Tennis players will often reference and thank their “team” when they win a tournament.  They recognize the efforts and support from the coach, physio, family, and friends as all instrumental in playing a part in their success.  But while all such effort and support should be recognized, there is no getting around that tennis is primarily a solitary sport.  There are no teammates who can play matches for you when injured or ill.  Victoria Azarenka knows this fact all too well.  After missing the majority of 2014 sidelined with injuries, she has been climbing the long road back to the top.  She is looking to make even greater strides towards the upper echelons of the rankings with a good run in New York, starting with her opening match against Lucie Hradecka.

On one hand, playing Hradecka is not a bad first matchup for the 20th seed.  The Czech has never been ranked inside the top 40 in singles, and she is most at home on the red clay.  In addition to that, only once has she managed to escape the first round at Flushing Meadows.  In comparison, Azarenka produces her best tennis on the hard courts.  She is a two-time Australian Open champion, and she reached back-to-back US Open finals in 2012-13, as well as the quarterfinals last season.  She has also been fairly solid in the majors in 2015, as evidenced by the fact that she reached the second week of both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.  She will be aiming to continue that trend in New York.

But while there is ample reason to believe Azarenka will have a look at continuing the trend by getting through this opening round, the Belarusian will not be taking Hradecka lightly.  It is true that Azarenka has defeated Hradecka in all three of their prior meetings, but two of those three meetings went the distance, including their match in Rome earlier this year.  The mental edge still has to go to Azarenka, but Hradecka crucially should walk onto the court with the belief that she can garner her first win over the former No. 1.

Hradecka should have some belief, since she does possess the kind of weaponry that can hurt Azarenka.  The Czech boasts plenty of firepower, and when at her best, is capable of playing exceptional first-strike tennis.  She is also a former top five doubles player, and if she is able to get to the net with regularity, that could cause problems for Azarenka as well.  Furthermore, with Azarenka still nursing a leg injury, tracking down Hradecka's penetrating groundstrokes could prove more difficult than usual.

Of course, Hradecka may not have the opportunity to execute her own shots if Azarenka is the first to gain the upper hand in the rallies.  Even with the leg injury, she is the better mover of the two and in the better position to turn defense into offense.  She is also more consistent off the ground, which should pay off over the duration of the match.  Azarenka needs to look to move forward too, where she can not only take the net away from the Czech but also do herself a favor by keeping the rallies short.

Assuming that she plays within herself and remains mostly uninhibited by her injury, this is Azarenka's match to win.  Hradecka unquestionably has the tools to make this interesting and perhaps even raise a few moments of concern, but in the end, Azarenka is the better player.  A stunning upset could occur, but expect the 20th seed to kick off her quest for another deep run at the US Open in style.

The draws of this year's US Open have generated more than a few interesting opening men's matches, yet arguably none will draw more attention than the match that pits Andy Murray against Nick Kyrgios.  It is a match that features youth versus experience, and there will be plenty of talent on the court to produce some scintillating tennis.  But more than anything, this is a match that will draw crowds for the fireworks that may erupt between two of the more feisty personalities on tour.

There is no question that Murray will be the player who walks onto the court as the favorite.  He won this title in 2012 and backed it up with a Wimbledon crown the following year.  He has also reached the semifinals or better at each of the first three majors this season, and he has looked exceptional on the hard courts.  He pushed Djokovic to the brink before falling in the final of Miami, got the better of the Serb a few weeks ago in the final of Montreal, and reached the final four of Cincinnati.  He may have narrowly missed being named the second seed at this event, but suffice it it to say, he will not be lacking any self-confidence concerning his chances of making a title run here.

Kyrgios has not yet had the chance to accumulate the same level of success in his young career as the Scot, nor has his 2015 been as impressive as Murray's.  That said, the young Australian has never been one to suffer from a crisis of confidence, and his season has not been without its bright spots.  He reached the last eight of the Australian Open, reached the final of Estoril, and once again made the second week of Wimbledon.  He earned a berth in the third round of the US Open when he made his debut last year, and he will not shy away from aiming to better that result.

Kyrgios has the talent to put together an inspired run, beginning with an upset of Murray.  He unabashedly goes for his shots, looking to hit winners from both wings and from anywhere on the court.  His forehand is the bigger weapon, but he can inflict damage with his backhand as well.  Additionally, Kyrgios has an outstanding serve, especially off the first delivery, which can earn him plenty of free points outright or set him up for a quick one-two punch.  In short, if he is on his game, he can make life difficult for even the most accomplished of veterans.

Murray knows what Kyrgios is capable of, which is why he has to be committed to remaining aggressive.  Murray can at times fall back into his old pattern of being passive and relying on defense.  That may be enough if Kyrgios is off his game, but if the young Australian comes out guns blazing, Murray may be relegated to the role of a spectator if he is too passive.  Instead, Murray needs to stay up on the baseline, move forward when he can, and look to put Kyrgios on his heels.  Getting on top of Kyrgios straight out of the gates may be all that is needed, since Kyrgios remains a player who is still mentally fragile and may gift Murray more than a few games if he falls into an early hole.

Of course, Murray likely will already enjoy a sizable mental edge before the match even starts.  He has defeated Kyrgios in their three previous encounters, including their matches earlier this year at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.  Furthermore, after the drubbing he took from Richard Gasquet in Cincinnati, it is possible that Kyrgios is still smarting from the fallout over his ugly spat with Stanislas Wawrinka in Montreal, so there is no telling what state he will be in when he competes in New York.

In the end, there is no way to gauge for certain how ready Kyrgios is for his upcoming match with Murray, but the quality of this encounter does rest mostly with the young Australian.  Fans know what they will get with Murray.  He will be prepared to battle for however long it takes.  If Kyrgios is willing to do the same, fans will be in for a treat.  If not, look for it to be one more mark against the newest bad boy of tennis and smooth sailing into the second round for Murray.