Ryan Harrison looks to try and upset Marin Cilic in the first round of the US Open at Flushing Meadows.
The American tennis public expect from Ryan Harrison this year after the teenager's storming progress up the rankings over the past twelve months. A year ago Harrison arrived in New York as a relative unknown apart from to the most ardent of tennis fans and he stunned everyone by defeating Ivan Ljubicic in the opening round.
It has been a successful summer for the 19 year old who made semi-finals in Atlanta and Los Angeles, showing the ability to trouble in-form Mardy Fish. American fans desperate for a new star will be hoping for a breakthrough on a par with Bernard Tomic's run at Wimbledon.
However Harrison has been handed a tough draw against the experienced Cilic. The big Croatian may only be three years older but he's a former quarter-finalist in New York and was ranked in the top ten just eighteen months ago.
Cilic has been in something of a slump ever since but he's shown signs of a revival this summer, beating Juan Martin Del Potro in Montreal and reaching the final of his home event of Umag.
It's a little puzzling that the authorities have not scheduled this as a night match, which would have guaranteed Harrison maximum support. As it is, the teenager will probably find himself competing in front of a half empty Louis Armstrong stadium as after as the chaos caused by the threat of Irene, it will take fans a long time to make their way through New York to Flushing Meadows.
