Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios drawn on collision course

[Nergal]

 

FIVE-TIME champion Roger Federer will have a tricky time if he’s to end his 10-year drought at the US Open, while Australia’s tennis stars have copped the worst of the draw.

The Swiss maestro could find himself facing off against Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals — if he gets past a possible encounter with Aussie Nick Kyrgios in the third round.

Federer, the second seed, opens against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka, anchoring a bottom quarter of the men’s singles draw announced Thursday that also features sixth-seeded Djokovic, the reigning Wimbledon champion who bested the Swiss great in the final at the Cincinnati Masters last week.

Fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev and seventh-seeded Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, are also in Federer’s half of the draw.

“Of course Novak and Roger, they are doing very well and especially they like the hard courts,” top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal said as the draw was revealed in Lower Manhattan. “Let’s see. Let’s see what’s going on.”

Spain’s Nadal opens his defence against a familiar foe in fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in a rematch of their 2013 French Open final.

It will be a 31st career meeting between the Davis Cup teammates, with Nadal leading the series 24-6. If he advances on schedule to the quarters, Nadal could encounter fifth-seeded Wimbledon finalist Kevin Anderson in a rematch of last year’s Flushing Meadows final.

Andy Murray, playing his first Grand Slam since Wimbledon of last year and still battling to regain full fitness in the wake of January hip surgery, was handed a relatively gentle return to the major stage, drawing Australian James Duckworth, ranked 445th in the world, in the opening round.

If the Scot, who won his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in 2012, gets past Duckworth he would face either Fernando Verdasco or Feliciano Lopez in the second round before a possible third-round clash with third-seed Juan Martin del Potro.

Argentina’s del Potro, the 2009 US Open winner, opens against a qualifier. In the same quarter, eighth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria received a nightmare draw: a first-round meeting with 2016 champion Stan Wawrinka, who received a wildcard after missing last year through injury.

Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, ousted Dimitrov in the first round at Wimbledon in July.

On the women’s side, the Williams sisters feature in a talent-laden top quarter headed by world number one Simona Halep.

Serena, seeking a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title, is seeded 17th despite her world number 26 ranking, US Open officials taking into account her six titles at Flushing Meadows in determining her seeding for the tournament she missed last year as she gave birth to her daughter Olympia last September 1.

Serena opens against Poland’s Magda Linette, but her seeding won’t protect her from a possible third-round clash with her 16th-seeded sister.

It would be their earliest meeting in a Grand Slam since Venus beat Serena in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open.

But Venus faces a potentially difficult first round match against 2004 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, who received a wildcard into the main draw as she continues her return from left wrist surgery.

Halep, gunning for a second major of the year after her victory at Roland Garros, opens her campaign against Estonian Kaia Kanepi, a quarter-finalist last year.

The Romanian has impressed in the hardcourt build up to the US Open, her runner-up finish in Cincinnati last week following a victory in Montreal — where she beat defending US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the final.

Stephens, the third seed, faces Russian Evgeniya Rodina in the first round, with the winner to face a qualifier in the second round. Should Stephens get through she could find former world number one Victoria Azarenka waiting in the third round.

Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber, seeded fourth, faces Russian Margarita Gasparyan in the first round, while in the same quarter Maria Sharapova opens against a qualifier and sixth-seeded Caroline Garcia of France faces Briton Johanna Konta.

AUSSIES’ HORROR DRAW
Seeded big guns Kyrgios, Ashleigh Barty and Daria Gavrilova will need to pull out all stops to make a deep run at the season’s last grand slam, with all three facing early trouble.

Kyrgios opens against Moldovan Radu Albot for the right to play either Indian Yuki Bhambri or Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

Rarely is anything routine for Kyrgios but, should he win his first two matches, the enigmatic two-time grand slam quarter-finalist would likely run into five- times champion and second seed Federer in round three. The Canberran is paying the price for falling down to 30th in the world rankings, a dip that left him all but certain of striking a top-eight rival in the round of 32.

Countrymen Alex de Minaur, who opens against Japan’s Taro Daniel, and John Millman, who plays American wildcard Jenson Brooksby, are also in Kyrgios’s and Federer’s half.

Australia’s other direct entrants in the men’s event fared no better at Thursday’s draw.

Duckworth was thrust into a showdown former world No.1 and 2012 US Open champion Murray, the most accomplished player not seeded at Flushing Meadows.

Jordan Thompson also faces a Brit, rising left-hander Cameron Norrie, while Matt Ebden takes on Serbian seed Filip Krajikovic and wildcard Jason Kubler has a rugged first-round clash with 19th Roberto Bautista-Agut.

Alex Bolt could give Australia an eighth man in the main draw after progressing to the final round of qualifying with a 7-5 3-6 6-3 win over El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo.

But fellow South Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis crashed to a 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 second-round qualifying loss to German Yannick Maden.

Australia’s women also face a tough time making their mark in New York, with 2011 champion Samantha Stosur drawn to meet world No.2 and reigning Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki in the first round.

After withdrawing from this week’s WTA event in New Haven with a virus, 18th seed Ashleigh Barty drew a qualifier for her opener, with dual grand slam winner Garbine Muguruza looming as a third-round obstacle for Australia’s highest- ranked player.

Daria Gavrilova, seeded 25th, plays Sara Sorribes Tormo, while compatriots Alja Tomljanovic and wildcard Lizette Cabrera go head to head, guaranteeing at least one Australian in the second round.

But Arina Rodionova’s tournament is over following a 6-3 6-1 second-round qualifying loss to American Jessica Pegula.

HOW THE AUSSIES FARED AT THE US OPEN DRAW IN NEW YORK (PREFIX DENOTES SEEDING):

Men’s singles, first round Jason Kubler v 19-Roberto Bautista-Agut (ESP) James Duckworth v Andy Murray (GBR) Jordan Thompson v Cameron Norrie (GBR) Alex de Minaur v Taro Daniel (JPN) Matt Ebden v 32- Filip Krajikovic (SRB) John Millman v Jenson Brooksby (USA) 30-Nick Kyrgios v Radu Albot (MDA)

Women’s singles, first round Lizette Cabrera v Alja Tomljanovic Samantha Stosur v 2-Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 18-Ashleigh Barty v qualifier 25-Daria Gavrilova v Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP)