The 2013 U.S. Open draw was revealed on Thursday in New York. Novak Djokovic saw Andy Murray land on his side of the draw, while Rafael Nadal is in the same quarter as Roger Federer for a second consecutive tournament.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, the top two players in the world, both received difficult paths through the U.S. Open as the draw ceremony was held on Thursday afternoon in New York City.
Djokovic had the misfortune of getting defending champ Andy Murray in his half as opposed to a slumping David Ferrer, but Nadal is in a quarter with Roger Federer. A rematch of the Cincinnati final between Nadal and John Isner could also be on tap in the fourth round. The Spaniard also faced Federer in Cincinnati, scoring a hard-fought 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 victory in the quarters.
Prior to a potential blockbuster semifinal showdown against Murray, what would be a rematch of last year’s final, Djokovic is on course to meet Grigor Dimitrov in the third round. The top-ranked Serb, who opens with Ricardas Berankis, could go up against either Fabio Fognini or Benoit Paire in the last 16.
Speaking of rematches, familiar foes Murray and Tomas Berdych fell in the same quarter of the bracket. Murray topped the Czech in last year’s U.S. Open semifinals, but Berdych just dominated a Cincinnati quarterfinal encounter in straight sets. Possible roadblocks standing in the way of a Murray-Berdych quarterfinal are Nicolas Almagro (in the fourth round for the Scot) and Stanislas Wawrinka (in the fourth round for Berdych).
By far the most wide-open section is a quarter featuring David Ferrer and Richard Gasquet. Unquestionably, Ferrer is the weakest of the Top 4 seeds and Gasquet is the weakest of the 5-8 seeds. Contenders who could take advantage and book what would be a surprising semifinal spot include Milos Raonic, Jerzy Janowicz, and Ernests Gulbis. The winner of a potential Ferrer-Gulbis clash in the third round will likely run into Janowicz with a quarterfinal berth at stake.
Click here for the full draw on the U.S. Open website.
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