3 Reasons You Can't Miss the US Open

The 2015 US Open is around the corner, and one thing is certain – it’s a can’t-miss experience for both diehard and casual fans alike. Grab your tickets now – they are going fast.

These are the top 3 reasons that you can’t miss out on the 2015 US Open.

1. The tennis is electrifying. Have you ever seen Serena, Roger or Rafa play, their talent and shot-making on full display? Now, imagine seeing them live and in person. There’s nothing like it. It’s exciting, it’s intense – and it’s impossible to fully appreciate through a television set. 

2. The celeb-spotting opportunities are endless. At the US Open, the stars are on the court and in the stands – oftentimes sitting right next to you. The US Open is an event to see and be seen. Alec Baldwin is a regular and several other celebrities have made appearances in years past.

3. The food is really good. The only thing more diverse than the players and crowds at the Open is the international cuisine you’ll find once you’re inside the gates. From a full sushi bar to a Latin-inspired restaurant with Cuban fare and cool, refreshing cocktails, the restaurant scene at the Open brings the heat.

The 2015 US Open starts Aug. 31. Tickets are on sale now. Don’t miss out on the action – get your tickets here!

 

2015 US Open Sneak Peak from Traction Labs Videos on Vimeo.

The US Open is the can’t-miss event of the summer. Check out this video to find out why. Tickets are on sale now, and they’re going fast. Don’t miss out on the grandest Slam in tennis. Get your tickets here!

Wimbledon 2015 Men's Singles Favourite

With the Wimbledon Championship going to kick start on Monday, it will be exciting to see who is the favourite men tennis players to win on the prestigious lawn surface. You'll find many predictions on the Internet including on Betfair Wimbeldon odds but I'm going to share with you my take on who will be the potential champion in London in two weeks time.
      
The recent French Open was a pleasant (or shocking to some) surprise for many. We almost did not see it coming when Stanislas Wawrinka overpowered world no. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic to walk away with a second Grand Slam title. Many tennis fans around the world will be excited to find out if Novak Djokovic is able to walk away with a Grand Slam trophy this time around.

Meanwhile, eighth seed David Ferrer just announced that he has to pull out from the tournament due to an elbow injury. Although grass is not his strongest surface, he managed to get into the quarterfinal in 2013 and has always been a threat to the men's tennis players in the ATP.

Based on Djokovic's consistency and coming into the tournament as a defending champion, it is only wise to believe that the Serbian is the favourite player to win at SW19. Meanwhile, Wawrinka might not be able to repeat the same success he had in Paris. In the past, his inconsistency usually crept up after a big win.

Rafael Nadal's success on grass in Stuttgart recently cannot be underestimated although he failed to make it through the first round at the Queen's Club the following week. Without the pressure and high expectation like he had at the French Open, there could be a possibility for Nadal to make a shocking success on this surface, where he once had the most epic win against Roger Federer. As for Federer, he is still a strong contender especially on this surface where he holds a record of 7 championship wins.

Lastly, the crowd favourite Andy Murray might be the closest bet we have to win the Wimbledon title after Djokovic. Murray has over the years built his confidence and games under the guidance of coaches like Ivan Lendl and Amelie Mauresmo. Mauresmo is just days from giving birth and may not be around to give the moral support that Murray needs. However, it will be the most beautiful gift Murray can give to his coach if he wins on his homeground surface.

Image via telegraph.uk

Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell: Will Nadal be able to bounce back?

Despite another disappointed year at the Monte Carlo Masters, Rafael Nadal still hasn't given up on his favourite clay surface. In fact he is aiming for a ninth title at the Barcelona Open happening this week.

Last Saturday, the Nadal was defeated in straight sets by world no.1 Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters. However, the Spaniard insisted he was pleased by his progress after a poor start at the beginning of the year due to injury

"For me, it's a very positive week. The most positive week of the season, without any doubt," said Nadal.

"If I am able to keep doing that in the next tournament in Barcelona, and I have a tough draw, I will say that I am very well again."

The 8-time champion is seeded second after defending champion Kei Nishikori who ended a nine-year streak by Nadal in 2014. Other players who will be playing in Barcelona are David Ferrer, Milos Raonic, Marin Cilic, Feliciano Lopez, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Ernests Gulbis. However, the odds are high that Nishikori will give Nadal a run for the money.

Image via tennisplanet.me

Kei Nishikori
The world no. 4, reigning champion and top seed Kei Nishikori makes his fifth straight appearance in Barcelona with a 10-3 career tournament record. A year ago Nishikori entered the Barcelona tournament ranked no. 17 and he only dropped one set en route to his first career ATP World Tour clay court title. This season Nishikori is 21-5 with a title in Memphis. This is the fifth time in Nishikori’s career he is the top seed in an ATP tournament. He has quite an outstanding 16-1 record as the top seed with his only loss to Ferrer in the Acapulco final. Nishikori was absent from the recent Monte Carlo Masters.

Image via Skysports

Rafael Nadal
Nadal is aiming for the ninth title here. He comes into Barcelona with a brilliant 42-2 career tournament record. His 41-match winning streak in Barcelona came to an end after beaten by fellow countryman Nicolas Almagro in the quarterfinals last year. Eight of Nadal’s titles came in the past 10 years (he did not play in 2010). This is the fourth time Nadal is not the top seed i.e. in the year 2013, 2005 and 2003. This is going to be an interesting tournament that could make or break Nadal in the subsequent clay court tournaments before the French Open.

Monte Carlo Masters - Who to Watch

 by Carine06 

As the Monte Carlo Masters gets underway, the buzz is beginning to build around just who exactly will surge to dominance on the clay courts of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, this coming week. With some first round ties already completed, the pack is already thinning and with that in mind, there is no better time than now to take a look at several stars that are likely to shine in Monte Carlo.

 by  y.caradec

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic began the year in scintillating fashion when achieving glory at the Australian Open - and the Serbian hasn't looked back since. Afforded a first round bye, 'The Djok' has undoubtedly had it easier than others in advancing to the second round, but it likely won't cause him any ring rust. Djokovic most recently moved to 6th place in the rankings for the most weeks spent atop the ATP World Tour Rankings and with a near-5000 point lead over second placed Roger Federer, he won't be dethroned any time soon. These astounding stats are paired with the fact that Djokovic won both the BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open prior to this event, meaning he will likely want to make it a hat-trick and add to his stellar resume for 2015.

.@djokernole now 6th all-time for most weeks at No.1 in #Emirates #ATP Rankings. Tribute: http://t.co/QhuCSPpaSg pic.twitter.com/so5woJ26uy
— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) April 13, 2015

Stanislas Wawrinka

Wawrinka shocked the world when not only winning the Australian Open in 2014, but also when scalping a victory over Roger Federer to take the Monte Carlo Masters crown home with him last time out. Wawrinka played the aformentioned Djokovic through a gruelling five sets before ultimately losing out in the Australian Open this year and his form managed to remain consistent - until around two months ago it seems. Since then Wawrinka has defeated just one tennis player (Carlos Berlocq) ranked within the top 100 and it appears that this tournament could go either way for the 30-year-old. One thing is for certain though, whatever happens this tournament for Wawwrinka, all eyes will be on him.

Rafael Nadal
Rafa has slipped under the radar in recent years due to persistent injury problems, but that doesn't mean he is no longer able to punish the best of them at a moment's notice - especially on the clay courts of Monte Carlo. Nadal has won the competition as many as eight times and when you also factor in his nine French Open wins - which is also played on clay courts - there is every reason to believe he can emerge as a front-runner for success at this tournament. Leading bookmakers such as betfair have already listed the Spaniard as the favourite for success later in the year at the French Open, meaning that that Rafa's precense around clay courts is something to behold. Perhaps the 'King of Clay' can strike once again and earn himself an uprecedented ninth singles title.

Roger Federer
For an unknown reason, the Monte Carlo Masters crown has eluded Federer througout his entire career. He has reached the final as many as four times but each defeat appears to be a little more painful than the last, and that may have taken it's toll on the Swiss sensation. Such a storied career seemingly can't end without 'Fed' finally achieving glory in Monte Carlo, but in truth it all depends on whether he can maintain the composure to beat the likes of Nadal and Djokovic. He has, however, suffered on clay courts in recent seasons and this could be evidence of an ageing veteran who is slowly entering his hayday. The ATP rankings prove different however, so it will be interesting to see if Federer can pull another rabbit out of his seemingly-bottomless box of tricks. It would certainly be a fairytale story if he was to achieve glory come Sunday in France. 

So there you have it, four of the more prominent candidates touching down on the clay of Monte Carlo, but in truth, the tournament is extremely open this year, with the likes of Milos Raonic and Gregor Dimitrov looking to ascend into the higher echelons of elite tennis. Watch this space, it could really be anyone who emerges the winner at this year's Masters.