Murray, Djokovic in same half of U.S. Open draw

NEW YORK, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Defending champion Andy Murray was put in the same half of the draw as world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, creating a possible semifinal matchup in the U.S. Open.

The draw for the Open, the year's final tennis major, was released Thursday. Murray won his first Grand Slam title by beating Djokovic 7-6 (12-10), 6-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 in last year's U.S. Open final.

Three of the last four Grand Slam tournaments have had a Djokovic-Murray final.

Djokovic won the Australian Open, beating Murray, and Murray, again beating Djokovic, won Wimbledon. Rafael Nadal took the French Open title this year in the other major tournament.

But if Djokovic and Murray meet in the U.S. Open, it will be in the semifinals as Nadal recently passed Murray in the rankings to be assured of being in the opposite half of the draw from Djokovic.

Djokovic's quarterfinal opponent, if the tournament plays to form, would be sixth-seeded Juan Marin del Potro. No. 5-seeded Tomas Berdych and ninth-ranked Stanislas Wawrinka are in the same quarter as Murray.

Nadal's highest ranked quarterfinal foe would be No. 7-seeded Roger Federer, whose has slipped in the rankings in recent weeks. Fourth-seeded David Ferrer, who lost to Nadal in the French Open final, is the highest seed in his quarter, which also includes eighth-seeded Richard Gasquet and No. 10 Milos Raonic.

The 2013 U.S. Open, the 113rd edition of the tournament, begins Monday and wraps Sept. 9 with the men's singles final.