Watson drawn against 21st seed Halep

HEATHER WATSON will face a seed in the first round of the US Open next week.

The British No. 2 has been drawn against Simona Halep, the 21st seed from Romania, in the third quarter of the women's singles draw in New York.

Twenty-one-year-old Halep, the world No. 23, is ranked 54 places above Watson and has three singles titles in her career to date.

She has reached the second round of the US Open for the last two years, whereas Watson is still looking for her first main draw victory at Flushing Meadows, where she won the US Girls' Open in 2009.

Should Watson make it through her tough opener, she will face either Donna Vekic, the world No. 65 from Croatia, or Mariana Duque-Marino, the Colombian ranked 100th, in the second round.