Will Roger Federer Win Another Slam?

The last Grand Slam of the year has the fairest playing surface of all the other slams. Clay is a specialist slow player court and virtually no serve and volleyer has won it in the Open Era, except for Yannick Noah. Although the grass surface has changed, more durable hard grass and dry conditions produce more rallies and gives players like Nadal an even chance against a Federer and Murray, and we have seen the results. The bounce of the Melbourne court is more even but the weather conditions, the heat and humidity take their toll on all but the fittest of players.
Flushing Meadows has even bounce, not too fast and the September weather is ideal for tennis. There is one factor which is unique and in some cases adversarial. It is the crowd. The vociferous, contentious, and at times downright rowdy fans have caused players to run. Ask Borg. Ask Lendl in his first three trips to the finals. In all, his eight finals should be counted as an Herculean effort that only Johnny Mac (envies and) puts down.
Federer loves New York and the crowd loves him. Nadal and Murray have the same advantage. Now Novak will probably find support and of course Del Potro. These are the people who will benefit from the support, and it will be crucial. Federer’s play suits grass and the decoturf of Flushing Meadows. He is mentally tough and he knows this will be the last time he would have any chance of winning the US Open. He and his coach, Paul Annaccone, have worked hard for him to arrive here at number 3 and healthy.
That brings up the question mark against Nadal’s fitness. Burning hand at a Japanese restaurant! Even though it is not his serving hand, still a litle distraction in throwing the ball up during service can have devastatingly negative effect. I am not worried about Novak’s fitness. He knew what he was doing when he quit at Cincinnati. He wishes he lost at Rome to Murray, and then won the French. No, he is the favorite.
Murray, on the other hand, is floundering without a coach. Come on, Andy, get a coach, and one who’s not your mother. He’s right, he peaked too soon last year. But he needs a coach to strategize. He keeps saying he has to work out some things. Yes, how to be aggressive on some points. What happened to him at Wimbledon after winning the first set against Nadal? He should talk to Ivan. He’s in a total funk at Grand Slam Finals, until he wins his first. He has the variation, skill and mental prowess to rival Federer, and this will be his golden chance.
Del Potro is the dark horse, not Monfils or the other Frenchman. I think Andy Roddick has managed to self destruct after the five setter against Roger in the Wimbledon final. Just hard serve will not get him anywhere in Men’s Tennis. Look at Ivo Karlovic.
So it looks like a Murray/Djokovic final. The outcome will depend purely on the crowd and Murray’s psyche.