Winner of the last two majors, Spaniard and World No.1 Rafael Nadal starts his U.S. Open campaign on Day 2 with an interesting match up against Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili. The Mighty Mallorcan is seeded No.1 at Flushing Meadows and is without a doubt one of the front runners in the race for the title glory at Big Apple.

Nadal has no hardcourt title to his resume since March 2009 when he claimed the Masters series crown in Indian Wells. The fast paced courts do not suit the Spaniard's game which is why he has not had the level of success he achieved on clay and Grass for that matter. This year, however, brought a lot of new achievements in Nadal's career. For the first time in his career he completed a European Claycourt sweep with titles in Monte Carlo, Rome, Madrid and Roland Garros, which in turn helped him surpass one of the most significant records in modern tennis, of holding most number of masters series trophies. All this make him a deserving contender for the crown in New York, and an easy winner in today's match up.

His opponent, Teymuraz Gabashvili, on the other hand, needs a bit of an introduction. Ranked No.93 in the world, Gabashvili's best Grand Slam performance this year has been the fourth round at French Open, en route to which he tamed names like Andy Roddick. Gabashvili has never won an ATP World Tour title in his career since turning professional in 2001.

He played Nadal twice in his career, in 2009, and lost in straight sets. The only factor that can go in Gabashvili's favour is his ability to finish the points quickly with the help of a solid net play. Although, Nadal's awe-inspiring court coverage and brilliant shotmaking makes him a clear favourite in today's match.

TennisEarth.com's Pick - Nadal in three comfortable sets.

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