Djokovic, Federer in same half of draw
NEW YORK, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- World No. 1 Novak Djokovic begins his U.S. Open play next week against a qualifier and is in the same half of the draw as five-time Open champion Roger Federer.
The draw for the Open was announced Thursday, with Djokovic and Federer, ranked third in the world, in the top half the bracket while defending champion and No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal had a potential semifinal match against fourth-seeded And Murray in the other half.
Those four players have taken 10 of the 12 semifinal slots in the year's first three Grand Slams.
Djokovic, who has won two Grand Slam events this year, was told he would go against a qualifier in first-round play, although who that player is hasn't yet been determined.
Federer and Murray have done something no one else has done this year, beat Djokovic, who is 57-2, with nine tournament titles, including the Australian and Wimbledon championships. He was a semifinalist at the French Open, losing to Federer.
If the draw plays out, Djokovic would face either No. 7-seeded Gael Monfils or ninth-ranked Tomas Berdych. The other Top 10 player in Federer's quarter of the draw is No. 8 Mardy Fish, the highest ranked American.
Nadal, if the form holds, would see a fellow Spaniard in the semifinals, with fifth-seeded David Ferrer and No. 10 Nicolas Almagro in his quarter of the bracket. Murray's highest-ranked possible opponent in the quarterfinals would be No. 6 Robin Soderling.
The U.S. Open begins Monday and concludes Sept. 11 with the men's singles final.
Wozniacki U.S. Open road not an easy one
NEW YORK, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki was placed in a section of the U.S. Open draw that sets up a potential semifinal match with Serena Williams.
Wozniacki ascended to the No. 1 women's ranking without benefit of a major tournament championship. Her best Grand Slam showing was a runner-up finish to Kim Clijsters in the 2009 U.S. Open.
She's been consistent enough through the rest of the schedule -- she's won 49 matches and five tournaments this year -- to maintain that top ranking. But the road to a potential U.S. Open title has several possible hurdles.
She is in a quarter of the draw that would have her playing either 10th-seeded Andrea Petkovic or sixth-seeded Li Na. Li was a finalist at the Australian Open and won the French Open this year.
The other section of the top half of the bracket features fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka and No. 7-seeded Francesca Schiavone. There is also a resurgent Serena Williams, seeded just 28th because of a near yearlong layoff due to injuries. She won the U.S. Open in 1999, 2002 and 2008.
No. 2-ranked Vera Zvonareva headlines the other half of the draw, and her quarter includes eighth-seeded Marion Bartoli and No. 9 Samantha Stosur. Venus Williams, who has been slowed by injuries, is also in that section.
Third-seeded Maria Sharapova, who won this event in 2006, and fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, are in the other quarter of Zvonareva's half of the draw.
Danica Patrick makes NASCAR jump official
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Danica Patrick Thursday made it official -- she's joining NASCAR in 2012, competing full time in the Nationwide Series and part time on the Sprint Cup schedule.
Patrick, 29, told a news conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., she will be racing in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., for the Nationwide series. Her number and car number for Tony Stewart's Sprint Cup team have yet to be determined.
"I'm just excited to finally say it," an enthusiastic Patrick said. "I'm sure there will be plenty of journalists out there that will be glad they don't have to ask the question anymore and plenty of other people that will be happy to stop speculating."
It was unclear whether she will race in the 2012 Daytona 500, but Patrick said she hopes to run a full Sprint Cup schedule in 2013.
"Daytona has a lot to offer as it relates to media exposure and I'm sure they will consider those factors," Daytona 500 President Joie Chitwood told the Sentinel. "If she attempts to run the Daytona 500 it will be good for her, good for Daytona, good for the sport. I will anxiously await her decision."
Patrick started her career in kart racing and later raced Formula Ford in England. In 2005, she broke into IndyCars, placing third in the Indianapolis 500 in 2009 and winning the Indy Japan 300 in 2008. She began dabbling in NASCAR last year.
It was unclear if she planned to run the 2012 Indy 500.
"I'll miss some of the venues and the people" in IndyCar, she said.
Patrick's next scheduled Nationwide race is Sept. 9 at Richmond, Va.
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Michigan football team loses three players
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Highly ranked freshman tight end Chris Barnett has left the University of Michigan football team, the third player to depart this week, the school said.
A spokesman for the UM football program confirmed the departure of Barnett, who joins freshman offensive lineman Tony Posada and junior receiver Je'ron Stokes in leaving, The Detroit News reported.
The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Barnett had received offers from Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, TCU and USC.
Michigan Coach Brady Hoke was asked Tuesday about the departures.
"It was the right thing for them and what they felt," Hoke said. "We wish them the best and they're great kids, but sometimes kids move on for different reasons, homesick or whatever it might be.
"I'm not going to get into that but it usually works out for everybody."
Hoke was asked about the 2012 recruiting program and whether the unexpected vacancies would be a factor.
"I haven't even thought about it," he said. "If there are more scholarships we have to give we'll try to fill them."
