Nadal, Federer set to pounce on injuryhit field Eight women fancied to clinch title, thanks to wide open draw

US OPEN Archrivals could face off in New York for the first time in an event plagued by withdrawals

Their rivalry has stretched 13 years and 37 matches but Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have never met at the US Open, an anomaly which seems certain to be corrected after a host of rivals limped out of contention.

Nadal, back on top of the world rankings for the first time in three years, is a two-time winner in New York, his 2010 and 2013 titles forming part of his 15-Slam portfolio which was embellished by a record 10th French Open in June.

Federer, the five-time US champion from 2004-2008, is bidding for a 20th major and third of the year after capturing the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles.

Victory in the men’s final on September 10 would also make the 36-year-old the oldest US Open champion of the modern era and oldest overall since Bill Tilden in 1929.

The path to the title for Nadal and Federer has been eased.

World No 2 Andy Murray, the 2012 champion, withdrew on Saturday after failing to recover from a hip injury.

Two-time winner Novak Djokovic has already shut down his season to recover from an elbow injury while defending champion Stan Wawrinka faces knee surgery.

With Kei Nishikori, the 2014 runner-up, and Milos Raonic also injured, five of the current world top 11 will be missing when the tournament starts on Monday.

However, for tennis romantics, Murray’s withdrawal came after the draw was made leaving top seed Nadal and third-seeded Federer in the same half, thereby ruling out a collision in the final.

Nadal, 31, heads to New York on the back of a quarterfinal loss to Nick Kyrgios in Cincinnati and a Montreal last-16 defeat to Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov.

The Spaniard said he would rather not have Federer in his semifinal path, should they get that far. “I prefer to play against another player, an easier one if it’s possible,” said Nadal, who has not got past the fourth round since 2013 and starts his campaign against Dusan Lajovic, the world No 84 from Serbia. by a Montreal final defeat to Alexander Zverev and a pull-out from Cincinnati with a back injury.

But with a 2017 record of five titles, 35 match wins and just three losses, the evergreen Swiss remains the sentimental favourite. Federer said he would like nothing else than to face Nadal in the semifinals.

“It would be fun for everybody involved. We have our work cut out there. But, you know, I’d love to play Rafa here in New York,” said Federer, who missed the 2016 US Open to rest a knee injury.

Federer starts his bid for a sixth title against US teenager Frances Tiafoe, the world No 71 who shocked Zverev in Cincinnati.

Serena Williams is about to have a baby and Victoria Azarenka will stay home with her infant son as she battles for custody — leaving the US Open women’s field in total suspense over who might win.

Eight players have a chance to leave the year’s last Grand Slam with the world number one ranking, making the Flushing Meadows fortnight that starts on Monday a tennis thriller, even without two of the sport’s top stars.

Williams, who won her 23rd Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, announced in April she was pregnant and would miss the rest of the year.

“Serena is always the favorite when she plays and she’s at a level on her own when she’s playing her best tennis,” Denmark’s fifth-ranked Caroline Wozniacki said. “But we’re here and I think everyone has a shot if they play their best. It’s all about playing well for two weeks.”

Two-time Australian Open winner Azarenka revealed she is battling with her son’s father for custody, and the child thus cannot leave California, so she opted to stay.

Former world number one Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion, will play as a wildcard in her first major tournament since a 15-month doping ban after testing positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.

And while the Russian’s return has been hit by forearm and thigh injuries, she remains a threat.

Just ask Romania’s secondranked Simona Halep, who faces her in the first round having lost all six of their prior meetings.

Czech world number one Karolina Pliskova, Halep, Wozniacki, Wimbledon champion and world number three Garbine Muguruza, Ukraine’s fourth-ranked Elina Svitolina, Britain’s Johanna Konta and Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova all have a chance to become world number one at the US Open. Evergreen Venus Williams, the 37-year-old American who has won seven Grand Slam titles and was runner-up this year at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, is ranked ninth but also could become number one again -- by winning the title.

Defending champion and sixth-ranked Angelique Kerber of Germany can’t finish the week atop the rankings but she could hoist the crown again as the only past winner from the past decade in the field.

Muguruza has made herself an oddsmaker’s darling after taking last year’s French Open, last month’s Wimbledon crown and last week’s Cincinnati title. Rose to No 1 after Wimbledon despite second-round loss there and zero Grand Slam titles, she is the most talented woman without a major. Can she open her Slam account here?

25

Czech Republic 42-12 3

9 0

Runner-Up, US Open ('16) '16-RunnerUp, '15-Lost in 1st Round, '14-3rd, '13-1st, '12-Did Not Pla

Still trying to find her way in 2017 after reaching her first three major finals last season, including winning the US Open to move up to No 1. Won just one match and lost two on hard courts since Wimbledon.

29 Germany

25-17

10

2 - Australian Open ('16), US Open ('16) '16-Won Championship, '15-3rd, '14-3rd, '13-4th, '12-4th But she hasn’t gone past the second round in four tries at New York. She said in the past, she struggled to find her rhythm at Flushing Meadows. “I want to change that. I want to find the recipe maybe this year, maybe that I have a little bit more confidence,” she said.

Pliskova has taken titles at Brisbane, Doha and Eastbourne this year but has never won a The most in-form player on tour at the moment, winning 16 of past 18 matches, including Wimbledon title, she has a poor record in New York having won only two of six career matches at Flushing Meadows.

23

Spain

39-15

2

5

2 - Wimbledon ('17), French Open ('16)

'16-2nd, '15-2nd, '14-1st, '13-DNP, '12-1st Only woman to reach at least the fourth round at past six Grand Slam tournaments, Venus is making her 19th US Open appearance. Reached the finals at Australian Open and Wimbledon, proving she can still play at a high level.

37 United States

29-10

0

49

7 - Wimbledon ('00, '01, '05, '07, '08), U.S. Open ('00, '01) '16-4th, '15-QF, '14-3rd, '13-2nd, '12-2nd Grand Slam. She reached her only Slam final last year at New York. “The energy of the city is huge. Obviously love to be coming back there, especially after the fantastic last year,” she said.

An early Cincinnati exit sent Kerber tumbling down the rankings race, but the 2016 US and Australian Open champion is feeling the same drive she did a year ago.