met Maria Sharapova in the semifinals of Wimbledon.  Her momentum is building.

She won't beat herself like so many tennis players do.  Her game tends to be somewhat conservative at times—which can be a problem—but it keeps her from beating herself.

Given her recent success, Lisicki definitely can make a deep US Open run.

13. Mardy Fish

Fish is the eighth-seeded man in the US Open this year.  Why is he that high?

I haven't the slightest clue.

His best finish in any Grand Slam tournament in his career is the quarterfinals, which he's only managed to do three times since 2000.

2000?  Yeah, that's a lot of tennis mediocrity.

However, this rant is not to say Fish doesn't have talent, because he clearly has stepped up in recent tournaments, even taking down Rafael Nadal in the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

He comes in at 13 only because he has struggled in Grand Slam tournaments.  His upbeat play tends to slow for some reason, and he appears lost.  His 2010 loss in the first round of the Australian Open was one of the sloppiest games I've ever seen played by any player.

Despite his career struggles, Fish comes in with a lot of hype after winning the Atlanta Tennis Championship in July.

I can't say I'm optimistic that Fish will be the 2011 breakout player in the US Open, but he certainly has the capability of doing so. 

12. Marion Bartoli

Bartoli made it to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and the semifinals of the French Open.  Clearly, there's a lot of talent here.

However, despite her high ranking and great finishes in 2011, Bartoli has struggled in the US Open, having never gotten past the fourth round.  In 2011, she has a fantastic draw, as it appears her toughest opponent through four rounds will be Maria Sharapova (who shows a lot of vulnerability).

She's not nearly as good as Caroline Wozniacki, but that doesn't mean she can't win.  There's no doubt that if Bartoli wants the title, she will have to play the best tennis she's ever played.

Her best can get her a victory.

11. Marin Cilic

Cilic has shown much potential thus far in his young career, having reached the quarterfinals in the 2009 US Open and the semifinals of the 2010 Australian Open.

Cilic is 30-17 in 2011 and beat the unseeded Ryan Harrison in yesterday's opener. 

Harrison was rattled from the beginning due to Cilic's style of play, which essentially consists of challenging his opponent in the speed game.  Cilic can fly all around the court and is one of the quickest guys in the game. 

This is where he could gain the edge over guys like Roger Federer and Robin Soderling.  They aren't speed players, and Cilic could show that.

He comes in ranked 27th and has a phenomenal draw.  He certainly has the ability to win, but I personally want to see Cilic vs. Federer—that's a game that has great match capabilities. 

10. Alexandr Dolgopolov

Dolgopolov comes into the 2011 US Open ranked 22nd in the world.  This is largely due to a quarterfinal appearance in the Australian Open and a victory at the Studena Croatia Open Umag in February.

That title in February was over Marin Cilic.

Other than that, Dolgopolov is relatively new to the Grand Slam scene.  He started yesterday with a nice victory over Frederico Gil, despite several silly errors.

It may still be a little soon for this young man, but with his recent display of talent, his momentum could give him the edge to make a run.

He also has one of the best draws in the tournament, so expect him to get at least to the quarterfinals.

9. Jelena Jankovic

Jankovic was a runner-up in the 2008 US Open but hasn't really been the same since then.

She went an incredible 65-19 in 2008 but hasn't won more than 46 games in any season since.  Despite a decent 32-16 record in 2011, she really hasn't been anything special.

And yet, there's something still there.  She is such a powerful player that some women can't keep up with her shots.  It just seems that so far in 2011, that power has been off.

Mark my words—Jankovic will be ready for the US Open and motivated to prove those who have written her off wrong.

8. Andrea Petkovic

After two Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances in 2011, it appears that Andrea Petkovic is beginning to come out of her shell.

Petkovic plays with a lot of power, being able to drive the ball at lighting-fast speeds.  Her issue will be moving around with good speed, because she's really not all that fast.

However, she doesn't need it.  Watching Petkovic is a thing of beauty when her powerful forehand is working right.  She has compiled a lot of momentum with recent performances and can carry that into the US Open.

She has a tough road, but watch out for the 10th-ranked Petkovic.

7. Fernando Verdasco

Verdasco had very good runs in 2009 and 2010 but has slowed to an average 29-19 year in 2011.  He hasn't won a tournament yet.

Why is he here then?

Verdasco has been to the quarterfinals in each of the last two US Opens—the only other Grand Slam he's advanced that far in was the 2009 Australian Open, where he finished in the semifinals.

He's got a few issues to work out before he can break into elite status: he makes a lot of errors from trying to force shots and he can be very sloppy when he gets frustrated.

However, if those shots should happen to land, they're nasty and opponents have a hard time hitting them.

In 2011, Verdasco will break that quarterfinals barrier.

6. David Ferrer

Ferrer is one of those guys that you just want to see succeed because of all the time and effort he has put into the game.

After all, the fifth-ranked man in the world hasn't won a Grand Slam in his 11-year career.

Approaching age 30, Ferrer's best finishes have been in the semifinals of the 2007 US Open and 2011 Australian Open.

To date, 2011 has been Ferrer's best season.  He's 40-12, having won two previous tournaments a few months ago.

This could be one of Ferrer's last opportunities to win the US Open—it is his ninth try, so he needs to capitalize.

5. Gael Monfils

With a 29-12 record in 2011, Monfils has moved up to being the seventh-ranked player in the world.  Four of his 12 losses have come against Djokovic, Nadal and Federer.

Still, that record comes without having won a tournament. 

Monfils is a hard player to pinpoint, as you just don't know what he's going to come with next.  He's a power player that can also get drop shots in there with the best of them. 

He was a quarterfinalist last year, so Monfils should come back to Flushing Meadows with something to prove.

4. Victoria Azarenka

Titles in the Andalucia Tennis Experience and Sony Ericsson Open, as well as a 41-13 record, have made her the fifth-ranked player in the WTA. 

Azarenka even finished in the semifinals in Wimbledon and the quarterfinals of the French Open.

She is a young player on the rise and has the most to gain as opposed to any other woman in the field without a Grand Slam title.

Azarenka is an all-around extraordinary player who could be "the next big thing," at the risk of using a cliche.  She's riding a tidal wave of momentum, and that momentum will carry her to a title at Flushing Meadows.

3. Tomas Berdych

Having won no tournaments and having a record of 39-18 overall, Berdych is the ninth-ranked player in the world.  He hasn't had much success in the US Open, but he has been moving up the ladder over the last couple years.

Berdych broke into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and was the runner-up in the 2010 edition of Wimbledon.  Not to mention, he owns a recent victory over Roger Federer.

Despite having been a pro since 2002 (like Soderling), Berdych is just now beginning to show how good of a player he can be.  He's got a strong serve and quick feet, which will help him to go deep into the US Open.

2. Robin Soderling

Until 2009, Soderling really didn't matter as a pro.  He didn't crack the third round of any Grand Slam tournament until the 2009 French Open.

Beginning with that tournament, he's been in the quarterfinals or better in six different Grand Slam tournaments.  Talk about a career turnaround.

Unfortunately, Soderling can't seem to get it done when it counts the most.  He's won four small championships in 2011 and amassed an impressive 38-9 record.  His number in Grand Slam championships: goose egg.

Being the sixth-ranked player comes with some pressure.  It's time for Soderling to come through.

1. Andy Murray

Andy Murray is to tennis what the Indianapolis Colts were to the NFL before their Super Bowl title in 2007—so good but can't win in the clutch.

Since 2008, Murray has made it to the quarterfinals or later in nine out of 15 Grand Slam tournaments.  That includes being the runner-up in the 2008 US Open. 

Since that US Open three years ago, he's struggled at Flushing Meadows, failing to get out of the fourth round in either of the past two years.  However, 2011 will be a different story.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal appeared shaken by recent struggles, and Novak Djokovic shows signs of being vulnerable due to injury.  With how good Murray is, he won't hesitate to display their weaknesses, should he gain the opportunity to play any of them.

For Andy Murray, it's make it or break it time.  For years, he's been so close—he cracks the code in 2011.