Five top ATP players looking to do better at US Open than Wimbledon

Stan Wawrinka
Swiss number two Wawrinka needs to triumph at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows to complete the career Grand Slam, and join an elite list which includes compatriot Federer, whose shadow he has been in for so long. A surprise winner of both the Australian Open last year and French Open this season, Wawrinka is a late bloomer that cannot be underestimated.

Slumping to shock defeat by Richard Gasquet in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, Wawrinka has reached the semis of the US Open before. He thus needs to make that extra push to build on previous exploits in New York for glory this time round, and it’s 12/1 he finds himself flushed with further success stateside.

Kei Nishikori
Having to withdraw from Wimbledon through injury was a big blow to rising Japanese star Nishikori. Runner-up at last year’s US Open after knocking Djokovic out, it is on the hard courts where he has tended to perform best.

With plenty of time to return to full fitness after a calf problem before Flushing Meadows, nifty Nishikori will be looking to go one better this time around, despite a drop in the ATP rankings. Odds of 14/1 say he can take the US Open title back to the Far East.

Marin Cilic
Be very surprised if you hear much talk about defending US Open champ Cilic in the build-up to this year’s edition. A surprise winner last season, the Croatian succumbed far too easily to Djokovic in his Wimbledon quarter-final.

Hard surfaces suit Cilic, though he to battle past the likes of Kevin Anderson and Gilles Simon before straight sets wins over Tomas Berdych, Federer and Nishikori helped him take the US Open title. A repeat victory looks unlikely, however, as Cilic holds long odds of 28/1 to defend his crown at Flushing Meadows.