The Australian Open singles draw ceremony was held on Friday in Melbourne. Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are in the top half, while Rafael Nadal is in the same quarter as Stan Wawrinka.
Djokovic faces teenage sensation Hyeon Chung of Korea in the first round but should ultimately coast into the second week. The five-set champion Down Under is on course for a fourth-round showdown with Ivo Karlovic and a possible quarterfinal date with either Kei Nishikori or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Prior to a highly-anticipated semifinal clash against Djokovic, Federer would have to navigate a difficult path. The 34-year-old Swiss could run into Alexandr Dolgopolov in round two, Grigor Dimitrov in the last 32, and either Dominic Thiem or David Goffin for a spot in the quarters. Also in the second section of the draw are Tomas Berdych, Marin Cilic, and Nick Kyrgios.
Nadal will open with a rematch one of the best matches ever played–at the Australian Open and perhaps anywhere. The Spaniard is set to face countryman Fernando Verdasco, whom he outlasted in an epic 2009 five-set semifinal en route to his first Australian Open title. The 14-time major champion could face Jeremy Chardy in the third round and either Kevin Anderson or Gael Monfils in the last 16.
Andy Murray is expected to advance from an intriguing final quarter of the bracket, but it is far from a guarantee. Entertainment in this section should be in store for the Melbourne faithful from start to finish. Murray could be challenged by the likes of David Ferrer, John Isner, and Bernard Tomic. Contesting the last tournament of his career, Lleyton Hewitt will kick off his campaign against fellow Aussie James Duckworth.
Link to draw on the official Australian Open website.
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RT Carole Bouchard (Journalist): “AO men and women’s top half to play on Monday.”
agree with points made by lucky that stan has the best chance of beating nole so i would have preferred if he was on the other side of the draw. also, fed is a better bet for rafa…stan is stanimal now and he plays very well at the AO – if his game is on then he can beat anyone. don’t think fed will get through his loaded quarter anyway….
although i am rooting for rafa…i have to say that a nole-stan final could be awesome given their history here. if it does come to pass then nole will not be relaxed or as confident as he has been at other events…(also big ghosts of RG will be at the back of his mind….)
Amy, that’s a far fetched reason for not wanting Rafa to make the final if I ever heard one.
what are you talking about??!! i said i was rooting for rafa BUT if he couldn’t get through that would be a great final.
if you want to twist my words that’s entirely up to you..but it’s not what i said, nor can it reasonably be construed otherwise.
Lucky, Rafa is 5:0 against Karlovic one of them at the AO and I still can’t say 100% that Karlovic can’t beat Rafa. In fact, Rafa is 17:1 against Karlovic, Isner and Raonic and I still don’t want any of them in his draw on any surface best of 5 or not.
It could be what you meant but it’s not what you said:
amy JANUARY 15, 2016 AT 10:48 AM
“although i am rooting for rafa…i have to say that a nole-stan final could be awesome given their history here. if it does come to pass then nole will not be relaxed or as confident as he has been at other events…(also big ghosts of RG will be at the back of his mind….)”
There is no unwritten law to support Rafa, everyone is free to wish for the final they want.
Actually that IS what she said (and meant).
Congratulations!
the draw was so generous to Rafa! I hope he will know how to make use of it!
I certainly expect Rafa to make it to the finals…if he is focused and trustful of his own game and abilities he sure will! For me the best finals is only when Rafa is in it! it will be that way as long as Rafa is on the tour…
Vamos!
+1
You must have missed the last 18 months.
I am guilty as charged…did not watch live any of the finals this year (only reruns)… 🙂 I am only sorry that I did not watch the whole RG final…I thought it was given for Nole to win it and started watching when it got really interesting…
of course, meant LAST (2015) year…
FO final was probably the most interesting of the year.
Honourable mention goes to USO final.
someone on Twitter said Nadal had a tough draw. Hahahaha.
Ricky, AT 2:58 PM
Also, the staff of the Australian Open:
https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/687841257196945408
Now that is laughable!
BTW, young guns (Kyrgios, Thiem, Goffin, Coric) were so unlucky to land in Fed’s part of the draw…they stand no chance against Fed…they all lose their matches already in the locker room when Fed is concerned…too much respect accompanied with fear of the “old fox”..Dimi and Dolgo place no threat to Fed either in a BO5…Cilic had trouble beating Hewitt the other day so he does not seem to be consistent enough…
so I would say Fed is set for the semis were Novak will be waiting…and then who knows…Fed has the intelligent strategic game which could trouble Novak…and with Ljubicic on board anything is possible 🙂
+1.
fed hasn’t beaten nole in a slam since wimby 2012 and AO is scarcely his best surface while nole has been virtually unbeatable here. i would be astonished if he beat nole. (i was hoping that nole got stan, who definitely does have a shot and rafa got fed)
also fed had that shock loss to seppi last year…wouldn’t be exactly astonished to see that happening again and his going out before the semis..
amy,
I agree with you. If Fed couldn’t beat Novak at Wimbledon or the USO, then he’s not going to get him at what has been his most successful slam.
I am also with you in thinking that Fed might not get through, although after that shocking loss to Seppi in the second round I would think he will be determined to get a better result.
These young guns don’t have any pressure. They can come out blasting and just go for their shots. Krygios, Thiem, Goffin and Coric can come out without any nerves and go for it. These young guys are hungry to get a win against one of the top players.
I will say that it’s a whole other thing to beat Fed or any of the top players in a slam. That’s why they have dominated for so long, with the lone exceptions being Cilic at the 2014 USO and Delpo at the 2009 USO.
If nole trips up at any slam, fed has done himself well to capitalize just like he did FO 2009, Wimbly 09, AO 10, Wimbly 12.
#WhenTheCatsAway…
#DoYou????
Hahahaha. Yes, yes, when the cat’s away indeedy. Might explain why Roger beat Djokovic in his best years while Nadal was getting hammered. With a whole generation gap no less. Nadal fans-,peaking at tennis ignorance since 2008. Never seen a fanbase that hands so many hypothetical majors to their boy. Despite him having never defended a title off clay no less. And struggling routinely on a remotely quick surface.
Remind me of Fed’s record against Rafa in slams since Rafa turned a mere 22 and Fed’s record against Nole in slams since Nole turned a mere 24 and get back to me.
Typical well practised federazzi revisionism at its finest.
The ignorance is all yours My fan.
Hahaha Roger was already 30 when Djokovic turned 24 with a 1000 matches in his legs. Like I said, tennis ignorance on full display. I guess giving Nadal hypothetical handouts helps you sleep better at night. And your fan? Nope. The band of your free running BS? Yep.
Hahaha Roger was already 30 when Djokovic turned 24 with a 1000 matches in his legs. Like I said, tennis ignorance on full display. I guess giving Nadal hypothetical handouts helps you sleep better at night. And your fan? Nope. The bane of your free running BS? Yep.
Fed’s wins over Nole and Rafa were before prime time.
Doesn’t change the fact that Fed could never beat Rafole in a slam when they were in their prime whereas both of them beat Fed in slams when he was in hie prime. Rafa did so on all surfaces.
hawks,
Well that’s the only scenario in which Fed would win. Rafa too, as a matter of fact. If for some reason Novak doesn’t get through, then things open up considerably.
hawks,
Oh and thanks for going after the revisionist history of Fed fans. It really does get under their skins when the subject of Rafa comes up!
I can understand why! 🙂
No. It amuses me when Nadal fans start handing out free majors and pity parties to El Martir the Perpetually Injured. Otherwise I couldn’t care less. I’ve enjoyed their matches when Roger was still in his prime regardless of the result.
Quote please where I did that.
Well kyrgios….
Fedfan,
The tone of your reply and especially your reference to El Martir, would indicate otherwise.
Why would I be respectful if someone alludes that Fed could not have won WIMBLEDON if X or Y hadn’t happened to Nadal? Nothing in Nadal’s record, even in his prime shows he’s a dead cert. for the Final. He’s struggled in week 1 practically every year barring 2008. At some point it was bound to catch up. And more importantly Fed is by far the best player on grass since 2003. And grass is probably the hardest surface to dominate due to the quick turnaround to Wimbledon and the the level of footwork required to handle the slipperiness of the court in the first week.
when did Cilic play Hewitt and what does that have anything to do with anything?
World Tennis Challenge 2016
ATP Stars, Adelaide, Australia
Lleyton Hewitt vs Marin Cilic 6:7 7:6 and Hewitt was up a mini break in the third set but ended up losing it 8:6…
I know it was just and exhibition type of match but still…I watched it and Cilic at times looked subdued and lost playing the Australian veteran…he certainly does not like such style of play where he is forced to engage in long rallies..
who won
Ricky(AT 5:07 PM),
natashao2013 wrote:”Hewitt was up a mini break in the third set but ended up losing it 8:6…”
I think, the other guy won. 🙂
No.
^^^And the correct Final Jeorpardy question is…
“What fedfans say repeatedly over and over when Fed plays Rafole?”