Andy Murray will open his US Open campaign against Nick Kyrgios, the controversial Australian, with the imposing Swiss figures of Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka looming large if the Briton is to reach his third final at Flushing Meadows.
Murray, the 2012 US Open champion, has beaten the big-hitting Australian in all of their previous meetings, with the world No 3 prevailing at both the Australian and French Opens this year.
While the Scot has been winning matches and titles this summer, Kyrgios, the world No 37, has been courting controversy on the court. The 20-year-old was fined $10,000 (£6,489) and had to apologise to Wawrinka earlier this month over unsavoury comments he made about the French Open champion’s girlfriend and was also accused of deliberately throwing a game against Richard Gasquet at Wimbledon where he was warned for bad language and bizarrely hugged a ball boy.
Murray has been a loyal defender of Kyrgios, insisting after the altercation with Wawrinka that the Australian is “not a bad guy” and is “growing up in the spotlight”. If the British No 1 can get the better of him, he will play either Adrian Mannarino, of France, or a qualifier in the second round before a possible meeting with James Ward, the British No 4, in round three - Ward opens up against Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci, while Aljaz Bedene, the British No 2, has drawn Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis.
Murray then faces the prospect of facing Wawrinka in the quarter-finals and then Federer for a place in the final. Federer, who starts his bid for an 18th grand-slam title against Leonardo Mayer, of Argentina, has beaten the British No 1 in their last five meetings, while the Scot has won eight of his 14 matches against Wawrinka.
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Novak Djokovic, who could meet Rafael Nadal, the No 8 seed, in the quarter-finals, plays João Souza, of Brazil, in the first round. Nadal plays Borna Coric, of Croatia, in a potentially tricky first round-match. The 18-year-old, ranked No 35 in the world, defeated the former world No 1 in Basle last year.
Serena Williams will begin her quest to complete the first calendar-year grand slam in 27 years against Russia’s Vitalia Diatchenko. The American has been drawn in the same half as Maria Sharapova, with the pair on a semi-final collision course. Williams has not lost to Sharapova since 2004, winning their last 18 matches and losing only three sets in that time.
Heather Watson, the British No 1, has been handed a winnable tie against Lauren Davis, the world No 84, as she looks to progress into the second round at Flushing Meadows for the first time in her career while Laura Robson continues her comeback from injury against Elena Vesnina, the world No 110 from Russia.
Andy Murray’s possible route to final
First round: Nick Kyrgios
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Second round: Adrian Mannarino
Third round: Thomas Bellucci
Fourth round: Kevin Anderson
Quarter-finals: Stan Wawrinka
Semi-finals: Roger Federer