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FEDERER FACING TRICKY DRAW
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Roger Federer will not get an easy ride to a fourth consecutive US Open title after Wednesday's draw loaded his half with dangerous obstacles.

The 11-time grand slam champion must face qualifiers in the opening two rounds when the final major of the year gets under way next Monday, but then faces a tricky potential third-round opponent in Finland's Jarkko Nieminen, the number 26 seed.

And lying in wait in the second week is a likely fourth-round encounter with 13th seed Richard Gasquet of France before a possible repeat of last year's final at Flushing Meadows against big-serving American Andy Roddick in the quarter-finals.

Federer will have been pleased to avoid third-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic, who beat him in Montreal earlier this month, with fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia drawn to face the Swiss star in the semis.

Djokovic, who has also beaten French Open champion Rafael Nadal on hard courts this summer, was drawn in the bottom half of the draw and is due to face second seed Nadal in the semis.

Nadal starts his title bid with a match against Australian wild card Alun Jones and has number seven Fernando Gonzalez as the highest-seeded obstacle en route to the semis.

The Chilean could face the Spaniard in the quarters although he faces an awkward third round match against former world number one Marat Safin.

American hopes Roddick and sixth seed James Blake both open their challenges against compatriots.

Roddick faces Justin Gimbelstob, while Blake, takes on Michael Russell.