US Open 2014 Men's Betting: Back Raonic and Ferrer to go far in New York

Milos Raonic is flying the flag for Canada in New York

Tennis's elite head to the Big Apple for the final major of the year and Sean Calvert is back to analyse the men's singles draw and select the best bets in the 2014 US Open...

The draw has been made in New York and one of the most eagerly awaited majors in some time is almost upon us, with the very real possibility of a winner of the men's singles from outside the 'big four'.

I highlighted in my article focusing on 'the outsiders' that the elite are all struggling and from the draw the first thing that stands out is that Novak Djokovic has got a very tough half.

The world number one and top seed has been woefully off the pace this hard court swing after coming back from honeymoon and clearly I can't back him at 2.526/4 although he is still the most likely winner.

Novak's half includes Andy Murray, John Isner, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic, but his immediate section appears friendly, with maybe only a peak form Sam Querrey that could present a problem.

Isner looks a potentially tricky assignment in the last-16, but the big man may not be 100 percent after pulling out of Winston-Salem with an ankle injury on Thursday.

It could be precautionary of course and Philipp Kohlschreiber is ready to step in to take Isner's place in that section in any event.

Tsonga will be full of confidence in the adjacent section, where the Frenchman is drawn with fellow surprise Masters 1000 contender Julien Benneteau and it seems likely that the winner of Tsonga vs Murray in the last-16 would face Djokovic in the quarters.

The second quarter features the out of form Wawrinka and also Raonic, but I like that draw for one of my long shots Tommy Robredo, who has won six of his eight career meetings with the Swiss.

I suspect that Stan is struggling mentally with the elevation to Grand Slam winner and he hasn't really been the same since landing the odds for this column in Melbourne.

He had a fine opportunity in Cincy, but blew it in pathetic fashion to Benneteau and his head looks all over the place and consequently his price of 20.019/1 seems fanciful.

Nishikori and Nick Kyrgios are also in that quarter, but both have been struggling with injury and neither appears to own a body capable of a serious challenge in a major at this moment in time.

Kyrgios is too inexperienced anyway and Raonic looks to have the kind of draw his backers would approve of in a wide-open quarter.

With the better tennis player in Wawrinka really struggling mentally it looks a nice section for Raonic and Robredo and being as we have Tommy outright at 500499/1 the 3.02/1 about the Canadian winning this quarter looks good.

Milos's game has flaws and he's not as good as people seem to think, but that serve should take him far with this draw and he's been consistent in big tournaments this year, including quarters or better in five Masters 1000s and two slams.

The bottom half is where everyone wants to be, as it's seeds are Roger Federer, Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer and Grigor Dimitrov, who have zero US Open finals between them in the last four years.

Federer hasn't won it since 2008 and is way too short at 4.47/2 at his age and despite showing the best form of the big names lately he's not up against any real competition for that award this hard court summer so far.

I'm not saying he can't win, more that his price is too short, but he does have a plum draw that he'll do very well to fail to emerge to at least the quarter finals from.

Dimitrov or Richard Gasquet looks the likely quarter final opponent for Federer and with the Gasman struggling with injury lately maybe Grigor will make it, but he looks poor value too at 23.022/1 with his record of never having won a single match in the main draw in New York to be considered.

The third section looks the place for value and Berdych, Ferrer and Ernests Gulbis are the obvious choices, with maybe Jerzy Janowicz now coming back to the sort of mood where he can cause damage.

The Pole's price of 41.0n/a to win the quarter is interesting, as is that of Bernard Tomic at 5049/1, but I cannot really see past Ferrer there at 3.55/2.

Berdych has got a potentially tough one first up in Lleyton Hewitt and if it's a night match under the lights Rusty will be well up for that, while Gulbis has a clear chance, but will he take it?

Marin Cilic is also a contender in that section, but he simply isn't top class and has too many lapses to be more than a quarter finalist or maybe a semi in a good fortnight.

Djokovic is the most likely winner, but you don't need me to tell you that and I will stick with my team of longshots in the outright winner market and add Raonic and Ferrer as additional bets in the quarter winners market.

Recommended Bets
Back Raonic to win quarter two at 3.02/1
Back Ferrer to win quarter three at 3.55/2

Plus already advised back to lays