Down the line: What we’ve learned from the US Open Series

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  • Return to the top 10: Ana Ivanovic.

    We’re six days away from the US Open and the build-up has been one big hot plate of drama and spice.

    We’ve had big name US Open withdrawals like Rafael Nadal and Li Na, veterans resurfacing, like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Venus Williams, and some stunning performances from Roger Federer and Serena Williams.

    Here are a few things we’ve learned from the US Open Series so far:

    Wozniacki and Ivanovic are out for blood

    Ana Ivanovic has been building up momentum all season, and she finally returned to the top-10 thimonth for the first time in over five years while Caroline Wozniacki seems to have turned things around since she captured the title in Istanbul last month.

    Wozniacki lost two tight threesetters against Serena in both Montreal and Cincinnati and heads to New York with renewed belief.

    The US Open is Wozniacki’s best major (she was runner-up in 2009, made two more semis) and she is definitely one to look out for there.

    The Open is Ivanovic’s least successful slam (she’s made just one quarter-final there) but she’ll have a top-eight seeding which is a welcome boost and she’s armed with confidence from her runnerup showing in Cincy.

    Trash talk in tennis is alive and well

    Sharapova mocking Ivanovic and telling her to “check her blood pressure” in the Cincy semis was pure brilliance. She wasn’t being rude or breaking any rules but at the same time drew attention to the regular issues brought up with the bizarre and often disruptive timings of medical timeouts.

    Federer and Serena are US Open favourites

    The results don’t lie and both Federer and Serena have been the most solid heading into New York.

    Nadal’s absence means Federer will benefit from a No2 seeding, but good recovery from best-five matches will be key for him because he’s played a lot of tennis this season.

    Serena could still be prone to an early upset but her urgency to salvage her slam-less season should help her.

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