Djokovic will have to do it the hard way

Tennis:Novak Djokovic faces the daunting prospect of possibly having to beat Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal to win the US Open for the first time and end the year as the world number one.

Djokovic has already won this season's Australian Open and Wimbledon titles and is the overwhelming favourite to win the last grand slam of 2011, starting at Flushing Meadows on Monday, to wrap up the top spot for the end of year rankings.

But a niggling shoulder injury that forced him to quit last weekend's Masters final in Cincinnati, has raised questions about his fitness, especially with his foes lurking ominously at the business end of the tournament after the official draw was conducted in New York today.

Djokovic was drawn to launch his tournament against an as yet unknown qualifier but if results go according to the rankings, the top seed will face a tricky last weekend, when the semi-finals and final will be played on successive days.

His projected semi-final opponent is five-time US Open champion and third seed Federer, who faces Colombia's Santiago Giraldo in the first round. If Djokovic can beat the most prolific male grand slam winner of all time, his opponent in the final could be either Nadal, who beat him in last year's final, or the in-form Andy Murray.

"Last year was a very emotional time for me, because I completed all my grand slams," Nadal said at the draw after the second seeded Spaniard was drawn to face Kazakhstan's Andrey Golubev first up."It was very tough but I played some of my best tennis in the final (against Djokovic) and I known I can do well."

Djokovic is not the only top player with concerns. Nadal has been battling blisters and Federer has not won a grand slam in nearly two years.

The return of American Serena Williams provided an element of suspense and intrigue to the women's draw, weakened by the absence of the injured Kim Clijsters, who won the title the past two years.

Williams, the dominant figure in women's tennis over the past decade, has won the US Open three times but the former world number one was relegated to 28th seed after her ranking tumbled during her long absence from the game, because of health problems.

The 29-year-old has won two tournaments since returning and was lurking as one of the dangerous floaters in the draw. She was paired to meet Serbia's Bojana Jovanovska in the opening round with fourth seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus waiting in the third round.