Tough US Open draw for top seed Rafael Nadal
US Open top seed Rafael Nadal faces the prospect of having to defeat both Andy Murray and Roger Federer to claim the title in Flushing Meadows this year, with the fourth seeded Scot landing in Rafa’s half of the draw.
The world No. 1 also faces the prospect of winning his way past Spanish counterpart Fernando Verdasco as he bids to complete a career Grand Slam in New York this year. Also lurking in Nadal’s quarter of the draw is 31st seed David Nalbandian, whose strong US Open warm-up performances have sent his ranking skyrocketing from outside the top-100 at the start of the month to a current mark of world No. 33.
Nadal has drawn world No. 98 Teymuraz Gabashvili, a player over which he holds a 2-0 winning record, as his first opponent, but it’s the pointy end of proceedings that could be destined to provide the true test of his mettle, provided both Murray and Roger Federer are awaiting him in the final four.
Five-time champion Federer may have avoided both Murray and Nadal until a potential final, but that doesn’t mean the draw has been kind to the second seed, with world No. 5 Robin Soderling (who defeated the Swiss in the French Open quarter-finals) landing in Federer’s quarter of the draw.
The draw also sets up a potential clash between Federer and American No. 1 Andy Roddick or third seed Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.
Murray, runner-up at Flushing Meadows in 2008, will open his tournament with a match against Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko and, should he win that match and three more, faces a potential quarter-final against Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych.
Federer plays Argentinian Brian Dabul in his opening match, and could face 32nd seed Lleyton Hewitt in the third round.
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