Baltacha qualified for the main draw at the US Open for the first time

By Elena Baltacha World number 54 and British number one

I've been in New York for a week already and I can't wait for the US Open to get started.

It's the first time in my career that I have been ranked high enough to get directly into the main draw - I lost in the final round of qualifying the last two years - and I am determined to enjoy every moment of it.

I've been drawn to play Petra Martic in the opening round at Flushing Meadows and it's funny how things work out because I played her at Wimbledon, when I got myself into a winning position only to lose the match because the occasion got to me.

That was a really tough defeat to swallow and so I'm really glad that I've been given the chance to get some revenge. I'm not daft enough to take Martic lightly because I know better than anyone how dangerous she can be, but I do believe it's a match I can win if I play well.

The US Open is not like any other tournament, let alone any of the other Grand Slams, because it's kind of a mad place to play tennis.

I remember coming here as a junior and thinking how different it was to anything I had seen before. It's not for everyone but, I have to say, I really love the atmosphere.

You can be playing on one of the outside courts and everyone's chatting and eating hotdogs and there is music playing and just noise and colour everywhere. It's also very showbiz and very American but it's a lot of fun.

The crowds are definitely enthusiastic and I'm the sort of player who plays better when the fans get involved and there's a good atmosphere.

Sometimes just making a new starts frees you up to play better and if Andy plays his best then he's definitely capable of winning the title

I know Andy Murray really likes playing here and that's why I have a feeling that this might be his year to win here. I really hope so, partly because I'd be so happy for him and also because it would give British tennis a massive lift, which would be inspiring for all of us.

Andy was in incredible form winning Toronto a couple of weeks ago and he seems like he's in a bit of a honeymoon period right now, which can happen when you change your coaching set-up a little bit.

Sometimes just making a new starts frees you up to play better and if Andy plays his best then he's definitely capable of winning the title.

Caroline Wozniacki is probably my pick for the women's title but there are plenty of contenders.

I'm really disappointed that Serena Williams is missing the tournament though injury because she's a player I really love watching, and her absence makes things very open.

Kim Clijsters is a lot of people's favourite, Maria Sharapova is always dangerous and Svetlana Kuznetsova seems to be coming back into form, but Wozniacki just seems to be playing out of her skin this summer and she's won a couple of tournaments going into the US Open.

People were probably a bit surprised to see her in the final here last year and there is a lot more expectation on her this time, plus she's top seed at a Slam for the first time because Serena isn't here, but if she can handle those pressures then I think she can do it.

As for my own ambitions, I am ranked 54 right now and I feel like the top 50 is within my reach if I perform well here in New York and then build on that for the rest of the season.

I've come a long way and it's great that I've got my ranking high enough to be able to make the main draw of all four Grand Slams this year.

It certainly makes the preparation a lot easier when you can relax and practice and get yourself ready without having to play in the qualifying rounds. I look around the locker room and I see the tension in the faces of the qualifiers and I don't envy them at all.

Things look a lot better from where I'm standing.

Elena Baltacha will be contributing regular columns to BBC Sport throughout the US Open

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