Australian Open Draw

Kind draw for Djokovic sees main rivals Nadal, Murray, Del Potro and Federer selected in the opposite half of the draw.

Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus ahead of the Australian Open [AFP]

World number one Rafa Nadal will battle the bad boy of Australian tennis Bernard Tomic and a partisan crowd in the first round at Melbourne Park as he bids for a 14th grand slam title.

The Spaniard dumped a teenaged Tomic from the 2011 tournament but will be wary of the former Wimbledon quarter-finalist who raises his game in front of home fans and has returned to form by making the semi-finals in this week’s
Sydney International warmup.

Second seed Djokovic has been drawn in the much kinder lower half of the draw and will face Slovakia’s 90th-ranked Lukas Lacko first up.

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has been given no favours as he battles back from a back injury that put paid to the latter half of his 2013 season, drawn in the same quarter as 17-times grand slam champion Roger Federer.

The women’s draw elicited further groans for local fans, with world number one Serena Williams drawing rising Australian talent Ashleigh Barty in the first round as the American bids for her 18th grand slam title and sixth at Melbourne Park.

Williams’s draw lines her up for a potentially challenging fourth-round clash with Australia’s Sam Stosur, who beat her in
the final of the U.S. Open in 2011.

Double defending champion Victoria Azarenka, seeded second, will take on Swede Johanna Larsson with the prospect of a fourth round match against rising American Sloane Stephens, seeded 13th.

Third seed Maria Sharapova kicks off her bid for a fifth grand slam title against colourful American Bethanie
Mattek-Sands.

Fourth seed Li Na, runner-up at Melbourne Park last year, will play a qualifier ahead of a possible quarter-final clash
with former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.

 

Australian Open 2014 Men’s Singles Championship

NADAL, Rafael ESP [1] v TOMIC, Bernard AUS

KOKKINAKIS, Thanasi AUS (W) v SIJSLING, Igor NED

KAMKE, Tobias GER v SOCK, Jack USA

MONFILS, Gael FRA [25] v HARRISON, Ryan USA. 

SEPPI, Andreas ITA [24] v HEWITT, Lleyton AUS

HAASE, Robin NED v YOUNG, Donald USA

POUILLE, Lucas FRA (W) v Qualifier (Q)

NISHIKORI, Kei JPN [16] v MATOSEVIC, Marinko AUS. 

RAONIC, Milos CAN [11] v GIMENO-TRAVER, Daniel ESP

HANESCU, Victor ROU v Qualifier (Q)

LU, Yen-Hsun TPE v Qualifier (Q)

DIMITROV, Grigor BUL [22] v KLAHN, Bradley USA 

PAIRE, Benoit FRA [27] v Qualifier (Q)

KYRGIOS, Nick AUS (W) v BECKER, Benjamin GER

BAUTISTA AGUT, Roberto ESP v SMYCZEK, Tim USA

DEL POTRO, Juan Martin ARG [5] v Qualifier (Q) 

MURRAY, Andy GBR [4] v SOEDA, Go JPN

Qualifier (Q) v Qualifier (Q)

LLODRA, Michael FRA v Qualifier (Q)

LOPEZ, Feliciano ESP [26] v DEVVARMAN, Somdev IND

KOHLSCHREIBER, Philipp GER [21] v BEDENE, Aljaz SLO

PRZYSIEZNY, Michal POL v ZEBALLOS, Horacio ARG

DELBONIS, Federico ARG v Qualifier (Q)

ISNER, John USA [13] v Qualifier (Q) 

TSONGA, Jo-Wilfried FRA [10] v VOLANDRI, Filippo ITA

REISTER, Julian GER v Qualifier (Q)

CILIC, Marin CRO v GRANOLLERS, Marcel ESP

SIMON, Gilles FRA [18] v BRANDS, Daniel GER 

VERDASCO, Fernando ESP [31] v Qualifier (Q)

GABASHVILI, Teymuraz RUS v STAKHOVSKY, Sergiy UKR

STEPANEK, Radek CZE v KAVCIC, Blaz SLO

FEDERER, Roger SUI [6] v DUCKWORTH, James AUS (W)

BERDYCH, Tomas CZE [7] v NEDOVYESOV, Aleksandr KAZ

WU, Di CHN (W) v DE SCHEPPER, Kenny FRA

HAJEK, Jan CZE v Qualifier (Q)

DODIG, Ivan CRO [32] v KARLOVIC, Ivo CRO

ANDERSON, Kevin RSA [19] v VESELY, Jiri CZE

SOUSA, Joao POR v Qualifier (Q)

BERLOCQ, Carlos ARG v ROGER-VASSELIN, Edouard FRA

HAAS, Tommy GER [12] v GARCIA-LOPEZ, Guillermo ESP

YOUZHNY, Mikhail RUS [14] v STRUFF, Jan-Lennard GER

MAYER, Florian GER v Qualifier (Q)

RAMOS, Albert ESP v ANDUJAR, Pablo ESP

JANOWICZ, Jerzy POL [20] v THOMPSON, Jordan AUS (W) 

CHARDY, Jeremy FRA [29] v HUTA GALUNG, Jesse NED

DOLGOPOLOV, Alexandr UKR v Qualifier (Q)

JOHNSON, Steve USA (W) v MANNARINO, Adrian FRA

FERRER, David ESP [3] v GONZALEZ, Alejandro COL 

WAWRINKA, Stanislas SUI [8] v GOLUBEV, Andrey KAZ

FALLA, Alejandro COL v KUKUSHKIN, Mikhail KAZ

MAHUT, Nicolas FRA v EBDEN, Matthew AUS

POSPISIL, Vasek CAN [28] v GROTH, Samuel AUS (W)

ROBREDO, Tommy ESP [17] v ROSOL, Lukas CZE

CARRENO BUSTA, Pablo ESP v BENNETEAU, Julien FRA

DAVYDENKO, Nikolay RUS v KUBOT, Lukasz POL

GASQUET, Richard FRA [9] v Qualifier (Q)

FOGNINI, Fabio ITA [15] v BOGOMOLOV JR., Alex RUS

SELA, Dudi ISR v NIEMINEN, Jarkko FIN

GIRALDO, Santiago COL v QUERREY, Sam USA

GULBIS, Ernests LAT [23] v MONACO, Juan ARG

TURSUNOV, Dmitry RUS [30] v RUSSELL, Michael USA

BAGHDATIS, Marcos CYP v ISTOMIN, Denis UZB

MAYER, Leonardo ARG v MONTANES, Albert ESP

DJOKOVIC, Novak SRB [2] v LACKO, Lukas SVK

Australian Open 2014 Women’s Singles Championship

WILLIAMS, Serena USA [1] v BARTY, Ashleigh AUS (W)

DOLONC, Vesna SRB v ARRUABARRENA, Lara ESP

PARMENTIER, Pauline FRA (W) v PLISKOVA, Karolina CZE

HANTUCHOVA, Daniela SVK [31] v Qualifier (Q) 

STOSUR, Samantha AUS [17] v ZAKOPALOVA, Klara CZE

PIRONKOVA, Tsvetana BUL v SOLER-ESPINOSA, Silvia ESP

BECK, Annika GER v MARTIC, Petra CRO

IVANOVIC, Ana SRB [14] v BERTENS, Kiki NED

VINCI, Roberta ITA [12] v ZHENG, Jie CHN

MAYR-ACHLEITNER, Patricia AUT v KEYS, Madison USA

DELLACQUA, Casey AUS (W) v ZVONAREVA, Vera RUS

FLIPKENS, Kirsten BEL [18] v ROBSON, Laura GBR 

BOUCHARD, Eugenie CAN [30] v TANG, Hao Chen CHN (W)

VAN UYTVANCK, Alison BEL v RAZZANO, Virginie FRA

VICKERY, Sachia USA (W) v DAVIS, Lauren USA

ERRANI, Sara ITA [7] v GOERGES, Julia GER

LI, Na CHN [4] v Qualifier (Q)

DATE-KRUMM, Kimiko JPN v Qualifier (Q)

VEKIC, Donna CRO v Qualifier (Q)

SAFAROVA, Lucie CZE [26] v GLUSHKO, Julia ISR

MAKAROVA, Ekaterina RUS [22] v WILLIAMS, Venus USA

MEDINA GARRIGUES, Anabel ESP v Qualifier (Q)

PEER, Shahar ISR v NICULESCU, Monica ROU

LISICKI, Sabine GER [15] v LUCIC-BARONI, Mirjana CRO

KERBER, Angelique GER [9] v GAJDOSOVA, Jarmila AUS (W)

GARCIA, Caroline FRA v Qualifier (Q)

PFIZENMAIER, Dinah GER v WICKMAYER, Yanina BEL

VESNINA, Elena RUS [23] v RISKE, Alison USA

PENNETTA, Flavia ITA [28] v CADANTU, Alexandra ROU

PUIG, Monica PUR v Qualifier (Q)

ZHANG, Shuai CHN v BARTHEL, Mona GER

KVITOVA, Petra CZE [6] v KUMKHUM, Luksika THA

JANKOVIC, Jelena SRB [8] v DOI, Misaki JPN

KICHENOK, Nadiya UKR v MORITA, Ayumi JPN

NARA, Kurumi JPN v PENG, Shuai CHN

RYBARIKOVA, Magdalena SVK [32] v PETKOVIC, Andrea GER 

CIRSTEA, Sorana ROU [21] v ERAKOVIC, Marina NZL

JOVANOVSKI, Bojana SRB v Qualifier (Q)

TSURENKO, Lesia UKR v LEPCHENKO, Varvara USA

HALEP, Simona ROU [11] v Qualifier (Q)  

SUAREZ NAVARRO, Carla ESP [16]  v KING, Vania USA

VOSKOBOEVA, Galina KAZ v Qualifier (Q)

MLADENOVIC, Kristina FRA v VOEGELE, Stefanie SUI 

CIBULKOVA, Dominika SVK [20] v SCHIAVONE, Francesca ITA

CORNET, Alize FRA [25] v HERCOG, Polona SLO

GIORGI, Camila ITA v SANDERS, Storm AUS (W)

ORMAECHEA, Paula ARG v KNAPP, Karin ITA

SHARAPOVA, Maria RUS [3] v MATTEK-SANDS, Bethanie USA 

RADWANSKA, Agnieszka POL [5] v PUTINTSEVA, Yulia KAZ

GOVORTSOVA, Olga BLR v Qualifier (Q)

MINELLA, Mandy LUX v Qualifier (Q)

PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia RUS [29] v PEREIRA, Teliana BRA 

KANEPI, Kaia EST [24] v MUGURUZA, Garbine ESP

BABOS, Timea HUN v SCHMIEDLOVA, Anna SVK

MCHALE, Christina USA v CHAN, Yung-Jan TPE

 WOZNIACKI, Caroline DEN [10] v DOMINGUEZ LINO, Lourdes ESP

STEPHENS, Sloane USA [13] v SHVEDOVA, Yaroslava KAZ

MAJERIC, Tadeja SLO v TOMLJANOVIC, Ajla CRO

ROGOWSKA, Olivia AUS (W) v DUQUE-MARINO, Mariana COL

KUZNETSOVA, Svetlana RUS [19] v SVITOLINA, Elina UKR

HAMPTON, Jamie USA [27] v CEPELOVA, Jana SVK

SCHEEPERS, Chanelle RSA v MEUSBURGER, Yvonne AUT

HSIEH, Su-Wei TPE v ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA, Barbora CZE

Victoria BLR [2] v LARSSON, Johanna SWE v AZARENKA

Source: Reuters