New York, NY – The men's draw for the U.S. Open was revealed on Thursday and the final in Flushing Meadows could pit world No. 1 and former champion Novak Djokovic against former top-ranked star and former winner Rafael Nadal.
The top-seeded Djokovic will open his 2013 stay in New York against Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis and appears to have a nice draw into the quarterfinals, where he could face 2009 U.S. Open champ Juan Martin del Potro. The sixth- seeded 6-foot-7 del Potro will open up against Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and could face resurgent 35-year-old German Tommy Haas, seeded 12th, in the fourth round.
The 2011 U.S. Open champ and three-time runner-up Djokovic's potential semifinal opponent could be high-flying Brit Andy Murray, who is both the reigning U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion. The third-seeded Murray will open his campaign against dangerous French left-hander Michael Llodra.
Murray upset Djokovic in last year's marquee U.S. Open finale and also bested the Serbian star in last month's Wimbledon final. Djokovic, meanwhile, held off Murray in the Australian Open final back in January.
The 26-year-old Murray, who was also a U.S. Open runner-up in 2008, appears to have a nice path into the quarters, where fifth-seeded former Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych could be a possibility.
The bottom half of the draw features a second-seeded Nadal, fourth-seeded David Ferrer and a seventh-seeded Roger Federer.
The 2010 titlist and 2011 Big Apple runner-up Nadal will open up against American Ryan Harrison and could face another American, 13th-seeded John Isner, in the fourth round. Nadal topped the 6-foot-9 Isner in last week's Cincinnati Masters final to capture his second hardcourt title in two weeks.
The reigning French Open king Nadal is a brilliant 15-0 on hardcourts this year.
Nadal's potential quarterfinal opponent could be the former No. 1 and five- time U.S. Open champion Federer. The great rivals have never met at the U.S. Open.
The 17-time Grand Slam king Federer will open his latest New York stay against Slovenian Grega Zemlja. In addition to his five championships, Federer was also a U.S. Open runner-up to del Potro four years ago.
The French Open runner-up Ferrer will open against a qualifier, and if he can reach the semis, either Nadal or Federer could be waiting. Ferrer could meet 14th-seeded 6-foot-8 Pole Jerzy Janowicz in the fourth round or eighth-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the quarters. Gasquet could tangle with 10th- seeded Canadian slugger Milos Raonic in the round of 16.
The 2013 U.S. Open will commence Monday on the hardcourts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.