Djokovic gets tough draw as Verdasco waits
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DEFENDING champion Novak Djokovic will launch his bid for a record seventh Australian Open title with a mouth-watering first-round match against Fernando Verdasco.
Spaniard Verdasco knocked out compatriot and 14-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal in the opening round last year at Melbourne Park and had five match points against Djokovic in their recent clash at the Qatar Open.
Should Djokovic advance, the world No. 2 could face a resurgent Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round. The Bulgarian won the Brisbane International last week and is in ominous form.
Andy Murray, who swiped the top ranking from Djokovic late last year, is unlikely to feel much sympathy for his long-time rival’s tough first week.
The Briton suffered his fourth defeat, and fifth in Australia overall, to 12-time grand slam champion Djokovic in last year’s Melbourne Park final.
Murray holds the top seed and the advantage this year, however. The Scot faces 93rd-ranked Ukrainian Illya Marchenko in his opener, who he beat comfortably in the second round of the 2011 tournament, their sole Tour encounter.
From there, three-time grand slam winner Murray enjoys a relatively smooth run to the quarters where fifth seed Kei Nishikori or Roger Federer may await.
Federer, seeded 17th after the longest injury layoff of his near-20 year career, eases back in to grand slam action against a qualifier.
Three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, faces a challenging first-round clash with Slovak Martin Klizan, with a possible fourth round against tempestuous Australian talent Nick Kyrgios.
Nadal, the 2009 champion and seeded ninth this year, plays German journeyman Florian Mayer first up as the 30-year-old seeks to revive his career after a barren two years at the majors.
In the women’s tournament, Serena Williams has been dealt a perilous first clash against Swiss talent Belinda Bencic as the American bids for a record 23rd grand slam title in the professional era.
Champion Angelique Kerber, who stunned Williams in the final last year, will play 61st-ranked Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko as she seeks to shrug off some indifferent form in the lead-up.
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