NEW YORK -- Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson and 15th-seeded Guillermo Canas withdrew from the U.S. Open on Thursday, citing injuries.

Johansson, seeded 12th in the year's final Grand Slam tournament, has a right shoulder injury that might require surgery. Canas has a stress fracture in his wrist.

The two highest-ranked players who were unseeded, Greg Rusedski of Britain and Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, were moved into the draw slots assigned to Johansson and Canas. A coin flip determined who went where.

Rusedski, the 1997 U.S. Open runner-up and owner of the fastest serve in ATP Tour history (149 mph), replaces Canas and will play American wild-card entry Alex Kim in the first round. Rusedski could face Pete Sampras in the third round.

Rusedski's original placing had him slated to face defending champion and top-ranked Lleyton Hewitt in the second round.

Nieminen, the 1999 boys' U.S. Open champion, takes Johansson's slot in the top half of the draw, facing Fernando Vicente of Spain in the first round, and potentially Hewitt in the quarterfinals.

Because of the withdrawals, two ``lucky losers'' -- players who lose in the qualifying tournament -- will get into the Open's main draw.

The U.S. Open starts Monday.

Johansson, twice a U.S. Open quarterfinalist, was hurt during the Masters Series tournament in Toronto. After losing a second-round match at his next event, he pulled out of a tournament in Indianapolis and returned home to Sweden for rehabilitation.

Canas won the Toronto tournament, beating Andy Roddick in the final.