Fan’s take: Top five men’s upset picks at 2011 U.S. Open

The 130th. US. Open will get under way in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. on Aug. 29 and will continue until Sunday, Sept. 11.

The tournament is the final Grand Slam of the tennis season, and for many tennis fans and New Yorkers, signals the unofficial end of summer. In recent Grand Slam tournaments, while the stranglehold that Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have had on the men's tennis has been somewhat weakened by Novak Djokovic, there is no sign that this trio has any plans on relinquishing any ground. Indeed, the 2005 Australian Open, in which Marat Safin took the championship, was the last time one of these three players did not win a Grand Slam.
Nevertheless, here is a quick rundown of some of the players with the best chance to upset at the Open.

Gael Monfils
The 24-year-old Monfils is one of the most exciting and dynamic players currently on tour. Monfils enters the U.S. Open ranked seventh in the world, meaning a win would not be a monumental surprise. But given the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic dominance, it would be a significant and historic victory. Monfils has fared well on hard courts, and just last year in the Open, he reached the quarterfinals before falling to eventual runner-up Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
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Robin Soderling
Like Monfils, Soderling has posted progressively better results in Grand Slams over the past few years. The Swede, currently ranked sixth in the world, may prefer clay, as he has twice reached the finals of the French Open (2009 and 2010). However, in the last two years, he has managed to make it to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.

Mardy Fish
Currently the highest ranked American on tour, Fish may represent the best hope for an American at this year's Open. Ranked eighth in the world entering the tournament, Fish is seeded well to reach the later rounds and has reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in the past (2008).

Juan Martin del Potro
Del Potro enters the tournament ranked 20th in the world but could be an exceedingly dangerous draw at the U.S. Open. In four appearances at the U.S. Open, del Potro boasts a 81.25 winning percentage, and in his last Open appearance, he captured the title.

Andy Roddick
While at 28 years old, Roddick might be past his prime, but he will always be dangerous in Flushing Meadows. Roddick has not fared well in the last two Opens, exiting in the second round in 2010 and the third round in 2009. He won the tournament in 2003 and made the finals in 2006.