Few people can argue with Novak Djokovic’s opening remarks at the Australian Open draw on Friday – “everybody loves Melbourne” the world No.1 said with a big smile on his face as he posed with the Norman Brookes trophy alongside the tournament’s other defending champion Serena Williams.
The Australian Open is dubbed the “Happy Slam” for a reason as it continues to be the players’ favourite stop of the year.
Standing at the entrance of Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park in cool and breezy weather that is rather uncharacteristic for an Australian summer, Djokovic and Williams were back on familiar ground as title holders of a grand slam.
Between them, the two world No.1s own 11 Australian Open crowns and twice last year they grabbed titles at the same slams – in Melbourne and Wimbledon – and their pose with the trophies together is becoming a common sight.
Djokovic practicing with Verdasco on Margaret Court Arena #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/n4ItO9WFhj
— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) January 15, 2016At the Wimbledon Champions’ Ball last year, they revived the winners’ dance, a long-time tradition that had been dormant for many years and Djokovic and Williams are hoping they share the dance floor again this year with further history at the All England Club.
“That was the highlight,” Djokovic said laughing referring to their dance last year.
“She was phenomenal, I don’t know what I was doing. I just kneeled down and pretended to know how to dance. But she did great. It’s still called a Champions’ Ball so you kind of expect to relive that memory and that kind of tradition (the dance). It was nice, because it was lost for some time and I hope – well at least from what I’ve heard from people from Wimbledon that they’ll keep that tradition going now, hopefully we’ll have another dance this year.”
But well before Wimbledon, the pair will be chasing history in the upcoming fortnight in Melbourne where Djokovic targets Roy Emerson’s all-time record of six Australian Open titles while Williams has her eyes set on Steffi Graf’s Open Era record of 22 grand slams.
Williams enters the tournament with some question marks surrounding her fitness having withdrawn from the Hopman Cup two weeks ago with a lingering knee problem.
Rafa, Toni & Francis #TeamNadal pic.twitter.com/gM6bmix8yA
— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) January 15, 2016But the American top seed declared herself fit ahead of the Australian Open, which starts on Monday, and says she’s ready to go for a record-extending seventh trophy Down Under.
“Everything’s actually really well, I’m feeling really good. I’m excited about it. I’ve been training every day for so long and I’m okay, I’m ready now. It feels good,” said the 34-year-old.
And considering the draw Williams was handed, she will definitely need every bit of health she can muster. In the first round, the No.1 seed will face Italian Camila Giorgi, who is the highest ranked unseeded player in the draw and one who has troubled many top guns in the past.
Williams’ potential path could see her square off with her good friend Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round, take on Maria Sharapova or Belinda Bencic in the quarter-finals, before a possible semi with Agnieszka Radwanska or Petra Kvitova and a final against Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka or Garbine Muguruza.
Radwanska, seeded No.4, and sharing a quarter of the draw with Kvitova, could get a scorcher of a second round against former Melbourne semi-finalist Eugenie Bouchard while two-time champion Azarenka, seed 14, could meet third-seeded Muguruza in the fourth round.
Halep and Venus Williams could face-off in the quarters with their section also including ex-world No.1 Ana Ivanovic, last year’s semi-finalist Madison Keys and ninth-seeded Karolina Pliskova.
In the men’s side, tennis’ young generation will get an early taste of the big leagues as talented 19-year-old Chung Hyeon of South Korea plays Djokovic in the first round while big-hitting German teen Alexander Zverev opens against No.2 seed and four-time runner-up Andy Murray.
No.7 seed Kei Nishikori landed in Djokovic’s quarter of the draw with a mouth-watering last eight clash between them potentially on the cards while Roger Federer is a possible semi-final opponent for the world No.1.
Rafael Nadal, looking to become the first man in the Open Era to win each of the four majors at least twice, was handed a difficult opener against fellow Spanish lefty Fernando Verdasco. The pair produced one of the most memorable matches in Australian Open history when Nadal beat Verdasco in five sets in the 2009 semi-finals.
Nadal, seed No.5, could get 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka in the quarter-finals and the winner could face-off with Murray or David Ferrer in the semis.
Australia was thrown a curveball as Lleyton Hewitt, playing the final tournament of his career, drew fellow Aussie James Duckworth in the first round. Hewitt is making a record-extending 20th appearance at the Australian Open and will take on his country’s Davis Cup captaincy upon his retirement.
Should Hewitt get past Duckworth, he could face eighth-seeded Ferrer.
There are two seeded Aussies in the draw with Nick Kyrgios (No.29), who opens against Pablo Carreno Busta, landing in Tomas Berdych’s section and Federer’s quarter, while 16th-seeded Bernard Tomic is a potential dangerous fourth round opponent for Murray.
Federer has a possible daunting third round in his path against No.27 seed Grigor Dimitrov.
Men’s projected quarter-finals
Top half
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) v Kei Nishikori (JPN x7)
Roger Federer (SUI x3) v Tomas Berdych (CZE x6)
Bottom half
Stan Wawrinka (SUI x4) v Rafael Nadal (ESP x5)
Andy Murray (GBR x2) v David Ferrer (ESP x8)
Women’s projected quarter-finals
Top half
Serena Williams (USA x1) v Maria Sharapova (RUS x5)
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x4) v Petra Kvitova (CZE x6)
Bottom half
Garbine Muguruza (ESP x3) v Angelique Kerber (GER x7)
Simona Halep (ROU x2) v Venus Williams (USA x8)
Notable first rounds
Men’s singles
Rafael Nadal (ESP x5) v Fernando Verdasco (ESP)
Jeremy Chard (FRA x30) v Ernests Gulbis (LAT)
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v James Duckworth (AUS)
Andy Murray (GBR x2) v Alexander Zverev
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) v Chung Hyeon (KOR)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x9) v Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
Kei Nishikori (JPN x7) v Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)
Nick Kyrgios (AUS x29) v Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP)
Women’s singles
Serena Williams (USA x1) v Camila Giorgi (ITA)
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x16) v Yulia Putintseva (KAZ)
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA x28) v Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
