Nadal, Federer set to pounce at injury-hit US Open

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Their rivalry has stretched 13 years and 37 matches but Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have never met at the US Open, an anomaly which seems certain to be corrected after a host of rivals limped out of contention.

Rafael Nadal waits for Luxembourg's Gilles Muller to collect his bag so that they can leave the court together after Muller won their men's singles fourth round match at Wimbledon on July 10, 2017. / AFP Photo

Nadal, back on top of the world rankings for the first time in three years, is a two-time winner in New York, his 2010 and 2013 titles forming part of his 15-Slam portfolio which was embellished by a record 10th French Open in June.

Federer, the five-time US champion from 2004-2008, is bidding for a 20th major and third of the year after capturing the Australian Open and Wimbledon title.

Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts to a shot against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in the final of the Rogers Cup at Rexall Centre in Toronto, Ontario, August 10, 2014. Tsonga defeated Federer 7-5, 7-6. / AFP Photo

Victory in the men's final on September 10 would also make the 36-year-old the oldest US Open champion of the modern era and oldest overall since Bill Tilden in 1929.

The path to the title for Nadal and Federer has been eased. World number two Andy Murray, the 2012 champion, withdrew on Saturday after failing to recover from a hip injury.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic leaves the court after retiring from his men's singles quarter-final match against Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych on the ninth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 12, 2017. /AFP Photo

Two-time winner Novak Djokovic has already shut down his season to recover from an elbow injury while defending champion Stan Wawrinka faces knee surgery.

With Kei Nishikori, the 2014 runner-up, and Milos Raonic also injured, five of the current world top 11 will be missing when the tournament starts on Monday.

However, for tennis romantics, Murray's withdrawal came after the draw was made leaving top seed Nadal and third-seeded Federer in the same half, thereby ruling out a collision in the final.

Britain's Andy Murray reacts after losing a point against US player Sam Querrey in their men's singles quarter-final match on the ninth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 12, 2017. / AFP Photo

Nadal, 31, heads to New York on the back of a quarter-final loss to Nick Kyrgios in Cincinnati and a Montreal last-16 defeat to Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov.

The Spaniard said he would rather not have Federer in his semi-final path, should they get that far. "I prefer to play against another player, an easier one if it's possible," said Nadal, who has not got past the fourth round since 2013 and starts his campaign against Dusan Lajovic, the world number 84 from Serbia.

"Finals are more special than semi-finals. But anyway, meeting him here in semi-finals, if that happens that will be something great and amazing."

Federer, meanwhile, is looking to move beyond Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors by claiming a sixth US Open and reach a first final in the city since his sensational 2009 loss to Juan Martin del Potro.

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Source(s): AFP