Defending champions Serena and Djokovic pose with their trophies ahead of the Australian Open, which is scheduled to begin on January 18. PHOTO: AFP
The 10-time Grand Slam champion from Serbia could face Japan’s seventh seed Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals, while Switzerland’s 17-time major winner Federer is set to meet Czech Tomas Berdych in the second quarter-final of the top half of the men’s draw.
Top seed Djokovic, who wore down Andy Murray to win last year’s Australian final, won three Grand Slam titles among 11 tournament victories in a sensational 2015 season, and a win-loss record of 82-6.
He will play South Korean Hyeon Chung in the opening round.
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British second seed Murray is drawn to meet Spanish terrier David Ferrer in a quarter-final in the bottom half of the men’s draw.
The Scot will take on Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the opening round, while eighth seed Ferrer could face Lleyton Hewitt in the second round in the Australian great’s 20th consecutive and farewell home Grand Slam before his retirement.
Murray could have a showdown with top-ranked Australian youngster Bernard Tomic in the fourth round.
Rafael Nadal faces a potential rematch of his losing 2014 final against Swiss fourth seed Stan Wawrinka in the other quarter-final in the bottom half of the draw.
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Wawrinka is projected to face big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic in the fourth round, while Nadal could take on South African Kevin Anderson in the last-16.
Women’s draws
World number one and top seed Serena Williams faces a potential quarter-final with great rival Maria Sharapova at next week’s Australian Open following Friday’s draw.
Serena, who is chasing her seventh Australian crown and 22nd Grand Slam title after beating Sharapova in last year’s final, will have a testing start against Italian Camila Giorgi, the highest ranked non-seeded player in the women’s draw.
The American, who also won Wimbledon and the French Open in a glittering 2015 season, has been troubled by a knee injury but said at the draw that she was in good shape for the year’s opening major.
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Romanian second seed Simona Halep, who faces a qualifier first up, is drawn to meet Serena’s elder sister Venus Williams in the quarters in the bottom half of the draw.
Poland’s fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska has a potential last-eight clash with Czech sixth seed and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
Two-time former winner Victoria Azarenka could face Spanish third seed Garbine Muguruza in the fourth round, while German seventh seed Angelique Kerber is drawn to meet Muguruza or Azarenka in the third quarter-final.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 16th, 2016.
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