Australian Open: Djokovic, Azarenka named top seeds

Serb bids to extend last year’s Melbourne Park supremacy.

MELBOURNE: World number one Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka were named the top seeds yesterday for next week’s Australian Open in Melbourne.

Defending champion Djokovic returns to the Melbourne Park seeking his third consecutive trophy there, where memories of last year’s gut-wrenching final against Rafa Nadal still linger around Rod Laver Arena’s blue centre court.

Last year’s record-breaking epic of five punishing hours and 53 minutes secured Djokovic his fifth grand slam title while establishing the 25-year-old as tennis’s indisputable iron man.

“I love the Australian Open. That court brings back the best memories of my career,” Djokovic, who won his maiden grand slam title at Melbourne Park in 2008, said at the Hopman Cup.

“Obviously I know I can work on a few more things and adjustments to get it to the best possible level. But I am where I aim to be, where I want to be in this moment.”

Roger Federer, who has a record 17 grand slam titles in 24 finals, is the second seed ahead of US Open champion Andy Murray and Spain’s David Ferrer.



Nadal will miss the year-opening grand slam as he is suffering from a stomach virus.

Sharapova not concerned about lack of practice

Meanwhile, world number two Maria Sharapova, who is seeded second for the event, has said she is not too concerned about lacking match practice ahead of the Australian Open, after pain in her collar bone caused her to skip the Brisbane event - the only tournament she had been scheduled to play before the Australian grand slam.

“It’s much more important for me to be healthy and to be ready than to try to go out and play a few matches,” said the 25-year-old after her withdrawal in Brisbane.

“I’ve always built my career around the fact that it’s very important for me to go into something like the Australian Open believing and knowing that I’m healthy, that I’m confident. I don’t exactly need to play five tournaments in order to feel that way.”

Five-time winner Serena Williams is seeded third followed by Poland’s Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2013.