2011 U.S. Open Tennis: USC Senior Steve Johnson Faces Bogomolov In First Round

Steve Johnson has been a part of three straight NCAA championship tennis teams with the USC Trojans, and looks to win a fourth as a senior in 2012. But before Johnson returns for his fourth season at USC, he will play in his first U.S. Open, which began on Monday in New York. Johnson gained a wild-card entry into the 2011 U.S. Open by winning the 2011 NCAA Men's Singles title in his junior season.

Johnson, who went to Orange High School, will face off with Alex Bogomolov Jr. in the first round of the U.S. Open. The winner of that match will likely face No. 6 seed Robin Soderling in the second round. Soderling has reached the quarterfinals in each of the last two U.S. Opens. Because he is returning to USC for his senior season, Johnson is playing this U.S. Open as an amateur.

Johnson's former doubles teammate at USC, Robert Farah, also qualified for the U.S. Open, and will battle Nicolas Mahut in the first round. However, even if Farah manages to get past Mahut, a potential second-round match looms with Rafael Nadal.

To keep up with the schedule and draw in New York, be sure to read SB Nation's U.S. Open coverage. For more news and information on USC Trojans tennis (and other sports), check in with Conquest Chronicles.