Rehabilitated Roddick hopes to charge into Open

 "There's no tennis event like this one, with the electricity and the buzz, the tennis at night," said the excited 2003 champion whose ranking has eased since his glory days to stand a current fifth.

 "When you first get in the city and you still get those butterflies, you still get a little anxious. When that feeling goes away, then I'll worry."

   The 24-year-old who celebrates his birthday on Thursday has been driving himself on the practise court under the tutelage of coach Jimmy Connors after crashing badly against David Ferrer in the Cincinnati third round just days ago.

 "In that match things didn't feel good, I kind of reverted," he confessed. "That's why I was pretty mad after that one.

 "Losing happens, but losing in the wrong ways isn't acceptable. So I'm glad we've been able to get up here and get repetitions in.

 "I feel a lot better about where my game is than I did a week ago."

   That kind of confidence is what the sometimes-blustering American will need as he enters his home Grand Slam for the eighth time after losing the 2006 final to number one Roger Federer.

 The pair theoretically face a quarter-final, but that possibility will depend on a multitude of factors - and some good luck for the challenger.

 "I've been playing the right way in practice, there's no reason why I can't make a run here," said Roddick by way of confidence building.

 Federer will join Justine Henin as the top seeds begin day one play on Monday.

 The Swiss who is bidding for a fourth straight title at Flushing Meadows, has drawn young American qualifier Scoville Jenkins, the world number 320 and will face one of two other qualifiers in the second round.

 Henin, who won a Toronto title last weekend in her only pre-Open warmup, will play German Julia Goerges, who also emerged from the qualifying rounds.

 The Belgian top seed won her fourth French Open in June and played finals in three of the four majors last season, losing the New York title match to Maria Sharapova.

 "I know the draw pretty well, but my first match remains something really important to me," said Henin.

 On-form Serb third seed Jelena Jankovic faces Jarmila Gajdosova of Slovakia, while fifth-seeded compatriot Ana Ivanovic plays Aiko Nakamura as the Balkan brigade takes aim at a first grand Slam crown for the nation.

 Novak Djokovic, seeded third, carries the weight on the men's side after his rapid rise this season.

 The Williams sisters highlight the first night session, eighth-seeded Serena testing a thumb injury for the first time since Wimbledon against German Angelique Kerber and Venus playing Hungarian qualifier Kira Nagy.

 Serena appears to be unworried by her lack of preparation.

 "I think there's a lot of players who can win. Obviously I want it to be me. I'm thinking it's going to be me," she proclaimed.

DPA