NEW YORK — Though no player would admit to looking so far ahead, Novak Djokovic may have been the biggest winner when the U.S. Open bracket was set Thursday. NEW YORK — Though no player would admit to looking so
NEW YORK — Though no player would admit to looking so far ahead, Novak Djokovic may have been the biggest winner when the U.S. Open bracket was set Thursday.
The defending champion and No. 2 seed can reach his third straight final at Flushing Meadows without having to face either Roger Federer or Andy Murray. Those two, meanwhile, wound up on the same side of the draw and could meet in the semifinals for a rematch of their recent finals at Wimbledon and the London Olympics.
“It’s a question of luck,” Djokovic said when asked about the only true drama in the unveiling of Thursday’s bracket — whether third-seeded Murray would end up on his or top-seeded Federer’s side of the draw. “You try to focus on what’s in your hands, what’s in your power. Thinking about the semifinal at this moment, I don’t think it’s the best thing.”
In the women’s bracket, third-seeded Maria Sharapova drew a possible semifinal matchup against top-seeded Victoria Azarenka and fourth-seeded Serena Williams could play No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinals.
Rafael Nadal, ranked third, is out of this year’s tournament with a knee injury, marking the first time since 2008 that the quartet of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray haven’t been seeded 1 through 4 in some order at the U.S. Open.
Taking the fourth seed this year is David Ferrer, who has never made a Grand Slam final, and could face Djokovic in the semifinals.
Of the 16 semifinal spots over the last four Grand Slam tournaments, 14 have been occupied by one of the big four. Only Ferrer, at the French Open, and Jo Wilfried-Tsonga, at Wimbledon, have managed to break the stranglehold.
Djokovic has an 8-5 record against Ferrer, including a straight-set win in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open this year.
Top-seeded Federer is 8-9 against third-seeded Murray and the two have split their last two matches, both on Centre Court at the All England Club; Federer won the Wimbledon final and Murray took the gold-medal match at the London Olympics.
The potential men’s quarterfinals are Federer vs. No. 6 Tomas Berdych, who upset him in the 2010 Wimbledon quarterfinals; Djokovic vs. 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, seeded seventh; Murray vs. No. 5 Tsonga; Ferrer vs. No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic.
