India’s singles top player Somdev Devvarman, ranked 64th, will face World No. 4 and hot favourite Andy Murray in the first round of the US Open beginning Monday. The 26 year old Somdev has never been beyond the second round of a grand slam tournament. But the Indian will be no pushover for the Scot, given his fighting spirit and liking for hard courts. It will be first meeting between the two players.

Murray is one of the greatest returners in the game. Murray’s section of the draw does not appear to offer too much threat until the quarter-finals, when he is likely to encounter either Juan Martin Del Potro, the winner here in 2009 or world No 6 Robin Soderling. The fourth-seeded Scotsman is the only player in the top four who has yet to win a Grand Slam

Indian ace player Sania is to take on Israel’s Sahar Peer. Sania is coming to New York with a string of losses in first rounds and qualifiers since her comeback, post Wimbledon. This year Sania, ranked 63, has won only nine matches in 20 tournaments, four of these in the last one month, losing most of the times to players who she could have beaten.