Tennis: Djokovic opens title bid against Mathieu
Djokovic kicks off his title defence with a first round tie against unseeded Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu.
MELBOURNE:
World number one Novak Djokovic’s bid for a third successive Australian Open title has been given a boost with a relatively smooth draw in the first grand slam of the season.
Djokovic kicks off his title defence with a first round tie against unseeded Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in the draw and faces no major hurdles until a potentially dangerous quarter-final against fifth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych.
“I think realistically, three can win,” said Australia’s former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash at the draw, referring to Djokovic, second-seed Roger Federer and third-seeded Andy Murray. “You’ve got to say Novak, you’d expect him to be the favourite, but Andy Murray is hitting his peak.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 12th, 2013.
World number one Novak Djokovic’s bid for a third successive Australian Open title has been given a boost with a relatively smooth draw in the first grand slam of the season.
Djokovic kicks off his title defence with a first round tie against unseeded Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in the draw and faces no major hurdles until a potentially dangerous quarter-final against fifth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych.
“I think realistically, three can win,” said Australia’s former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash at the draw, referring to Djokovic, second-seed Roger Federer and third-seeded Andy Murray. “You’ve got to say Novak, you’d expect him to be the favourite, but Andy Murray is hitting his peak.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 12th, 2013.