On the other side of the draw, Roger Federer, the No. 2 who played his best Sunday defeating Radek Stepanek, No. 28, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 in a round of 16 conquest, will up his level and defeat Igor Andreev, No. 23, a 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 winner over Fernando Verdasco, No. 13 in another round of 16 test. In the quarterfinals against Nikolay Davydenko, No. 5, he will also triumph. Whenever they play, they have good matches, but Roger has always won. Though, he isn’t the Federer of old. He will be the winner again.

Andy Roddick has played like he wants to celebrate the five-year anniversary of his 2003 U.S. Open title. He has won each of his matches in straight sets and will be successful in the round of 16. The No. 6 seed is filled with confidence. Being in the toughest part of the draw with the likes of No. 3 Novak Djokovic, it will not be easy. I think Novak will be the winner against Andy because he plays with power and is very quick. He is also the Australian Open champion and is flying high, which is why he will keep Roger, (defeating him in the semifinals), from reaching a major final for the first time since 2002.

Moving back to the Venus’ tournament. She will play Dinara Safina, who has shed her brother Marat’s emotional eruptions and became the U.S. Open Series women’s winner this summer, in the semifinals. She has been the hottest player on the circuit of late and will defeat Amelie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals after the No. 32 has, in a battle of under-achievers, stopped Flavia Pennetta, No. 16, in the round of 16.

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In the bottom half of the women’s draw, Jelena Jankovic, No. 2 and a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 winner over Caroline Wozniacki, No. 21 in the round of 16, will dismiss Sybille Bammer, the 28-year-old mother of Tina (a delightful 7-year-old), who quietly earned a quarterfinal position (the first at a major in her 11 year career.) by slipping past last year’s Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli, No. 12, 7-6, 0-6, 6-4. Nonetheless, the No. 29 lefthander will fall to the “drama queen”.

Olympic Gold Medalist Elena Dementieva, No. 5, was 6-4, 6-1 better than unseeded Li Ni in the round of 16 and will dispose of Patty Schnyder, No. 15, who topped Katarina Srebotnik, No. 28, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in another round of 16 triumph.

Dementieva likes playing in New York. She was a finalist in 2004 and more importantly with the Gold Medal now in her trophy collection is very confident. She will defeat Jankovic and then go on to meet Venus in the final where she will lose again.

The 2008 U.S. Open will be the Venus and Rafa story (but remember I’m allowed at least two prediction misses).