NEW YORK, August 25, 2017
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal and third seed Roger Federer were both drawn in the top half of the US Open men’s singles draw. This is the result of the draw ceremony, which took part at the US Open Experience in the Seaport District of Manhattan on Friday.
Nadal will open his New York campaign against Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic. Nadal, who won in Flushing Meadows in 2010 and 2013, has never lost in the first round of the final Grand Slam of the season and last failed to get past the second round 13 years ago, when he lost to Andy Roddick in 2004. He won the only previous meeting with Lajovic at the 2014 French Open.
Federer will compete in the Big Apple for the first time since 2015 when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the final. The 36-year-old Swiss plays #NextGenATP player Frances Tiafoe from the United States in the first round. Federer beat the teenager at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami earlier this year.
Bottom Half Of The Draw
Rising German Alexander Zverev, who lifted five ATP World Tour trophies this year, was drawn in the same quarter as 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic and older brother Mischa Zverev. The 20-year-old will start against a qualifier.
Second seed Andy Murray, who captured the 2012 title, will be competing for the first time since a Wimbledon quarterfinal exit to Sam Querrey. The 30-year-old Briton will play US-American Tennys Sandgren in the first round. The pair will meet for the first time.
Women’s Draw
No. 2 seed Simona Halep will take on Maria Sharapova in the first round of the women’s singles draw. Halep and Sharapova played a dramatic three-setter in the title match of the 2014 French Open, but the Romanian is yet to beat the former WTA World No.1 in six previous encounters.
Defending champion Angelique Kerber of Geramny will open her title bid against Japan’s Naomi Osaka. World No.1 Karolina Pliskova will play her first round against Magda Linette, and is projected to play 2004 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinal.
