Two rounds down at the US Open and the men’s draw is already a wreck. And it could have been a lot worse had Mikhail Youzhny not pulled up lame yesterday.

Still, somehow, we are on track for a Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer semifinal, though I don’t think that happens – more on that in a bit.

In the bottom half, which is on today, get two darts and throw it at the …

What to think of the not-so-sharp Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal amidst a decimated men’s field at this year’s US Open?

In second-round play on Thursday the top-seeded Nadal dropped the first set against unheralded Japanese Taro Daniel 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Federer took it one step further, needing five sets to put down an injured Mikhail Youzhny 6-1, 6-7(3), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

“[My back is] better than the first round, so …

You’d think with 8-9 players in contention for the No. 1 spot on the WTA rankings, you’d see some dynamite match-ups at the US Open, eh?

Think again.

The choke-fest continued among the No. 1 contenders on Thursday at the US Open, but this time with some Houdini-like escapes.

World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova was down a set and a few games from defeat until breaking unseeded American Nicole Gibbs and eventually triumphing …

After having been favored to make the US Open final once Andy Murray withdrew, Alexander Zverev fell flat Wednesday losing to fellow 20-year-old Borna Coric in four sets 36, 75, 76(1), 76(4).

Zverev, who had won 10 of 11 matches over the summer, was just 1/11 on break points and hit 58 unforced errors to 43 winners.

“It’s upsetting,” Zverev said. “Today was upsetting. The way I played was upsetting. The tournament …

Denis Shapovalov isn’t shying away from the spotlight. The 18-year-old lit up Montreal earlier this month beating Rafael Nadal en route to the semifinals at his home event.

But now he’s under the bright lights and the big city of New York, and in the biggest tennis stadium in the world against a top player in Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the teen didn’t flinch in a straight set win last night.

“I was going …

Nick Kyrgios finished his 2017 Grand Slam campaign much like the way it began, with another disappointing loss. Kyrgios, who lost second round at the Australian and French and first round at Wimbledon, lost yesterday in four sets to countryman John Millman in the opening round at the US Open.

Kyrgios had just made the Cincinnati finals where he beat Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer. But with a bad shoulder yesterday, …

Despite a back injury and a shaky opening 5-set win over Frances Tiafoe, Roger Federer opted to avoid a packed Wednesday schedule at the US Open and instead show up unannounced for a practice session on the public courts at Central Park!

Imagine Lebron James showing up at your local basketball court, Lionel Messi coming by for a pick-up soccer game at the park or Taylor Swift appearing at Karaoke night …

Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal played on Wednesday at the US Open, but there was still tennis to be had — and upsets galore.

On a day where Tuesday rain made for a giant Wednesday schedule, No. 4 Alexander Zverev fell to Borna Coric 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(1), 7-6(4), and No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was beaten by streaking Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(3).

“I just played very, very bad in the second …

Another day, another player in the race for No. 1 knocked early out of the US Open.

On Wednesday it was No. 5 seed Caroline Wozniacki jettisoned from Flushing Meadows, stunned by Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-1.

Makarova broke down in tears on court while losing the second-set tiebreak, but then took an extended bathroom break to compose herself before running through the third set.

Top 10-seeded players avoiding the upset bug …

What makes the Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal such a great rivalry, is that they have different views on many things including the noise inside US Open’s Arthur Ashe Stadium which was closed yesterday because of rains.

Nadal, who beat Dusan Lajovic in his second match under the roof, says playing in an enclosed Ashe is too noisy!

“Being honest, is a little bit too much,” Nadal said. “I don’t know how to control …

Roger Federer shrugged off a slow start by turning it up on 19-year-old Frances Tiafoe, hanging on in the fifth set.

There were extra eyes on Federer Tuesday night because it was the Swiss’s first match since injuring his back at the Canadian Open final. After, Federer admitted that he was cautious with his movement.

“I’m very happy that I’m feeling as good as I’m feeling right now,” Federer said in press. …

Only two men’s matches were completed amidst the rains on Tuesday at the US Open — perhaps the two most important where fans are concerned, as No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal and No. 3 Roger Federer moved into the second round.

Nadal was a straight-set winner over Serb Dusan Lajovic 7-6(6), 6-2, 6-2.

“At the beginning of the match, he played well. I didn’t,” said Nadal, who saw Lajovic serve for the …

Another pretender to the No. 1 crown fell on Tuesday in a rain-shortened day when No. 6 seed Angie Kerber, last year’s winner and No. 1 year-end player, was routed in her opening match at the US Open by Japan’s Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-1.

“Moving forward, I feel like I know that I can play with the top players now, so I don’t have to be as nervous as I was …

Americans had mixed results on the opening day at the US Open as No. 10 seed John Isner topped France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, but No. 13 Jack Sock was upset by Aussie Jordan Thompson in a five-set marathon 6-2, 7-6(12), 1-6, 5-7, 6-4.

“I certainly like it,” said Isner of the cooler conditions to begin the tournament. “Only changed shirts out there one time. I’m a big sweater. …

The No. 1 ranking on the line makes players do a lot of weird things — chokey things, as we saw from Simona Halep when she had a chance to take No. 1 for the first time prior to the US Open.

An amazing eight players entered the US Open with a chance to exit after two weeks with the No. 1 ranking. One of those players was No. 7 seed …