Tennis: Erakovic to face Lucic in first round

Marina Erakovic will play Croatian Mirjana Lucic in the first round of the US Open but she won't play until until at least Tuesday (New York time), with the potential fall-out from Hurricane Irene possibly delaying things further.

Erakovic, who won through qualifying to her third grand slam tournament in a row, will face a player ranked 94 in the world - four places lower than the New Zealand No 1.

Lucic, who possess a big serve, burst onto the world scene when she reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 1999 as a teenager. However, personal problems beset the Croat and she largely gave the game away before embarking on a comeback three years ago.

If successful in her opening match, Erakovic will potentially play a second-round match against tournament seventh seed and 2010 French Open champion, Francesca Schiavone of Italy.