It’s Monday morning at 10:45 a.m. You’ve just entered the grounds of the USTA, er, Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, after stumbling off a cramped no. 7 train or parking your car in the only open spot you could find, somewhere back in Jackson Heights (walking does wonders for your circulation).You’ve waited in line and been accosted by cheerful young men and women from American Express. Your bags have been searched, your sneakers retied. Your sunscreen begins to melt. You consider spending $30 for a baseball cap with the U.S. Open logo emblazoned on it. No thanks.Time, at last, for some tennis.

Where do you go first? The schedule of play for the 2006 U.S. Open won’t be released until Sunday, but we’ll speculate and give you some options for your visit to the first round, to be held Monday through Wednesday.

MEN

DONALD YOUNG V. NOVAK DJOKOVIC (20): Long heralded as the future of American tennis, the 17-year-old Young comes up face to face with the present — a 19-year-old from Serbia whose ground strokes are something to behold.

SCOVILLE JENKINS V. JONAS BJORKMAN (29): The 19-year-old American Jenkins received his third, and perhaps final, wild card into the main draw. At age 34, Bjorkman is having a fine year, having reached the semifinals of Wimbledon.

FABRICE SANTORO V. FERNANDO VERDASCO (22): No early visit to the Open is complete without a glimpse of Santoro, the magician from France. He puts his two-handed strokes, deft sidespins, and behind-the-back volleys up against Verdasco, a free-swinging lefty from Spain.

IVAN LJUBICIC (3) V. FELICIANO LOPEZ: Two sluggers in an unusual early match, thanks to Lopez’s recent decline in the rankings. The left-handed Spaniard is deadly if he serves well.

RYAN SWEETING V. GUILLERMO CORIA: Coria, the former French Open finalist, has a losing record this year and can’t seem to serve since injuring his shoulder (watch for the double faults). A good opportunity for the wild card Sweeting, last year’s U.S. Open boys’ singles champ, to do some damage in the main draw.

SAM QUERREY V. PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER: The 18-year-old Querrey, the hard-serving, forehandsmashing, American prospect, has himself a very winnable match.

WOMEN

MARTINA HINGIS (8) V. PENG SHUAI: For this tough first-rounder, it might be worth venturing inside Arthur Ashe. Raw power versus the master of finesse.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA (17) V. BETHANIE MATTEK: Mattek riled up folks at the All England Club with her loud outfit. Her serve booms (and sometimes even lands inside the box). With Hantuchova’s nervous history, expect a wild match.

ALEXA GLATCH V. JARMILA GAJDOSOVA: Glatch, just 16, is the best America has to offer in the way of young female prospects. She takes on a 19-year-old from the Slovak Republic.

MARIA SHARAPOVA (3) V. MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Sharapova needs another major title, and she’s in excellent position to win this one. Perhaps not even her opponent’s older brother Richard could stop her.

CHANDA RUBIN V. NICOLE VAIDISOVA (9): Rubin returns from injuries and won’t last long against the 17-year-old slugger from the Czech Republic.

VANIA KING V. ALICIA MOLIK: The 17-year-old King is having a solid year. Molik has yet to find her form since missing months with an inner-ear virus.