Olympus US Open Series Preview

This year the slogan is 'It Must Be Love' but the Olympus US Open Series has also been called 'The Greatest Road Trip in Sports'. And it's hard to argue, given the fields that have been assembled for the five North American hardcourt events leading up to the last Grand Slam tournament of the season.

The fairytale return of Kim Clijsters dominated last year's Series, beginning in Cincinnati and culminating with her triumph at Flushing Meadows. With a foot injury sidelining Serena Williams from the lead-ups - and possibly from the Open itself - and Justine Henin out with an elbow injury, the intriguing question is: Who will make her mark in what has been, Serena's major successes aside, a highly unpredictable season?

Now in its seventh summer on both the women's and men's circuits, the chief conceit of the Series is to award bonus points - separate from those that go towards rankings - based on performance at each of the tournament stops.

Whoever finishes in first place will be in line for a $1 million bonus - should they go on to win in New York - with the second and third place getters also eligible for extra payouts. That's on top of the combined prize pool of $6,000,000 on offer across the five Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Premier-level events that form the Series, and the multi-million rewards from the Grand Slam kitty.

Last year Elena Dementieva raced home with 170 points, her consistent results punctuated by a superb win at the Rogers Cup in Toronto. Not far behind the Russian were Flavia Pennetta, who became the first Italian woman to crack the Top 10 after winning the title at Los Angeles; and Jelena Jankovic, who resurrected a troubled season with her fine run to the trophy at Cincinnati. These players, as well as Clijsters and 2009 US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki, have the most at stake in the weeks ahead.

All Premier... All The Time
First up is the $700,000 Bank of the West Classic, held at Stanford University's Taube Family Stadium in the heart of Silicon Valley, and celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Main draw action starts Monday, July 26. Defending champion Marion Bartoli is back but with seven of the Top 20 present in the 30-strong draw the Frenchwoman will have her work cut out. Having missed Wimbledon, Dementieva makes her first appearance since Roland Garros, along with French Open finalist Sam Stosur, Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic, who has been given a wildcard. An added treat: Former world No.1 Lindsay Davenport has entered the doubles.

The following week the Tour makes a welcome return to the San Diego area, which hosted a tournament for 24 years until 2007. The Mercury Insurance Open presented by Tri-City Medical Center also boasts prize money of $700,000 and a field of 30. Eleven of the Top 20 have entered, led by world No.2 Jelena Jankovic, No.5 Stosur and ninth-ranked Wimbledon runner-up Vera Zvonareva. The event also marks the return to action of former world No.1 Dinara Safina after an injury break. Sharapova, who won the erstwhile Acura Classic in 2007, is back too as a kind of defacto defending champion.

The week of August 9 sees the traveling band head to the Midwestern city of Cincinnati. One of the big winners under the Roadmap circuit reforms launched last year, the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open offers prize money of $2,000,000, with a singles draw of 56 and doubles draw of 28. Jankovic will be back with bells on to defend her title, one of seven Top 10 players including Venus Williams, making her first foray of the North American swing, French Open champion Francesca Schiavone and Clijsters.

Another week, another $2,000,000 purse at Canada's Rogers Cup. Held in Toronto in 2009, it's Montréal's turn to host, in line with the tradition of alternating between the two cities. Should she defend her title, Dementieva will know she's earned it, as only two of the Top 30 will be missing. During Monday night's evening session three-time champion Chris Evert will be inducted into the Rogers Cup Hall of Fame.

The final staging post on the road to the US Open is on New York's doorstep, at New Haven in Connecticut. Pilot Pen at Yale has a singles draw of 30, and prize money of $600,000. World No.4 Wozniacki headlines as the two-time defending champion, no doubt keen to clinch the hat-trick before she targets another successful US Open campaign. Schiavone and Pennetta, Chinese star Zheng Jie, Daniela Hantuchova and Wimbledon semifinalist Petra Kvitova have all signed up, as has Melanie Oudin, the US No.3 and Cinderella story of last year's US Open.

By the end of it all, the favorites for Flushing Meadows should have become clear. Then again...