Rafael Nadal will face a troublesome opening take a look at on the Australian Open towards British lefty Jack Draper, whereas Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios are in the identical quarter of the draw, it was revealed Thursday afternoon at Melbourne Park.
Defending champion Nadal will must be sharp from his first match towards Draper, a 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals competitor. The 21-year-old, who owns two Top 10 wins, has made a fast begin to his season. The World No. 40 will compete within the Adelaide International 2 semi-finals on Friday.
“It’ll be superb to play on courtroom with him, he’s a fantastic champion,” Draper said. “[There are] numerous feelings clearly after I consider taking part in him, however that’s one factor, I’ve nonetheless bought to go and play tomorrow and hopefully do nicely on this match first.
“Whatever occurs, it’ll be a special day for me, nonetheless very younger in my profession, so it’s nice to have these type of experiences and publicity to taking part in somebody like Rafa on a giant courtroom like that. But I wish to play rather well and I wish to compete onerous and do one of the best I can.”
If 22-time main winner Nadal navigates previous the British star, his path is not going to get simpler, with one in all two Americans — Mackenzie McDonald or reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Brandon Nakashima — ready within the second spherical.
Also within the Spaniard’s quarter is seventh seed Daniil Medvedev, which suggests a rematch of the 2022 Australian Open last between Nadal and Medvedev may very well be performed within the final eight. Sixteenth seed Frances Tiafoe, who upset Nadal finally yr’s US Open, is a possible fourth-round opponent for the lefty.
Medvedev, who has made back-to-back finals on the ‘Happy Slam’, will open towards American Marcos Giron and will play Adelaide International 1 finalist Sebastian Korda, the twenty ninth seed, within the third spherical.
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In the underside half of the draw, nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic and Australian Nick Kyrgios landed in the identical quarter. The Nineteenth-seeded Kyrgios may play ninth seed Holger Rune within the third spherical and fifth seed Andrey Rublev within the fourth spherical earlier than a quarter-final conflict towards Djokovic, who begins his pursuit of a record-tying twenty second main title towards Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena.
Rublev’s first-round conflict might be a blockbuster towards his shut buddy, former World No. 3 and 2020 Australian Open finalist Dominic Thiem. Thirteenth seed Matteo Berrettini will open towards former World No. 1 Andy Murray. Berrettini defeated Murray in 4 units at Flushing Meadows in 2022 and leads their ATP Head2Head sequence 3-1.
The winner will face residence favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis or Italian shotmaker Fabio Fognini.
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Second seed Casper Ruud, who superior to his first two main finals final season, will play Czech Tomas Machac within the first spherical, with eighth seed Taylor Fritz, twelfth seed Alexander Zverev, Berrettini, Murray and different harmful foes in his quarter.
Sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime performed one of the best tennis of his profession on the finish of 2022, and the Canadian will attempt to preserve that degree within the first spherical towards countryman Vasek Pospisil. The winner may play 2014 Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka within the second spherical.