The U.S. Open is inching closer and closer to starting on the tennis calendar and as the last Grand Slam of the year approaches, both Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams will have some momentum after winning the Rogers Cup tournament finals before the major begins.
Nadal rebounded a bit from his earlier loss in the summer at Wimbledon and he put an end to any hope of a Canadian winning the Cup in his home country, as he defeated Milos Raonic in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 to win the championship. Raonic would have been the first Canadian to win in over 50 years and now Nadal can fully put that early upset loss in Wimbledon behind him as he looks towards the US Open. Nadal looked very sharp on Sunday and this came after an intense match the previous night against two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic, defeating him in three sets 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2).
Raonic still will move up in the rankings despite losing, but it ended all hope for a Canadian winning, stalling some hopes for people after two players from Canada made it into the semifinals. Nadal showed him dominance on the court on Sunday and is now 4-0 in his career against Raonic and he continued playing very well in Masters tournaments, winning 25 in his career and four this year and the win also continues his excellent year after returning from a knee injury that knocked him out at the end of last season. This year Nadal has made it to the finals 10 of the 11 tournaments he has played in and hs is 48-3 on the year heading into the US Open.
Serena Williams will be looked at as the favorite on the women's side at the US Open after winning in Toronto for the third time at the Rogers Cup, winning 6-2, 6-0 against Sorana Cirstea on Sunday for her eighth title on tour this year. Williams has won more than anyone else on tour this year and it marks her 54th title in her career and it is another reason why she looks like the player to beat heading into Flushing for the major. Williams was fantastic all week and did not lose a set and now she is looking to continue her strong play from all year into the Grand Slam, which would be her second of the past three after winning the French Open and losing at Wimbledon.
