US OPEN Seed Predictions

The fourth and final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year starts on Monday August 29th in New York: The United States Open.

The womens' seedings are:

1. Maria Sharapova (RUS). "The It Girl" recently became #1 by amassing 6 tournament wins in the last 12 months. Needs to go deep into the tournament to show that she deserves to be #1 though it is already clear this 18-year old has the goods to win multiple majors in the future. Semi-finalist.
2. Lindsay Davenport (USA). America's "Top Gun" ran out of gas against Serena at this year's Australian Open and came thisclose to winning at Wimbledon against Venus but has been injured for the almost entire hardcourt season this year. Semi-finalist.
3. Amelie Mauresmo (FRA). "The Artiste" has every weapon in her arsenal except for mental toughness. Semi-finalist.
4. Kim Clijsters (BEL). "Miss Congeniality" has been the hottest player on tour all year. She has only lost one match in the United States all year and is eligible for double prize money since she placed first in the US Open Series by winning in Stanford, Los Angeles and Toronto. Finalist
5. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS). "The Contender" has not been much of a factor during the U.S. hardcourt season and is unlikely to reach the U.S. Open final again this year. Quarter-finalist.
6. Elena Dementieva (RUS). "The Sweetheart" has miraculously managed to remain near the Top 5 in the ranking despite being unable to repeat her 2004 performance of being the only woman to appear in two Grand Slam finals. Her serve has nowhere to go but up. Early round loss.
7. Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL). "The Comeback Kid" was flawless during the clay court season, culminating in the 2005 French Open title but lost in the first round at Wimbledon and has been injured for most of the hardcourt season. Quarter-finalist
8. Serena Williams (USA). "The Diva" is nursing several injuries, the least of which is her pride. She looked like a hot ghetto mess at Wimbledon and has yet to really show that she is as interested in tennis as all her other pursuits. Despite this, somehow she was able to muscle her way to her 7th Grand Slam title at the 2005 Australian Open. Will not play.
9. Nadia Petrova (RUS). This Russian has yet to win her first WTA Tour title and has been flying so far under the radar that the marketers for the US Open Series didn't come up with a cute sobriquet for her! Quarter-finalist.
10. Venus Williams (USA). "The Goddess" proved everyone wrong, including yours truly by winning Wimbledon in stunning fashion in the longest women's grand slam final ever. Quarter-finalist.