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US Open Accumulator: Federer to kick off with straight sets win

| 27.08.2012

Roger Federer gets his US Open challenge underway against American Donald Young, who has just ended a 17-match losing streak.

And despite the home representative’s recent victory over Leandro Mayer at the 2012 Western and Southern Open, the Swiss can be expected to produce a routine victory in the first round.

Federer was defeated in the final of the Olympic Games by Andy Murray, although he overcame the Scotsman to clinch his seventh Wimbledon trophy.

The 31-year-old has looked back to his swashbuckling best this season, and with Rafael Nadal absent at Flushing Meadows he will be keen to announce his dominance with a straight sets win at 1/8.

Home favourite James Blake could be playing in his last US Open this year, having suffered chronic knee problems during his career.

But the Floridian will want to offer a strong showing in New York, and can use the crowd’s support to help him progress against confidence stricken Lukas Lacko at 2/5.

Mardy Fish has lost the form that ranked him as high as seventh in the world last season, discovering in May that he was struggling with a heart ailment.

Despite that Fish remains a sturdy performer when serving well and hitting clean backhands, and if he can find his usual rhythm backing him to beat Go Soeda in three sets at 2/5 looks worthy.

Frenchman Gilles Simon gives little away on the court, and matched up with American veteran Michael Russell in the first round that looks set to continue.

Russell can rely on home support at the US Open, but Simon should prove too strong for his opponent and can be backed at 10/11 to win in three sets.

In the women’s draw, the clash between Sabine Lisicki and Sorana Cirstea looks tasty, and the price of 4/6 for the German Lisicki to triumph could be useful.

Young Briton Heather Watson has a bright future in the game ahead of her, although her first round fixture at Flushing Meadows against former French Open winner Li Na is a tough draw.

Guernsey-born Watson is not quite at the level of her Chinese opponent, and backing Li Na at 1/5 to win in straight sets offers value.

Czech player Lucie Safarova broke inside the top 20 of the women’s game this month, and with a price of 1/7 can be relied upon to defeat off-form Melanie Oudin.

Zheng Jie has reached the semi-finals of both the Australia Open and Wimbledon before, and she will be hoping for a similar performance at the US Open this year.

Her first round opponent Virginie Razzano has slipped out of the top 100, and at 2/7 Zheng Jie is set to make light work of her.

US Open selections

Roger Federer to beat Donald Young 3-0 @ 1/8

James Blake to beat Lukas Lacko @ 2/5

Mardy Fish to beat Go Soeda @ 2/5

Gilles Simon to beat Michael Russell 3-0 @ 10/11

Sabine Lisicki to beat Sorana Cirstea @ 4/6

Li Na to beat Heather Watson 2-0 @1/5

Lucie Safarova to beat Melanie Oudin @ 1/7

Jie Zheng to beat Virginie Razzano @ 2/7

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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Author

Jamie Dickenson