HURRICANE IRENE WAS the talk of the town as final preparations for the 2011 US Open kicked into gear over the weekend. World number two and defending champion Rafael Nadal planned to stay in his hotel for the duration of the storm, saying he would “watch some films”. “I never had an experience with a hurricane,” he shrugged.

Maria Sharapova, an early favourite to challenge for the Ladies title, was equally unimpressed by Irene’s interference – insisting that as someone who has lived and worked in Florida for years, people were “over-reacting”.

Either way, here are a couple of need-to-know discussion points ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year – now that officials have confirmed that main courts suffered “minimal damage” and we can stop talking about the weather!

#Can anyone stop Novak Djokovic?
Few pundits are looking beyond the world number one for the US Open crown. Not since John McEnroe’s run of 59-2 (wins/defeats) coming into the US Open of 1984 has one player been such a force on the men’s tour – the Serb’s record stands at 57-2 – and lying ahead of him in round one is none other than Ireland’s Conor Niland. For those getting out the prayer books on behalf of the Limerick man, there is an inkling of hope with doubts over Djokovic’s fitness after he was forced to withdraw from his most recent match (the Cincinnati Masters final against Andy Murray) with a shoulder injury. “My reaction was really happy – he is the best tennis player in the world, in one of the biggest tournaments, on the biggest court (and) it will be a great atmosphere. I’d rather that than playing a guy ranked 75 on court 17,” Niland told the Limerick Leader this week.
Verdict: Should he make it past his Irish opponent, expect Djokovic to get to the final stages as the Novak of 2011 is stronger, more resilient and a hell of a lot more relaxed than ever before.

# Can Nadal, Federer overcome recent form?
Former world number one Roger Federer has become everyone’s second favour tennis player since slipping back from the all conquering Swiss express that hoovered up titles without a second thought just a few years ago. Having celebrated his 30th birthday just last week though, it’s clear that Federer is no longer the force he was. Listen to his comments and there’s little to suggestion he can’t add another Slam to his impressive collection. Watch him in action, however, and fans can see that Federer’s accuracy is not quite at levels seen previously and his unforced error count is rising.
With all the talk of Djokovic, observers could be forgiven for forgetting about Nadal. It has not been the smoothest of years for the Spaniard who has suffered with a foot injury and, more recently, problems with his fingers this year and he comes into this tournament very much in the shadow of the only man above him in the rankings.
Verdict: Nadal recently hinted that it could be next year before he’s in a position to challenge for the no. 1 spot again and while both he and Federer should make decent progress over the next two weeks, it’s unlikely they have come up with anything to defeat the man from Serbia just yet.

#Are there magic moments ahead for Murray?

Another Grand Slam, another analysis of Andy Murray. Undoubtedly one of the best tennis players that Britain has ever produced, the focus is back on the Scot this week as he endeavours to try and claim that illusive first Major title. A quick look over Murray’s record in the year’s biggest tournaments and there is a marked contrast between his fortunes in Grand Slam competitions and other less important dates. He has yet to win even a set of a Grand Slam final and he’s still learning to mask his emotions on court – as seen in Australia earlier this year. Murray’s record in the Masters series is incredible in comparison – he has beaten all of the top three guys repeatedly and so we have to believe that the talent is there. He’s in peak condition right now, having paid careful attention to his late summer schedule, but can flag badly if he’s dragged into too many five-set battles. He does seem to favour hard court surfaces, though he has actually reached more semi-finals at Roland Garros than in New York. The enigma may well continue…
Verdict: If Murray plays his own game to the best of his ability, he has a chance. It would be a shame if he went down as one of the ‘Best Players Never to win a Grand Slam’ simply because his time coincided with the likes of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.

#Can Serena reclaim Grand Slam-winning form?
Tennis fans are well used to the sight of Serena and Venus Williams appearing on tour shortly before a Grand Slam and clearing all before them, but prolonged spells out of the game with injury for both women seems to have changed all that.
With 20 Grand Slam singles titles between them, the pair will be closely watched in Flushing Meadows but while Serena has some decent court time (and two tournament wins) under her belt since her early exit at Wimbledon, it will be a surprise to see Venus get beyond the opening rounds.
Verdict: Serena was out of condition when she was beaten in London. She has been working hard on her fitness since and injury is surely her biggest fear heading into the next fortnight. She is the early tournament favourite despite being only ranked as the 28th seed.

#Can Caroline Wozniacki break her Grand Slam duck?
World number one Caroline Wozniacki, for all her consistency, needs to claim a Grand Slam title if she is to ever be considered among the best in action on the ladies tour right now. The upcoming US Open marks her fifth consecutive Grand Slam as top seed – yet she is no closer to convincing her doubters as she was ahead of the first. Her style of play is defensive, she plays to her strengths but even with a recent title win (in New Haven) under her belt, she might well have to delve into the ‘How to win a Major after a knock?’ vault of boyfriend Rory McIlroy’s brain to regain more of her confidence if she has any chance of accomplishing this particular challenge.
Verdict: The Dane has already played an incredible amount of tournaments this year, raising additional questions over whether or not she will be able to survive the two-week challenge. She’s getting closer, but this US Open comes too soon for her.

#Can the Eastern threat succeed?
When Maria Sharapova reached the Wimbledon final a couple of months ago, many predicted that the Russian was finally ‘back’. She had taken time to recover fully from a troubling shoulder injury and seemed to have recovered the ruthless form that saw her dominant the women’s game for a time. Few gave her opponent on the day, Petra Kvitova, any chance until Sharapova’s serving demons swooped with devastating results – effectively handing the Wimbledon crown to her Czech opponent as her once invincible serve crumbled. In contrast to some of her colleagues, the three-time Grand Slam champion still works as hard away from the show courts and is as determined to succeed as ever.
Verdict: If Sharapova’s serve holds up, her improved return game will cause any opponent problems. Her mental strength is second to none and she has steadily improved her results through 2011, reaching the semi-finals at the French Open and the finals in SW19….

Additional reporting from Associated Press