RAFAEL NADAL TO PLAY QUALIFIER BJORN PHAU OF GERMANY - US OPEN 2008

Rafael Nadal after winning the Gold Medal at the Olympics August 17, 2008

Photo Credits: Getty

Rafa Nadal blogs every day during the US Open - Click here

Rafa took you every step of the way in this blog as he won Wimbledon this summer after an epic final against Roger Federer. Since then, he's knocked his fiercest rival off the No 1 spot and added an Olympic gold medal to his already overspilling trophy cabinet.

You'll be pleased to know that the man from Manacor will return to Times Online on Sunday evening, giving you the daily lowdown on his quest to win the US Open and once again answering your questions, which you can e-mail to him here.

Or email your question to: sport@timesonline.co.uk

Here is the draw

Rafa plays Bjorn Phau of Germany in Rafa's first match at the US Open

Nadal looking to conquer the final chpter in a memorable season

An excerpt below from
Showtime Returns: Analying The US Open Men's Draw

When the US Open starts on Monday, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center serves as the crossroads of the professional tennis world for two weeks and the draw reveals several compelling story lines intersecting at the Open:

• In his first major as World No. 1 Nadal, who will open against a qualifier, should cruise comfortably to a fourth round match vs. either 14th-seeded Ivo Karlovic or 22nd-seeded Tomas Berdych followed by a potential quarterfinal clash with James Blake.
• Four-time defending champion Federer's bid to become the first man in Open Era history to capture five consecutive US Open titles is bolstered by the fact he resides in the softest quarter of the draw. Federer faces Maximo Gonzalez in the first round followed by a second-round match with a qualifier.
• Wimbledon quarterfinalist Andy Murray has a strong shot to reach his first career Grand Slam semifinal if he prevails in a potential quarterfinal with either fourth-seeded David Ferrer or the torrid Argentine titan Juan Martin Del Potro.
• Andy Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion, may have a better shot of persuading Atlas to shed the world from his shoulders at Rockefeller Center, hop on the 7 train and serve as a ball boy at his matches, then he does of returning to the final. Roddick was the recipient of a brutal draw. He opens against Fabrice Santoro followed by a potential second-round match with big-hitting Latvian Ernests Gulbis. Should Roddick reach the fourth round he could face Olympic silver medalist Fernando Gonzalez with the winner possibly playing 2007 US Open runner-up Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.
• Looking for a sleeper? How about 2000 champion Marat Safin. If you're thinking Safin, who has failed to surpass the second round in three of his last four US Open appearances, is more likely to buy a round at the Russian Tea Room for the the rest of the field than make significant inroads at the Open after registering a 3-4 record during the US Open Series, consider the quality of tennis he played during his run to the Wimbledon semifinals last month as well as the fact he has a chance to play his way into the draw in New York. Safin opens against Vince Spadea, who has been slowed by nagging injuries, and could play Tommy Robredo in the second round. Should Safin get hot he could face Djokovic in the fourth round — Safin crushed Djokovic, 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-2, in the second round of Wimbledon.
• The marquee match-up of the first round features two players possessing the finest one-handed backhands in the men's game as 12th-seeded Richard Gasquet takes on three-time quarterfinalist Tommy Haas in the opening round.
• What impact will the draining trip from Beijing last week to New York this week have on players — including Nadal, Federer and Djokovic — who went deep into the draw in Beijing?

USA TV US Open Schedule

Rafa's website:
www.rafaelnadal.com
Meet me in The Forum there

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Mia Farrow Introduces the Alternative Opening Ceremony

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