New York, NY, USA, 3 September 2015 | tennis.com.au

Lleyton Hewitt and Bernard Tomic will face off in an all-Australian battle on Grandstand at the US Open on Thursday.

The other Australian in action is No.22 seed Sam Stosur, who takes on Russian Evgeniya Rodina in the first match of the day on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

> view the complete Day 4 order of play

The duel between champion veteran (Hewitt) and talented youngster (Tomic) is the first of its kind – despite being long-time practice partners and tour mates, Hewitt and Tomic have never before met in a professional match.

“Yeah, just awkward,” Hewitt said when asked to consider the match-up.

“That’s the only thing to summarise that. I get along great with Bernie. Helped him out a lot. Hit with him this week. Yeah, just awkward.

“Bernie and I have got a really good relationship. He trusts me a lot.

“I don’t like playing any of the Aussies. I had to play Kokkinakis last year in Brisbane. I played Grothy in Brisbane this year. I had to play JP Smith only a couple of weeks ago (in Washington DC).

“For me, in the position that I’m in now, trying to help these guys especially with Davis Cup and the rest of it, yeah, it’s tough.”

Despite surrendering a wealth of experience and titles to the 2001 US Open champion Hewitt, Tomic comes into the match in better form.

Hewitt, a wildcard, has won just four singles matches in 2015, while Tomic is the 24th seed enjoying a career-best season on tour.

“It is not going to be easy for me. I look up to him a lot. He is a legend to me, to a lot of people around the world and it is a shame that maybe, in the next month or so, he might stop,” Tomic said.

“But it is an opportunity. I have never played him and it could be fun … It is an opportunity for me to make my first third round in the US Open.

“It was almost a sign for us to never play, that is how I saw it, with the draws and stuff, but we have to play once. Win or lose, we have to have fun, go for it. He has nothing to lose. He is going to be going for it, so for me, it is going to be more tough.

“Our records in practice are probably about 60 per cent that he has won sets and 40 per cent that I have. I don’t like playing him and he doesn’t like playing me because sometimes I do really well against him.

“I just have to go out there and use the moment and have fun. I am sure he will do the same.”

Aussies in action on Day 4

Men’s singles – second round

[24] Bernard Tomic v [WC] Lleyton Hewitt – Grandstand, fourth match

Women’s singles – second round

[22] Sam Stosur v Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) – Louis Armstrong Stadium, first match