Alex Dolgopolov:  Still only 22, Dolgopolov's ascent to the top of the men's game has been steep and following his run to the Aussie Open quarters this year, everyone will know what he's capable of. This guy has every shot in the book and plenty which aren't in there. Been inconsistent this summer but he has a shot at making the last sixteen.  

Ryan Harrison: The American public expect from Harrison after his thrilling exploits last year which saw him take out Ivan Ljubicic. Hopes will be higher this time round and it'll be a taste of thing to come for the level-headed 19 year old. Has a tough opener against Marin Cilic, expect that one to be a night match on one of  the big show courts. Cilic certainly won't be relishing facing a pumped up Harrison in front of a boisterous New York crowd.     

Bernard Tomic:  Tomic's been the first of the next generation to really make his move, stunning everyone with his quarter-final run at Wimbledon as a qualifier. Still just 17 and precociously well built with a gun-slinger of a serve, we've been hearing Tomic has top ten potential for several years. Still inconsistent on the tour he performs best at the majors which is why we shouldn't read much into his poor form this summer. Tomic believes he has the game to hurt anyone on this surface and he's being mentored by former champion Pat Rafter over the next fortnight.  

Grigor Dimitrov: While Tomic and Harrison have grabbed all the headlines this year, the 'so-called' baby Federer has slunk up the rankings under the ranking and he's currently at a career high of 52. While he may be progressing fast, Dimitrov has not yet had the big results to suggest he can hit the higher echelons of the game though he came close to pushing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to five sets at Wimbledon. His draw is far from ideal, he starts against seventh seed Gael Monfils but if you're going to get the Frenchman, it's best to face him earlyon.  

Jack Sock: Sock's name and abundant talent marked him out as one to watch at last year's junior event and he didn't disappoint, going all the way. Still just 18, his exploits earned him another main draw wildcard this time round, and although he's the lowest ranked competitor in the draw by some way at 553, he showed he can compete at this level last year, pushing Switzerland's Marco Chiudinelli to four sets in round one. He's got a chance to make even more of an impact this time as he starts against veteran Marc Gicquel who's spent most of the summer competing on clay. A probably second round clash with Andy Roddick is the reward for the winner.