Next week sees the start of the US Open in New York, the last major tournament of the tennis calendar. Justine Henin and Roger Federer are top seeds, but I think Flushing Meadows could belong to the Serbs this year. 

It’s a country perhaps better known for its football stars and its most famous team, Red Star Belgrade. However, Serbian tennis has seen a dramatic rise in the past year to become the country's most well-known export. Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic have set the women’s tour alight with powerful ground strokes, and Novak Djokovic, along with the lesser-known Jarko Tipsarevic, have been powering down the serves on the men’s ATP tour. 

Let's start with the ladies. Jelena Jankovic has become one of the characters of the tour. She has won more matches this year than any other player and has earned more than $1.4 million in prize money since January.  She has a likable personality, a strong eastern European accent and a great smile.  She recently won the Wimbledon mixed doubles with Britain's Jamie Murray and became an 'adopted Brit' to the cheering crowds. 

‘In the past few years, Serbia has been best known for its football, however tennis has seen a dramatic rise to become the country's most famous export.’


Her recent final in Canada last week, where she narrowly lost to Henin in two close sets, shows the Serbian is in great form and should be able to mount a serious challenge at Flushing Meadows. I pick her to win.  Her compatriot Ana Ivanovic is something of a tennis 'darling.' Her stunning looks have made her a crowd favourite. She reached the final of the French Open and the Wimbledon semis, showing her pedigree for the big tournaments. Her win in Los Angeles only two weeks ago will surely boost her confidence on the hard court surfaces. I expect Ivanovic to go far in New York, and whoever beats her will have to play well.

Despite a shock loss in the early rounds to Carlos Moya last week in Canada, Novak Djokovic has a real chance of winning his first Grand Slam title.  He has rocketed up the rankings throughout the year, reaching his current best of No.3. Not bad considering that only Federer and Rafael Nadal are above him. Djokovic’s game is well suited to to the north American hard courts, hence his recent victory over Federer in three sets  at a tournament in Montreal, Canada.  Still only 20, the young Serbian's serve and powerful ground strokes will be a threat to any opponent. I pick him to win the event this year.

As for other contenders, you can never bet against Federer while Nadal could cause a surprise and last year’s runner-up Andy Roddick has the potential to take his second US Open. James Blake would cause a sensation if he could keep up his good form of recent weeks and win his home Grand Slam tournament, especially after horrific injuries nearly forced the American to quit the sport in 2004. Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic and Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko complete the shortlist of potential champions.

While Jankovic remains my favourite for the women’s title, the tournament looks wide open. The Russians will be out in force so watch out for Kuznetsova, Petrova and Sharapova.  Maybe the Russian to beat, though, will be Anna Chakvetadze.  Only Jankovic has had more match wins this season than the 20-year-old Chakvetadze, and if she can keep her nerve and serve well, the Russian beauty could be the surprise of the tournament. Henin, fresh from a tournament win in Canada last week, will be the bookies’ favourite while never say never where the Williams sisters are concerned, having won two out of the three Grand Slams this year between them.