Who will win the final Grand Slam event of the year?August 24, 2016

The long season produced unexpected results. Roger Federer would be out of the Top 5 by the end of the year. It last happened in 2003. Novak Djokovic was nursing a wrist injury. Fatigue was one of the reasons behind Andy Murray's loss to Marin ÄŒiliÄ‡ in Cincinnati last Sunday. And the US Open would kick off in less than a week.

For the local bets, the 136th edition of the fourth and final Grand Slam event of the year seemed promising at all. Nick Kyrgios would be seeded 15th, which could be good news. If he would be in fine form, then he could be around during the second week. The draw will be another factor, and he might make it to the last eight for the second time. Bernard Tomic, who reached the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Masters last week, could do another deep run in the major event. The Gold Coast native had a fine performance at Wimbledon last month. Sam Stosur, the 2011 champion, lost to Flavia Pennetta of Italy in the fourth round last year. She might make it to the finals again, she might not. The women's singles might be wide open, but there would be certain factors that could affect Stosur's chances.

Here's a fearless prediction:

Men's singles: Andy Murray

Rainfall might be one of the reasons behind Murray's success at the All England Club last month. And he benefited from the series of upsets at the Olympic Tennis Center. These were coincidences. Moreover, it would be unfair to single out the recent health conditions of Djokovic, Federer, and Rafael Nadal. The Scotsman would be at the peak of his career. Everyone was expecting him to lift the trophy in Cincinnati, but he came up short. It happens to anyone. Ivan Lendl would make sure that Murray wins his fourth major trophy two weeks from now.

Watch out for Marin ÄŒiliÄ‡

ÄŒiliÄ‡ recently parted ways from Goran IvaniÅ¡eviÄ‡. The 2001 Wimbledon champion was the one who discovered the young ÄŒiliÄ‡. He also guided him to the US Open title two years ago. But ÄŒiliÄ‡ lost two five setters in Wimbledon and the Davis Cup after leading two sets to love. This might be the reason, which surprised many fans. The native of Medjugorje won his first Masters 1000 title at Cincinnati. It may be a sign that he would be a contender in the Grand Slam tournaments once more.

Women's singles: Serena Williams

An injury forced Serena Williams to skip Cincinnati, but it won't hinder her from winning her seventh US Open title. Angelique Kerber, GarbiÃ±e Muguruza, and Agnieszka RadwaÅ„ska are in contention for the number one ranking, but not one is certain of beating Williams in Flushing Meadows

Watch out for Angelique Kerber

The current Australian Open champion has been consistent these last two months. Fatigue cost her the Olympic gold medal and the Cincinnati title, but she would have many chances.

Men's doubles: Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo

Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo, the 2015 French Open champion, won back-to-back titles in Toronto and Cincinnati. Bob and Mike Bryan were the last team to achieve it (in 2010). And they did it in the most difficult circumstances. (The Croatian and Brazilian pair managed to deal with the rain delay in Toronto. And they were better in the tie breaks in Cincinnati.) They might not have played together in Rio de Janeiro, but they could win more major titles.

Watch out for Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut

The French pair is the defending champions. They are also the first team to qualify for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals.

Women's doubles: Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina

Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina may benefit from the recent happenings in women's doubles. Martina Hingis and Mirza were playing with different partners, while the top-seeded pair of Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic were inconsistent these past months. The Russian pair has been in the winning streak, capturing the Rogers Cup and the Olympic gold medal along the way.

Watch out for Sania Mirza and Barbora StrÃ½covÃ¡

They were the winners in Cincinnati last weekend. Furthermore, StrÃ½covÃ¡ must be feeling confident after she and Lucie Å afÃ¡Å™ovÃ¡ beat the Williams sisters in Rio.

Mixed doubles: Martina Hingis and Leander Paes

They won three of the four major events last year. They triumphed in Roland Garros last June, completing a career Grand Slam. And who could stop them?

Watch out for Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock

The Rio Olympics was the first time for both players to team up together. And they won the gold medal. They have more success in the doubles, with six Grand Slam doubles and mixed doubles titles between them. They might have talked about winning more major trophies.

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