Federer in tough U.S. Open draw

NEW YORK, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Four of the Top 6 men's tennis players, including world No. 2 Roger Federer, are in the bottom half of the draw, released Thursday, for the 2010 U.S. Open.

The U.S. Open, the year's final major tennis tournament, begins Monday and is to conclude with the men's singles title match Sept. 12. Federer lost to Juan Martin del Potro in the 2009 men's championship match.

Organizers put five of the Top 10 seeded players in each half of the draw, but with No. 3 Novak Djokovic, fifth-seeded Robin Soderling and No. 6 seed Nikolay Davydenko joining Federer in the bottom half, that would appear to be a more difficult path to the finals.

Also in the bottom half is ninth-seeded Andy Roddick.

The top half of the draw starts with world No. 1 Rafael Nadal and includes fourth-seeded Andy Murray. No. 7 seed Tomas Berdych, eighth-seeded Fernando Verdasco and 10th-seeded David Ferrer are potential foes for Nadal, who is seeking his first trip to a U.S. Open final. He's been a semifinalist each of the last two years.

Del Potro will miss the open because of a wrist injury. Nadal won this year's French Open and Wimbledon, while Federer claimed the 2010 Australian Open.