MELBOURNE, Australia – As three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic held the Australian Open trophy in a photo shoot before Friday’s draw, he joked that having his fingerprints on it may in some way help him win the title for a fourth consecutive year.
The draw certainly didn’t dent Djokovic’s chances, with top-seeded Rafael Nadal, No. 4 Andy Murray, No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro and No. 6 Roger Federer all stacked in the opposite half.
Djokovic’s new coach, six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker, attended the draw and duly noted: “It’s a loaded half; that’s for sure.”
On the women’s side, top-ranked Serena Williams will open against Australian teenager Ashleigh Barty and has 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur, the only seeded Aussie in the women’s draw, and two-time finalist Li Na in her half.
Two-time defending Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova are in the opposite half, meaning they only could meet Williams in the final.
The top half of the men’s draw was the talking point, starting with Nadal’s first-round match against Aussie Bernard Tomic.
“I think that’ll be a night match, for sure,” Becker said in jest. “But a tough, tricky one for both players. Tomic will certainly have the home support.”
Nadal missed last year’s Australian Open with a left knee injury during a seven-month absence from the tour. He returned to win 10 titles in 2013 and regain the No. 1 ranking, overhauling Djokovic in October.
Nadal also has No. 25 Gael Monfils, former No. 1-ranked Lleyton Hewitt, another Aussie, and 16th-seeded Kei Nishikori in his section.
Federer will open against Aussie wild-card entry James Duckworth, and Murray will play Go Soeda of Japan. Likely quarterfinals on that half would feature Nadal against del Potro and Federer against Murray.
Djokovic will face Lukas Lacko in the first round in the bottom half of the draw, which also contains No. 3 David Ferrer, No. 7 Tomas Berdych and No. 8 Stanislas Wawrinka.
In the bottom half of the women’s draw, Azarenka will play Johanna Larsson of Sweden in the first round, while Sharapova will play American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and could face former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic in the quarterfinals and Azarenka in the semis.
