US OPEN MAIN DRAW & DARK HORSE BREAKDOWN

 

I have attached the US Open Main Draw (FTL Version) and the Dark Horse Breakdown.  The Qualifying for both the Mens and Womens events were completed earlier today and as a result, the placement of the 32 Qualifiers and 3 Lucky Losers has been finalized.

 

Do not forget to select your Dark Horses for both the Mens and Womens events! Just a reminder that the US Open starts playing Round 1 Main Draw Matches on Sunday (August 24th)

 

If you want a copy, click on the link, US OPEN DRAWSOnce you do so, click on FILE, and scroll to MAKE A COPY, and call it whatever you want

Good Luck :)

Cincinnati results

 

(no sooner had Carlos and Iga got their trophies then they were catching the next flight to NY to take part in the mized doubles event!)

🎾 Cincinnati Open 2025 Recap

August 6–18 Lindner Family Tennis Center, Ohio

🔥 ATP: Alcaraz Claims Title in a Final That Fizzled

The much-anticipated clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner—their fourth final of the season after Rome, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon—ended in disappointment as Sinner was forced to retire after a lopsided first set, citing heat-related illness and fatigue. The match had promised fireworks but instead underscored the brutal toll of the Cincinnati conditions.

• Alcaraz’s path: Defeated an ailing Alexander Zverev in the semis, who was visibly struggling with illness.
• Sinner’s path: Took out surprise semifinalist Terence Atmane, who had stunned Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune after coming through qualifying.

The oppressive heat and humidity were a major storyline, with multiple players showing signs of physical distress throughout the week.

🇫🇷 Terence Atmane: Breakout Star

Ranked No. 136, the 23-year-old Frenchman Terence Atmane lit up the ATP draw:

• Beat Fritz in three sets
• Dominated Rune in straight sets
• Reached his first Masters 1000 semifinal

His fearless baseline aggression and composure under pressure made him one of the most talked-about players of the week.

👑 WTA: Swiatek Reigns Again

Iga Swiatek continued her hardcourt dominance, lifting her 24th career title and third of the season by defeating Jasmine Paolini in the final. She didn’t drop a set all week, including a thrilling semifinal win over Elena Rybakina.

• Swiatek vs. Rybakina: A high-quality semi that showcased Swiatek’s defensive brilliance and Rybakina’s serving power.
• Paolini’s run: Took out Coco Gauff in the quarters and Veronika Kudermetova in the semis, but fell to Swiatek for the sixth time in their head-to-head.

• Coco Gauff: Lost to Paolini, extending a rough patch on hard courts.
• Jessica Pegula: Suffered a surprise early exit to Magda Linette, continuing her post-Wimbledon slump.
• Aryna Sabalenka: The defending US Open champ was blown off court by Rybakina, 6–1, 6–4, in the quarters.

Here is the global FTL league table for the game week.

Congrats to Johnatton Santos and his team SRN2025 who topped the Cincy table seeing off spirited competion in the shape of 2025 Battle and Rydal 250 Sponsor Exemption.

Here is a breakdown of the head to head battle for the level 2 prize between Johnatton and Eric and Michael.  

Both had pretty similar teams but crucially Johnatton had a key differential in the shape of Paolini who ensured that he had all four finalists for this event.  Rydal had Zverev who also had another great tournament but crucially his defeat in the semi finals meant he scored 20 points less than Paolini.  

Tosh, Maire and Matt L make up the top 5 in the level 2 standings.

Congrats to all of you on a terrific game week.

In the 2nd half masters Rick topped the table for this week with Yulia's Holy Crud Muffins in 2nd place.

Canadian Open results

 

🎾 Rogers Cup 2025 Summary

Montreal (WTA) & Toronto (ATP)
July 26 – August 7, 2025

🇨🇦 Victoria Mboko’s Historic Triumph in Montreal

The story of the tournament—and perhaps the season—was Victoria Mboko, the 18-year-old Canadian who electrified home crowds with a record-shattering run to her first WTA 1000 title. Mboko defeated four Grand Slam champions en route to the trophy, including Naomi Osaka in a nail-biting final. Her matches were defined by grit, clutch play, and a fearless attacking style that won over fans across both host cities.

Even in Toronto, the crowd erupted when news of her win broke—causing a moment of confusion for men's finalists Ben Shelton and Karen Khachanov, who were still battling it out on court.

🎾 Naomi Osaka’s Return to Form

After months of struggling to find rhythm post-comeback, Naomi Osaka surged through the draw in Montreal, defeating top seeds and showing glimpses of her championship pedigree. Her run to the final marked her first WTA 1000 final since 2021, and her composure under pressure suggests she’s ready to rejoin the elite.

💥 Upsets and Absences

• Clara Tauson stunned Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek early in the tournament, continuing her breakout season with aggressive baseline play and tactical maturity.
• Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula both exited early, extending a worrying trend of poor form in big events.
• Aryna Sabalenka was notably absent from the women’s draw, citing scheduling and recovery needs.

On the men’s side:

• Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz skipped Toronto, leaving the field wide open.
• Their absence paved the way for a surprise final between Ben Shelton and Karen Khachanov.

🔥 Ben Shelton’s Breakthrough in Toronto

In a tournament full of twists, Ben Shelton emerged as the new force in men’s tennis. He defeated Taylor Fritz in the semis and then outlasted Karen Khachanov in a high-octane final to claim his first Masters 1000 title. Shelton’s explosive serve and fearless court coverage have now cemented him as a top-tier contender heading into the US Open.

Meanwhile, Khachanov continued his strong season, highlighted by a statement win over Alexander Zverev in the semis.

💰 Prize Money Highlights

• Men’s Champion (Shelton): $1,124,380
• Women’s Champion (Mboko): $752,275

🧠 Final Thoughts

The 2025 Rogers Cup was a showcase of emerging talent, shifting power dynamics, and emotional resonance—especially for Canadian fans. With Mboko’s rise, Osaka’s resurgence, and Shelton’s ascension, the tennis world heads into the US Open with new storylines and fresh contenders.

 

Here is the Global Leaderboard for the week

It was certainly a game week for dark horse picks with both winners and runner up Osaka being dark horse eligible.  Needless to say the strongest teams in the game week had two of the three in their team.

Congratulations to Adnan Akhtar who was top of the pile for this game week.  Lets take a look at the head to head between Adnan and Andrea Russo who also had a terrific week.

Adnan actually only had one high scoring dark horse in the shape of Montreal winner Mboko but that didn't matter because he had Ben Shelton in his starting 8 as well as Toronto runner up Khachanov.  He also had semi finalists Zverev, Fritz and Rybakina.   Pegula and mens's DH Shapovalov were really the only players in his team to flop.

Andrea also had a terrific team opting for Shelton as a DH alongside Mboko.  He also had men's runner up Khachanov and Montreal semi finalist Rybakina with decent supporting roles from Keys and Popyrin.

Gregsj (Greg), jbatta44 (Jamie) and AceCream (Sonja) made up the top 5 in the global league for this week.

Here is the 2nd half masters leaderboard for the week