The Australian Open draw was revealed on Friday afternoon at Melbourne Park. A brutal top half features Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Juan Martin Del Potro, and Roger Federer. Nadal will open against Bernard Tomic.
No. 1 seeds are not immune to ghastly draws; if nothing else, the 2014 Australian Open men’s singles bracket proved as much.
Rafael Nadal headlines a loaded top half of the draw along with Andy Murray, Juan Martin Del Potro, and Roger Federer. As tough as that foursome looks, Nadal will have to focus on potentially taxing roadblocks long before he reaches the point of facing fellow Top 10 players. Up first for the top-ranked Spaniard is current Sydney semifinalist Bernard Tomic, who has reached at least the third round of three straight Aussie Opens and has never lost in the first round.
Nadal could face Gael Monfils during third-round action in what would be a rematch of the Doha title match, which Nadal won in three sets. Lleyton Hewitt has a seemingly nice path through to the second week before he would run into Nadal.
If seeds hold to form in the top half, far from a certainty given the startling lineup of contenders, quarterfinal showdowns would pit Nadal against Del Potro and Murray against Federer. Federer, however, could be in the line for another battle versus Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as early as the last 16. Murray may have to face John Isner at that stage.
Relatively speaking, the bottom half of the bracket is an inaugural Melbourne Challenger. Novak Djokovic’s only potential danger in his entire section–unless Ernests Gulbis is still to be taken seriously–is Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarterfinals. Djokovic and Wawrinka, of course, arguably played the match of the year in the 2013 Australian Open fourth round (won by the Serb 12-10 in the fifth set). In the third quarter, familiar foes David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych are on a collision course for the last eight.
full draw here – http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/scores/draws/ms/index.html
Fed’s out?
Of what?
Future slam titles.
@littlefoot, your ruminations on Becker and his clout with the ITF, if true, would give a plausible reason to Djoker’s hiring of him because this Head Coach thing just does not make sense.
#DoingTheRatSmellings
I know, RITB. I never thought, it made sense. And Becker doesn’t have much of a moral standing anymore. But the German newspapers are full of glee, how the draw benefits Becker, and as an afterthought, Djokovic. In another article in my Sunday newspaper (which is a VERY respectable one), they tell about manipulative crimes in connection with the International sports scene, and how much big money is involved. They don’t make a connection to this draw, but they do point it out in the tennis report as being EXTREMELY unlucky for Nadal.
I really wish, I could get this thought out of my head now 🙂
There was not supposed to be a smiley in my above post, but the opposite 🙁
so @holdserve’s “fix” ruminations are not crazy talk after all………..
What a world we live in. Anyhoo, I honestly believe the cream always rises to the top, good wins over evil, the good guy gets the girl!
I hope Benito is drip feeding Rafa all these draw conspiracy theories to fire Rafa up and channel his “frustrations” on the yellow fuzzy ball!
Vamos Rafa!
Really hope so, RITB, and thanks for not putting me in the ‘Little Green Men’ corner. But in connection with Becker, this scenario makes more sense.
Everybody, who doesn’t understand this exchange, please read my comment from 4:03.
And of course if Boris’s behind the scenes wheeling and dealing does not do the trick, the chocolates surely will…….
#beltsandsuspenders
#QED
Don’t worry, @littlefoot. Come 2 weeks we will be smiling.
Vamos!
Yes, one thing, they can’t do: Make Rafa play badly. But, if one starts to have the dirty thoughts, one cannot help but feel, that whoever is behind this (it could be still the draw gods, of course) tried his best to make it as difficult as possible for Rafa, including the scheduling.
That is what I am choosing to concentrate on @littlefoot, Rafa’s play. So, here’s hoping our boy brings his A game! From that, the results will flow.
What is he going to hand out next, dollar bills?
Ricky, did you get some? He’s probably trying to clear the gluten products out of his cupboard. Apparently, the journos didn’t take too kindly to the gesture.
nope. I’ll ask for some in Indian Wells or Miami.
Well Ricky, just please do not ask or beg for them, worse still, do not go on all fours to pick up any which may fall on the floor in the scrum like what some of your brethren did in Melbourne. Let Djoko come and hand them to you:
“For the past two years, Novak Djokovic has ended his last press conference of the year by giving out chocolates to the assembled scribes. Gluten-free ones, of course. He has decided to extend the tradition to the first press conference of the year, too, handing out two boxes after his first press conference in Melbourne. Let’s gloss over the fact that some of the press (or photographers) were so eager to get their hands on one that quite a few of them ended up on the floor.”
http://www.thetennisspace.com/oddballs-and-oddities-70/
Please spare Tenngrand the ignominy……………….
hahahahahahahaha
Novak has handed out chocolates on a number of occasions, and he usually does so in person, going around the room with the box. I think it’s a nice gesture. It gives him a chance to interact with the journalists on a light hearted basis. I’m sure I’m in the minority here, but I like Novak a lot. I just don’t like him to beat Rafa but I don’t ever want anyone to beat Rafa and most of the matches between Novak and Rafa usually have me reaching for the Tums.
Jpacnw,
I appreciate your sentiments. It’s nice to get a different point of view. I actually don’t like a lot of things about Djoker. But I don’t have a problem if he wants to hand out chocolates. If he is trying to get people to like him or be popular, I don’t have a problem with that.
Sometimes it’s nice to just take things at face value without trying to read more into it.
Oh and I never, ever want Djoker to beat Rafa! Their matches give me heart palpitations!
Not good for my blood pressure at all! 🙂
@Jpacnw
I like him too! U r not alone.
That article is ambiguous, to say the least, but doesn’t it mean that the chocolates ended up on the floor?
@deucy, that was my reading as well, hence my playful exhortation to Ricky not to go down on all fours to pick up chocolates on the floor!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GiVlBT4kNI
A hilarious video. Gotta give it to Andy to make it on the show 2 days after the Wim 2012 heartbreak
He was actually in the audience after he lost Wimbles. Very brave but got a terrific ovation. Dara obviously likes him a lot and Hugh Dennis is also a huge fan.
Nole didn’t hand any out in Abu Dhabi. It’s not that I don’t like Nole, I don’t know him, but I don’t like his attention seeking attitude and beating Rafa any time doesn’t help.