Ones to watch at the U.S. Open

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A brief look at some of the players to watch who could make an impact at the U.S. Open which starts at Flushing Meadows on Monday (world ranking in brackets).

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12-Robin Soderling (Sweden) - Gifted with a thunderous forehand, Soderling has the ability to leave many opponents huffing and puffing as they chase after his winners. He also employs a high-risk strategy of blunting his opponents' strengths instead of exploiting their weaknesses.

Except for Roger Federer, no one has managed to blunt his tactics at the last two grand slams and with a reasonable draw, the French Open runner-up could be an outside bet for the U.S. Open title.

17-Marin Cilic (Croatia) - 'Baby Goran' has won three hardcourt titles in his career, including two this year but has struggled to reproduce the form on the big stage.

With his long limbs and powerful double-handed backhands, he has the ability to blow away opponents but his mental strength has so far failed to match up to his obvious talent. Should he manage to get his act together, he could join fellow Croatian Goran Ivanisevic in the grand slam winners' club.