In all the years of their historic rivalry, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have never met at the U.S. Open.
That could change this year — but it won’t happen in the final or even in the semifinals.
Federer, the five-time Open champ and the No. 7 seed, was drawn into the same quarterfinal as Nadal, the No. 2 seed and 2010 U.S. Open champ.
Nadal holds a 21-10 edge all-time on Federer, including a recent three-set victory in the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
Federer is the all-time leader with 17 Major titles, while Nadal owns 12.
Nadal did not play at last year’s U.S. Open due to an ongoing knee injury, but has come back this year to win nine tournaments, including back-to-back hardcourt titles in Canada and Cincinnati. He hasn’t lost on a hardcourt all year long.
Federer, by contrast, has won just one tournament in 2013.
Still, Nadal could face No. 13 seed John Isner — the highest-seeded American — in the fourth round. Nadal edged Isner in two tiebreak sets in the final of Cincinnati, 7-6 (8), 7-6 (3).
The winner of a potential Federer-Nadal quarterfinal could face No. 4 seed David Ferrer, the French Open finalist one semifinal.
The other semifinal could feature a rematch of the Wimbledon final between Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1 and 2011 Open champ, and Andy Murray, the No. 3 seed and reigning Open and Wimbledon champ.
In one quarterfinal on the top half of the draw, Djokovic could face 2009 Open champ Juan Martin Del Potro, who beat Nadal and Federer back-to-back to win that year’s title. Murray is drawn to face No. 5 Tomas Berdych in the other quarterfinal in the top half of the draw.
SERENA, VIKA ON TRACK FOR FINALS REMATCH
No. 1 seed Serena Williams and No. 2 Victoria Azarenka are on track to meet in their second straight U.S. Open final.
Williams trailed by a break in the third set of last year’s final before rallying to beat Azarenka, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.
Still, Azarenka owns two victories over Williams this year, including a three-set victory in the final of last week’s Western & Southern Open, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6)
The winner of 16 career Major singles titles, Williams could face an intriguing fourth-round match with fellow American Sloane Stephens, who upset Serena in the Australian Open quarterfinals.
“I take every match really serious,” Williams said after the draw was announced. “I don’t look too far in the draw, I just look at the first one.
“Every match is going to be a very, very tough competiton for me and I have to stay focused on one at a time.”
The only other time Williams was seeded No. 1 was 2002, when she went on to win the title.
