By Mike McIntyre

Down to the last Slam of the year and when was the last time that this tournament seemed to have so much on the line? The US Open this year has so many fantastic story lines and is really going to define how we look back at the entire 2008 season for the top players in the men's game.

Part of the reason the Open is in such a spotlight this year is because of the outstanding lead-up that fans have experienced in 2008. Could the guys have given us any more to write about this year?

It all began with Novak Djokovic's first Grand Slam result at the Aussie Open in January. An on going story line has been the fact that Roger Federer has looked so human this year and enters the Open without a Slam to his name thus far in 2008. The big news of the year is clearly Rafael Nadal's dominance and how he has taken over the world number one ranking in dramatic fashion by winning his fourth French Open title, first Wimbledon and Olympic Gold to boot. The US Open is the final chapter in this gripping story and all of us can't wait to see how it will finish.

And so here we are at the start of the US Open, with all of these names wanting to show us that they are the ones to remember as the tennis season begins its slow closure. Although there are still Masters events and the season ending championship, this is the last real tennis the sporting world will remember for 2008. Last chance to make an impression that will carry any true meaning. As nice as it was for David Nalbandian to win in Paris and Madrid last fall, I don't think that resonated with your casual tennis fan.

The results in New York will completely dictate how we all look back on 2008 and exactly how we view what has transpired so far. While Nadal has had a truly amazing season, Federer remains the hard court king until he loses at the Open. If Federer can win his fifth straight US Open, and come within one Slam of tying Pete's record then suddenly we have quite a different story. No longer would the focus be on Federer's miserable year, but it would instead start to generate the hype for 2009, the year Federer bounces back perhaps? He would still be able to finish 2008 with one Slam win, two finals, one semi final and an Olympic Gold in doubles. Hmmmmm, that doesn't sound too shabby, does it? On the flip side, if Federer does anything less than make the finals here it will allow the critics to continue the questioning of his game. What would he do next?

For Rafael Nadal, this is the opportunity to put an exclamation mark on his fantastic season. Three Slams in a row, and Olympic Gold in there as well would be one of the greatest season's ever recorded. It would emphasize his owning of the number one ranking, and make him without a doubt the undisputed king of men's tennis this year. It would quiet the pundits who believe he struggles on hard courts. He would be the all surface champion with no rivals in 2008. It would give him his sixth Slam at the age of 22. It would leave us wondering if Nadal could in fact complete a Grand Slam in 2009.

Let's try not to forget Novak Djokovic. For him this is the opportunity to make his name the one we are left talking about at the end of the Slam season. A win at the US Open would tie him at 2-2 for Slams this year with Nadal. Was he a one hit wonder this year? Is he going to be consistently in the mix for Slam titles and perhaps the number one ranking in the near future? Or was he just on a good roll in January, but not yet mentally tough enough to really contend in Slams on a regular basis? Certainly his second round loss at Wimbledon did not help that view of his game. He needs a solid showing here to remind us he belongs.

Maybe none of these possibilities will transpire. Perhaps these three top dogs will all burn out before the finals. It would be shocking, but maybe a more rested player will emerge as US Open Champion. Maybe someone else will steal the spotlight this September. Andy Murray certainly has a nice draw and has had a solid summer. Juan Martin Del Potro has won his last four tournaments in a row and is ready to show he belongs in the top ten. Nalbandian has the potential to win big matches on hard courts, and has a 2-0 career record against Nadal who he could very well meet in the quarter finals. James Blake also has a good hard court record against Nadal and is lurking in that section of the draw. After coming so close to a medal in Beijing, he must be as hungry as anyone to succeed here.

Less than two weeks to go and all these questions will be answered. Who do you think we might be talking about September 7th? How do you think 2008 will be remembered?