Federer, Nadal final possible

Fans could be treated to another Grand Slam final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal this year, as the two stars were placed on opposite sides of the draw for the 2009 US Open.
However, there will not be another all-Williams sisters final, as defending US Open champion Serena and Venus are in the same section of the women’s draw – although in different quarters – so the latest the sisters could meet is the semifinals.
The men’s and women’s singles draws were revealed on a live half-hour show on ESPNews for the first time from Bristol, Conn., on Thursday, Aug. 27.
Federer is the five-time defending US Open champion and this year is looking to become the first man since Bill Tilden in the 1920s to win six consecutive US Opens. He enters the US Open as the all-time Grand Slam record-holder with 15 titles, and he completed the career Grand Slam this year with his victory at the French Open.
Playing some of the best tennis of his career, which includes a victory in the Western and Southern Financial Group Masters last week, Federer looks to have a relatively smooth path through the quarterfinals, with 2009 NCAA singles champion Devin Britton – playing in his first US Open as a wild card – his first-round opponent.
Federer could meet former US Open champion Lleyton Hewitt in the third round and American James Blake in the fourth round, with No. 8 Nikolay Davydenko a potential quarterfinal opponent. Federer is a perfect 12-0 against Davydenko in their career meetings.
In total, Federer has won 26 of his last 27 matches since the French Open. He is also a new father, with his wife Mirka giving birth to twin girls, Charlene Riva and Myla Rose, in July.
“It was an amazing summer, and I am still playing very well. I played great in Cincinnati, and I hope things are also going to go well here at the Open,” Federer said at the 2009 US Open draw event at The TimesCenter in Manhattan Thursday.
Also in Federer’s half of the draw are No. 4 Novak Djokovic and 2003 US Open champion and No. 5 Andy Roddick. The Serb and American could meet in the quarterfinals, with Federer looming as a semifinal opponent. Federer defeated Roddick in an epic five-set match, 16-14 in the fifth, to win the 2009 Wimbledon crown.
Roddick opens against Bjorn Phau of Germany, and Djokovic opens against Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia. Before meeting Djokovic potentially, Roddick could face No. 10 Fernando Verdasco in the fourth round. Djokovic appears to have a much clearer path to the quarterfinals, with No. 15 Radek Stepanek the highest seeded player he could meet beforehand.
In the bottom half of the draw, now world No. 2 Andy Murray – who passed Nadal this summer in the rankings after his two-month layoff due to knee tendinitis – could have a potentially difficult first-round match against the talented but currently struggling Ernests Gulbis of Latvia.
Murray lost to Federer in the 2008 US Open final in straight sets and is still seeking his first Grand Slam title. On opposite sides of the draw again this year – although with a higher seed for Murray – there could be another Murray-Federer US Open final.
But to get there, Murray will likely have to get past Nadal, who is seeking to win his first US Open and complete the career Grand Slam to go with his four Roland Garros titles, the 2008 Wimbledon crown, as well as the 2009 Australian Open title, where he defeated Federer in five sets.
Before Nadal, Murray has another huge obstacle to overcome potentially in the quarterfinals in No. 6 Juan Martin del Potro, who reached the quarterfinals of the 2008 US Open.
Nadal lost to Murray in the semifinals of the 2008 US Open in a match played over two days because of rain. This year he opens against former top-10 player Richard Gasquet of France. There are questions surrounding the great Nadal – most importantly, just how long will his knees that forced him out of Wimbledon and to an early loss at Roland Garros, hold up?
Main Draw Singles