World No1 Novak Djokovic and nine-time champion Rafael Nadal have fallen in the same quarter of the 2015 French Open draw and could clash in the quarter-finals.
– #Quiz360: WIN Vivitar Action Camera worth AED 700
Nadal, seeded No6 this year in Paris following the withdrawal of Milos Raonic, has defeated Djokovic all six times they have faced off at Roland Garros but they haven’t played each other earlier than the semi-finals here since 2006.
Djokovic, who is searching for a first French Open title in order to complete a career grand slam, opens his campaign against veteran Finnish lefty Jarkko Nieminen while Nadal gets 18-year-old French wildcard in the first round.
Third-seeded Andy Murray, who comes to Paris with a perfect 10-0 record on clay in the build-up, has landed in the same half as Djokovic and Nadal but might need to get past former runner-up David Ferrer in the quarter-finals before a potential semi against the Serb or the Spaniard.
2009 champion Roger Federer shares a half of the draw with fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych, fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori and eighth-seeded Stan Wawrinka.
Federer, who has a qualifier in the first round, and Wawrinka, who opens against Turkey’s Marsel Ilhan, could face off in the quarters while Nishikori and Berdych could have a last-eight date.
Talented young Aussies Thanasi Kokkinakis, Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios are all in the top half of the draw with the former two on a collision course for a second round encounter.
Kyrgios, seeded at a major for the first time in his career, could face Murray in the third round.
Tunisian Malek Jaziri, the only Arab in the draw, has a first round against Russian Andrey Kuznetsov.
On the women’s side, a mammoth third round looms for top-seeded Serena Williams in the form of former world No1 Victoria Azarenka.
Williams could face world No5 Caroline Wozniacki in the last eight while Madrid champion Petra Kvitova and last year’s semi-finalist Eugenie Bouchard lie in the same half and could clash in the quarters.
Bouchard has a tricky opener against home favourite Kristina Mladenovic, who upset Li Na in the first round last year.
The bottom half of the ladies’ draw has defending champion Maria Sharapova and Spanish No8 seeded Carla Suarez Navarro – whom she just beat in the Rome final a week ago – share the same quarter, with 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic and last year’s runner-up Simona Halep posing as potential semi-final opponents for the Russian.
Projected quarter-finals:
Men
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) v Rafael Nadal (ESP x6)
Andy Murray (GBR x3) v David Ferrer (ESP x7)
Roger Federer (SUI x2) v Stan Wawrinka (SUI x8)
Tomas Berdych (CZE x4) v Kei Nishikori (JPN x5)
Women
Serena Williams (USA x1) v Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x5)
Petra Kvitova (CZE x4) v Eugenie Bouchard (CAN x6)
Maria Sharavapova (RUS x2) v Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x8)
Simona Halep (ROU x3) v Ana Ivanovic (SRB x7)
First rounds to watch
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x10) v Jack Sock (USA)
Borna Coric (CRO) v Sam Querrey (USA)
Nicolas Almagro (ESP) v Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)
Venus Williams (USA x15) v Sloane Stephens (USA)
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN x6) v Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)
