US Open Tennis 2013: Top Seeds with Easiest Road to Finals

The 2013 U.S. Open will get under way on Monday, and a few stars received favorable draws as they look to make their way to the finals.

As this year's tournaments have shown, nothing is guaranteed. A favorable draw can easily turn into an upset, so the players on this list must still come prepared for a challenge.

Nobody has repeated on either side in recent years. No star has dominated the field in this tournament, which means anyone is capable of coming away with the title. 

Being a high seed should give players an advantage, so let's see who came away with the best draw.

For full draws, please visit the official website of the U.S. Open.

Men's Singles

No. 1 Novak Djokovic

It should come as no surprise that the top seed got a nice draw.

Novak Djokovic shouldn't have much of a problem dealing with his first two opponents. While he will be challenged after that, his road could be worse. No. 2 Rafael Nadal was dealt a tougher draw, so Djokovic should be satisfied with his opponents.

Here are Djokovic's potential opponents once he reaches the third round, and his record against them.

He could get No. 25 Grigor Dimitrov (3-1) in the third round and could be paired against No. 6 Juan Martin del Potro (9-3) or No. 12 Tommy Haas (6-3) in the quarterfinals.

He could then receive a semifinal matchup against No. 3 Andy Murray (11-8) or No. 5 Tomas Berdych (14-2).

He has won the majority of his matches against every top competitor that he could find himself playing on his way to the finals.

Djokovic has had the most success at this tournament out of anyone in recent years. He has made it to the finals in three straight years, including winning the tournament in 2011.

No. 4 David Ferrer

Maybe the most favorable draw goes to David Ferrer. His first real test could be in the fourth round when he might face No. 16 Jerzy Janowicz (1-0). From there, he could wind up playing a couple of tough players.

He could face No. 8 Richard Gasquet (8-1) or No. 10 Milos Raonic (4-0) in the quarterfinals. He has owned his toughest competitors, so a trip to the semifinals should be in his future. 

His semifinals match would not be easy if everything goes as planned. He could take on No. 2 Rafael Nadal (4-20) or No. 7 Roger Federer (0-14). At that point, every match is going to be tough for everyone.

Ferrer's road to the semifinals should be the easiest of any of the top seeds. He's going to have to overcome past failures to make it to the finals, but there's no guarantee that Nadal or Federer will even reach that point. 

Tennis doesn't always go as expected, but Ferrer is in a great position to make it to the semifinals and set up a showdown for a spot in the finals.

*All information on men's singles is courtesy of ATP.com.

Women's Singles

No. 1 Serena Williams

It doesn't matter who is in Serena Williams' draw at this point. She is on an incredible run and is nearly unstoppable.

She has made it to back-to-back U.S. Open finals and won last year's tournament. She has won this event four times in her career. She has also won three of the past five Grand Slam tournaments.

Williams could face No. 15 Sloane Stephens (1-1) in the fourth round and No. 8 Angelique Kerber (2-1) in the quarterfinals. Other than those two, she shouldn't have much of a problem getting to the semifinals.

In the semifinals, No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska (6-0) and No. 5 Na Li (8-1) would be the most likely matchups. 

As the numbers suggest, Williams owns the highest seeds in the top half of the draw. She received a draw that she should be able to do very well against, so look for her to be playing for her fifth U.S. Open title.

No. 2 Victoria Azarenka

Anyone in the top half of the draw not named Williams has a tough road to the finals. In the bottom half, Victoria Azarenka has a good chance of making a run.

The 24-year-old has a favorable draw for two rounds and then could face her first seeded opponent. No. 26 Alize Cornet (2-0) could be a third-round matchup, and No. 13 Ana Ivanovic (4-2) is a potential opponent in the fourth round.

No. 7 Petra Kvitova (2-4) and No. 11 Samantha Stosur (8-1) are the highest seeds who could face Azarenka in the semifinals, and she's had some success against them. 

Azarenka made it to the U.S. Open finals last year before losing to Williams. She is only 3-12 against Williams in her career, but she defeated her rival in their most recent meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, earlier this month.

Although she may have to beat Williams to go home as the champion, Azarenka doesn't have much standing in her way of a second consecutive trip to the U.S. Open finals.

*All women's singles information is courtesy of WTATennis.com.