The Grand Slam year once again builds to a thrilling climax as the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows New York hosts the 134th US Open Tennis Championships.
The title holders from 12 months ago are Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams however here we put the spotlight on the British players aiming to have their names up in lights this year in the Big Apple.
Andy Murray
British No.1 Andy Murray returns to the site of his breakthrough Grand Slam triumph two years ago when he defeated Novak Djokovic 7-6(10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 in an electrifying final to become the 2012 US Open champion.
The 2013 Wimbledon champion also reached his first major final on the famous Arthur Ashe stadium six years ago when he defeated Rafael Nadal before falling to Roger Federer. Murray was a quarter-finalist 12 months ago and a semi-finalist in New York in 2011.
This year the reigning Olympic champion has extended his run of reaching at least the quarter-finals of his last 14 Grand Slams.
Heather Watson
British No.1 Heather Watson will arrive in New York back in the top 50 after a resurgent season of strong performances.
Watson reached the semi-finals of the Aegon International in Eastbourne, the third round of the Rogers Cup in Montréal as well as victory at two $100K ITF events.
The right-hander has progressed to round two at Roland Garros (after qualifying) and Wimbledon and has secured her first top 20 victories over Flavia Pennetta and Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova.
Johanna Konta
British No.2 Johanna Konta will be making a third US appearance and will look to draw on her run two years ago in the Big Apple.
On that occasion Konta fought through qualifying before defeating Timea Babos and only narrowly failing to reach the last 32 when she was edged out 7-5 in the third set by Olga Govortsova.
The 23 year-old broke into the top 100 earlier in the season reaching a career high ranking of 89 in July.
Doubles
Britain will be strongly represented in the men’s doubles with five players looking to make an impact on the New York cement.
Jamie Murray
Jamie Murray and Australian partner John Peers have had a successful season that saw them victorious at the BMW Open in Munich and reach the Aegon Championships final at Queen’s Club with a victory over the Bryan brothers en route.
In 2013 Murray and Peers reached the quarter-finals at the US Open and will be aiming to go a step further this year.
Dominic Inglot
Dom Inglot and partner Treat Huey lifted their 3rd ATP World Tour title at the Aegon International in Eastbourne with an impressive victory over Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares.
Inglot and Huey were quarter-finalists at January’s Australian Open and reached the last eight in New York last year.
Colin Fleming & Ross Hutchins
Colin Fleming & Ross Hutchins will be making their 3rd appearance together at the US Open having been quarter-finalists in 2011. The duo have recombined well in 2013 reaching the final in Munich and Aegon International semi-finals in Eastbourne.
Jonny Marray
2012 Wimbledon champion Jonny Marray will team up with former singles quarter-finalist Gilles Muller of Luxembourg. Marray was a quarter-finalist 12 months ago with Fleming.
Heather Watson (again)
Heather Watson will also line up in the women’s doubles draw alongside Spain’s Silvia Soler-Espinosa.
Earlier in the summer Watson teamed up with Russia’s Alexandra Panova to lift her third career WTA doubles title at the Baku Cup in Azerbaijan.
Juniors
The British challenge in the junior events will be led by Katie Boulter and Isabelle Wallace in the main draw of the girls’ singles.
18 year-old Boulter reached the Australian Open junior doubles final in January partnering Serbian Ivana Jorovic and reached a career high ITF combined ranking of 10th in March. In 2013 Boulter reached the third round at Flushing Meadows and will be aiming to go further this year.
17 year-old Wallace has reached the third round in both Melbourne and Paris and will appear in the main draw in New York for the first time after falling in qualifying 12 months ago.
The quintet of Gabi Taylor, Maia Lumsden, Katie Swan, Freya Christie and Emily Arbuthnott are all expected to appear in the qualifying draw.
In the boys’ singles Alexander Sendegeya is on the alternate list and will be hoping to secure a place in the qualifying draw.
Wheelchair events
Britain will be strongly represented in the Wheelchair events in New York with Jordanne Whiley, Gordon Reid and Andy Lapthorne all in action.
Whiley will be out to create history in New York as she and Japanese partner Yui Kamiji look to complete a calendar year Grand Slam of doubles titles after earlier victories at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.
Reid has lifted 4 singles titles during a successful 2014 campaign and recently reached the final of the British Open.
Lapthorne was also a British Open finalist, in the quad singles, and in January claimed the Australian Open quad doubles title.
Keep track of the Brits progress at Flushing Meadows online from Monday 18th August and follow @BritishTennis #BackTheBrits on Twitter and British Tennis on Facebook
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