World number one Rafa Nadal has dismissed Dusan Lajovic 7-6 (6) 6-2 6-2 to ease into the US Open second round, setting the Spaniard on a collision course for a long overdue Flushing Meadows showdown with Roger Federer.

While the year’s final grand slam is just underway tennis fans have circled September 8 when, if all goes to form, Nadal and Federer would meet to decide a place in the final.

One of the great rivalries in sport, Federer, a five-times US Open winner and Nadal, twice champion, have clashed 37 times over the years but never have they stood across the net on Flushing Meadows’ hardcourts.

Dusan Lajovic of Serbia serves to Rafael Nadal of Spain in Ashe Stadium on day two at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Photo: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports/ via Reuters)

On French Open clay, Wimbledon’s manicured lawns and in Australian heat, the elegant Swiss maestro and muscular Spaniard have played for titles and while no trophy would be on the line a New York meeting would still have the Big Apple buzzing.

Federer will follow Nadal on to Arthur Ashe Stadium later today looking to hold up his end when he takes on American Frances Tiafoe.

After a sluggish run-up to the US Open that included a shock round of 16 loss to Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov in Montreal and another to Australian Nick Kyrgios in the Cincinnati quarter-finals, Nadal needed a few games to find his range against the 85th-ranked Serb.

New York, USA; A general view of the roof closed due to rain during the match between Rafael Nadal of Spain and Dusan Lajovic of Serbia in Ashe Stadium on day two at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Photo: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports/ via Reuters)

The 21-year-old, chasing a first US Open win, showed no sign of nerves, using his stylish groundstrokes to grab the early break on the way to 4-2 lead, the four games as many as he won in his only other meeting with Nadal, a round of 16 loss at the 2014 French Open.

But a steely Nadal found his comfort zone, breaking back at 5-5 to force the opener to a tiebreak that he took 8-6.

A ruthless Nadal delivered the young Serb another tennis lesson, breaking his opponent at the first opportunity in both the second and third sets to improve his record in first round US Open matches to 13-0.

Reuters