Roger Federer and Serena Williams at a party in New York on Sunday

New York: Rafael Nadal will try to match his new status as world No.1 with his first US Open title when the final Grand Slam of the year starts on Monday.

Among those desperate to stop him will be Roger Federer, hoping to bounce back to claim his fifth straight Flushing Meadows crown, and Novak Djokovic, aiming to reproduce his Australian Open form and win his second Grand Slam title of 2008.

In the women’s event, the top-ranked Serbians Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic take on the resurgent Williams sisters and a Russian challenge led by Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina.

Nadal, having beaten Federer to win the French Open and Wimbledon, stolen his place at the top of the world rankings and won Olympic gold, is surely the man to beat.

The Spaniard has never been beyond the quarter finals in New York but few would bet against him ruining Federer’s hopes once more.

“When you are playing well you feel comfortable on all courts,” Nadal said.

“In the past, when I was playing well, I did well on hard courts, too. I feel good for sure. I won two tournaments in Toronto and the Olympics, and I played semi-finals in Cincinnati.”

Federer has won at least one Grand Slam event every year since 2003 and though he said he was feeling less pressurised this time, he admitted it would be tough.

“I think I need the (crowd) support a little bit this year,” he said.

”(But) I still believe it’s an advantage if you know how to win a US Open. It’s a tough tournament to win.”

Djokovic, runner-up to Federer last year, took his maiden Grand Slam title in Australia in January.

(AP)