Andy Murray placed in Roger Federer's half of the US Open draw

Third seed Andy Murray will play Russia's Alex Bogomolov in the first round of the US Open and was placed in Roger Federer's half when the draw was made today.

Murray and Bogomolov have met three times before, with the Scot winning twice, but he did lose their first match at the Miami Masters last year.

In the first round, world number one Federer will face American Donald Young, who this week ended a run of 17 straight defeats by winning his first-round match against Argentina's Leonardo Mayer in Winston Salem.

Second seed Novak Djokovic meets Italy's Paolo Lorenzi first up while David Ferrer, elevated into the top four seeds because of the absence of his injured fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal, takes on giant South African Kevin Anderson.

British pair Heather Watson and Anne Keothavong were both handed extremely tough draws in the women's singles.

Keothavong will face sixth seed Angelique Kerber of Germany, whose career has really taken off following her surprise run to the semi-finals in New York last year.

Watson meets ninth seed and last year's French Open champion Li Na, who is having a superb August having reached the final in Toronto and won the Premier tournament in Cincinnati last week.

Laura Robson, who is in the main draw of a grand slam on ranking for the first time, will play a qualifier first up and could meet Kim Clijsters in the second round as the three-time US Open champion prepares to bid farewell to the sport.

World number one Victoria Azarenka heads the women's seedings and she meets Alexandra Panova while second seed Agnieszka Radwanska takes on another Russian, Nina Bratchikova.

Third seed Maria Sharapova is in Azarenka's half and will take on Hungary's Melinda Czink in round one, with Serena Williams in the bottom half and drawn against fellow American Coco Vandeweghe.

Williams' sister Venus is also in an all-American clash against Bethanie Mattek-Sands, while defending champion and seventh seed Sam Stosur, who famously upset Serena to win the title 12 months ago, meets Croatia's Petra Martic.

PA