My Picks for the 2019 US Open Women's Singles - Serena Williams

Ten grand slam competitions have gone by and Serena Williams hasn't won any new grand slam titles. Not that she needs to anymore, she already has 24 of it. It's just that we're not used to her having a long streak of time pass before she snags at least another slam.

Even with that telling statistic, she has reached 3 finals out of those ten grand slams and once again, here in NY, probably her strongest slam, she should be able to reach her 12 semi-final appearance here without any hitch.

She's already in the fourth round and only Ashleigh Barty can possibly prevent her from going deeper. The draw now has opened wide and Elina Svitolina looks like her most likely opponent in the semi's. In the finals, for now, it's either Bertens or Andreescu.

From those names, only Barty is the one with the grand slam pedigree. As for Osaka, she still has some players on her side of the draw that has a winning record over her, that's why she's not figuring well in this year's picks.

My Picks for the 2019 US Open Women's Single Title: Bianca Andreescu

Canadian Bianca Andreescu has been making waves in the WTA tour this summer and this has now extended to this year's US Open.

With Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova both out of the US Open this early, it makes her the next highest ranked player in her side of the draw and the one with the best H2H against all the other players.

Also, it makes her the player with the best H2H on the upper half of the draw, having a 1-0 H2H with Kiki Bertens, making her a good pick for the finals.

Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff is still on her side of the draw though but on paper, both have other opponents which have beaten them before, that is why Bianca is such in an enviable position, at least on paper.

In reality, she has only reached as far as the 2R in a grand slam, and this is the first time she has reached the 3R. She will meet former champion Caroline Wozniacki whom she has a winning record over, so it would be interesting to know if she can translate all this potential into reality.

If she doesn't, the upper side of the draw is so wide open, I wouldn't be surprised if Coco Gauff goes all the way to the finals!

My Picks for the 2019 US Open Women's Singles Titles: Elina Svitolina

It has been a great year for Elina Svitolina, winning the WTA Year End Championships for 2018, and getting into the semifinals of Wimbledon and the QF of the Australian Open.

In a relatively tough draw, she has the best H2H beating out Karolina Pliskova, in a surface where Karolina is more of a favorite.

She has been to the 4R here in Flushing Meadows for the past two years. This year, she is expected to reach the SFs.

Aside from Pliskova, Madison Keys is the only other possible player that should block her path.

Once she reaches the SFs, Serena looms large, while either Bertens or Halep are possible final opponents.

I would rank her #3 and a dark horse behind Serena and Simona for this year's title, but she does have the pedigree to win her first grand slam.

With her rank and prowess, she is slowly becoming one of those women next in line for a maiden grand slam.

My Picks for the 2019 US Open Women's Singles Title - Simona Halep

Of all the players in the women's draw right now, Simona Halep is the one I admire the most. I've seen her rise in the ranks from when she was just in the 80s to the point where she reached #1 in the rankings and won her first grand slam title after three tries.

Her victory at Wimbledon last month showed how much she's matured mentally - and if she continues to maintain that here in NY, she should be able to snag her first US Open title.

And the draw is helping her. Her only possible tough opponents are Bianca Andreescu and Alison Riske, players she should be able to handle, even though Andreescu is on a roll.

In the semi's, she might meet Kiki Bertens, In the finals, Serena is looming once again, but we all know she can handle Serena already.

A rematch revenge final for Serena? Well, that could certainly bring in the crowds.

My Picks for the 2019 US Open Women's Title: Kiki Bertens

Kiki Bertens comes in as a surprise pick to win this year's US Open title in her side of the draw. I say that because statistically, she has only reached as far as the 3rd round here.

However, with the draw she's been given, she has a good chance of reaching the semi-finals, having the best H2H among the other players in her draw, including defending champion, Naomi Osaka.

She has reached the SF of the French Open in 2016 and the QFs in Wimbledon in 2014 and 2018, so she can reach deep in a grand slam if the stars align.

She does have a formidable group of possible opponents before she reaches the SF stage and it includes Pavlyuchenkova, Goerges, Vekic, and Bencic. She may even meet Naomi Osaka in a latter round if Osaka gets through hers.

With Bertens in the helm, this is an open wide draw and if Bertens and Osaka fail to live up to the expectations, I wouldn't be surprised if another woman takes the semi-final slot.

That has been happening a lot lately in women's grand slams. The gap between the #7player and a #70 player has become only a sliver

My Pick for the 2019 US Open Men's Singles Title: Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal is the other strong player with the best possibility of winning this year's US Open men's singles title.

He last won it in 2017, reached the semi's last year and is now rewarded with a relatively easy draw which should easily pave his way to a possible final meeting with Roger or Novak. He's lucky that in the Big 3, the other 2 are on the opposite side of the draw.

For his semi's Gael Monfils is the player he will most likely meet.

He does have some very dangerous opponents in his side of the draw - Alexander Zverev, Marin Cilic and Fernando Verdasco - all capable of beating him - if they run faster and swat the ball consistently thru five long sets - because Nadal rarely gives up. He doesn't show up in court unless he's really physically fit.

He already has three US Open titles. This is his best chance of snagging his fourth.

My Four Picks for the 2019 US Open Men's Title: Gael Monfils

Gael Monfils gets a lucky break in this year's US Open. The top two seeds on his side of the draw - Stefan Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem - have both been unceremoniously bundled out of the Open in the first round - making him the highest ranked player - and with the best H2H against any other player in their side of the draw.

However, Gael is a very unpredictable player, a definite crowd favorite who loves to play antics on the court. He did reach the semifinals here in 2016, so the possibility of another visit is not farfetched.

He does have very worthy opponents which he may have to dispose if he wants that semifinal slot.

There's newcomer Matteo Berrettini and the brash Nick Kyrgios who can win over Gael on their good days. Another possible spoiler for Gael is Canadian Denis Shapovalov.

This is the side of the men's draw which is wide open, and if Gael does not step up to the plate - any other guy is going to get that slot.

His possible opponent in the semi's is Rafa Nadal and either Novak or Roger may await him in the finals.

My Four Picks for the 2019 US Open Men's Singles Title - Roger Federer

Roger Federer last won the US Open in 2008, the end of his amazing 5 consecutive title run.

The closest he came again was a final in 2015, which again in tennis, can be ages ago.

However, in his side of the draw in this year's US Open, he is still the player to beat! Amazing!

Currently ranked #3 (still very high considering how young he is!), he may have to meet some tricky players yet he's lucky because these players are the ones he has a good H2H with.

There's Lucas Pouille, David Goffin and Kei Nishikori - all very talented players - and capable of denting Federer's armor - yet they would have to work very hard to do that.

So in my book, he should reach the semifinal slot of his side of the draw.

As for the semi's, Novak is a possibility, while Rafa may await him in the finals.

Choi Woo-Shik: Hunk Du Jour

Choi Woo-Shik is the cutie son in Parasite, a South Korean movie causing some major buzz around the international markets.  I don't usually follow South Korean music and its cinema but his performance in the movie was pretty remarkable. It also helps that he's cute!

South Korea's 'Parasite' - Possibly 2019's Best Movie Yet

South Korea is not only invading America's teenage girls with BTS and Blackpink, in February next year, they have a very strong chance to win their first Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film with the film 'Parasite'.

This movie won this year's Palme D'Or in Cannes with the jury led by Mexican filmmaker, Innaritu, who won Best DIrector Oscars for Birdman and Revenant.

The jury also had Yorgos Lanthimos who directed last year's The Favourite and Pawel Pawlikowski who won a Best Foreign Language film Oscar for Ida (Poland).

I hope the movie gets a reliable PR firm to make sure it gets nominations in other categories like Original Screenplay, Film Editing, and nods for its amazing actors and actresses.

They should all be nominated in all the acting categories because they really propelled the story forward - and it's been a long time since I cared for a big ensemble of characters.

If the Academy can nominate two Mexicans in the acting category last year, why not South Koreans?

This is one of the most original stories I have seen in a very long time. I will not delve into the story because I don't want to give anything away.

This movie has dark humor, and it shows what greed can do to people and in a very graphic way, it hammers what may happen when the world of the haves collides with the world of the have nots.

Filipinos can relate to this movie, especially those who have help - maids, drivers, tutors - because sometimes we are so wrapped up in our own trivial needs, we forget to see the life that our help has to live.

This observation is quite important because it would lead to catastrophic consequences to the film's characters

The audience I was with (this is only shown in SM theaters) clapped at the movie's end credits (I clapped as well), and deservedly so.

I left the theater in a daze (I was pondering at the intriguing ending) with the rollercoaster ride of emotions this film brought to me.

I haven't yet seen a Hollywood release that would rival the audacity of this movie. I hope it gets wide support among the Oscar voters across the guilds.

Like last year's Roma, it deserves an Oscar Best Picture nomination. It's simply a movie one should not miss.

Yayu Yap hurry to an SM cinema because you have to watch this movie. It will blow you away!

My Four Top Picks for the US Open Men's Singles Title: Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic has won 4 out of the 5 last grand slam trophies and barring any major injury in the fortnight, there is a strong chance he will repeat as US Open champion again this year.

When he's in a roll, he just bulldozes everyone in sight, except in clay.

However, fate has dealt him probably the most difficult draw in this year's US Open among the male players.

That is because, as early as the 4th round, he may have to meet Stan Wawrinka, possibly the most dangerous journeyman in the draw, because of his ability to cause major upsets deep in the grand slam draw.

And the last time they met in 2016, he lost to Stan (the eventual champion).

To add to his burdens, he may have to meet Russian Daniil Medvedev, one of the few guys who has a bigger H2H record this year over him - 2 wins for Daniil against 1 for Novak.

That stat should be in Novak's head. And both wins were in ATP Masters tournaments so Medvedev is a dangerous opponent for Novak to face.

However, if he miraculously hurdles both, he may have to win over Roger Federer in the semi's and possibly Rafael Nadal in the finals.

Again, not an easy task.

Novak's road to Grand Slam title #17 is filled with a lot of mine fields!