NEW YORK: 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.

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 to 2008, is bidding for a 20th major and third of the year after capturing the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles.

Victory in the men’s final on Sept 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 No 2 Andy Murray, the 2012 champion, withdrew on Saturday after failing to recover from a hip injury.

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.

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 No 84 from Serbia.

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.

His record-blazing eighth Wimbledon title in July was followed by a Montreal final defeat to Alexander Zverev and a pull-out from Cincinnati with a back injury.

But with a 2017 record of five titles, 35 match wins and just three losses, the evergreen Swiss remains the sentimental favourite.

Federer starts his bid for a sixth title against US teenager Frances Tiafoe, the world No 71 who shocked Zverev in Cincinnati.

With Murray, Djokovic, Wawrinka — with 18 Slams between them — Nishikori and Raonic all missing, the tournament should also present the perfect opportunity for the widely-touted ‘NextGen’ to step up.

Zverev, the world No 6, downed Federer for the Montreal title but slumped first time out in Cincinnati to Tiafoe.

World No 8 Dominic Thiem, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 2016 and 2017, has never got beyond the last 16 in New York.

With Serena Williams is about to have a baby and Victoria Azarenka staying home with her infant son as she battles for custody, the women’s field is in total suspense.

Eight players have a chance to leave the year’s last Grand Slam with the world No 1 ranking, making the coming fortnight a tennis thriller, even without two of the sport’s top stars.

Denmark’s fifth-ranked Caroline Wozniacki said: “We’re here and I think everyone has a shot if they play their best. It’s all about playing well for two weeks.”

Former world No 1 Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion, will play as a wildcard in her first major tournament since a 15-month doping ban.

And while the Russian’s return has been hit by forearm and thigh injuries, she remains a threat.

Just ask Romania’s second-ranked Simona Halep, who faces her in the first round having lost all six of their prior meetings.

Czech world No 1 Karolina Pliskova, Halep, Wozniacki, Wimbledon champion and world No 3 Garbine Muguruza, Ukraine’s fourth-ranked Elina Svitolina, Britain’s Johanna Konta and Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova all have a chance to become world No 1 at the US Open.

Venus Williams, the 37-year-old American who has won seven Grand Slam titles and was runner-up this year at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, is ranked ninth but also could become No 1 again — by winning the title.

Defending champion and sixth-ranked Angelique Kerber of Germany can’t finish the week atop the rankings but she could hoist the crown again as the only past winner from the past decade in the field.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2017