Nick Kyrgios appears to be on a quarter-final collision course with nine-times champion Novak Djokovic after being introduced with an attractive Australian Open draw.
Kyrgios will play Russian world No.99 Roman Safiullin within the first spherical, whereas fellow house seed Alex de Minaur will begin in opposition to a qualifier and will additionally run into Djokovic.
If he wins his opener, Kyrgios is for certain to face a Frenchman subsequent – both veteran Richard Gasquet or Ugo Humbert in a reprise of his epic third-round win over the gifted teenager at Melbourne Park two years in the past.
Which dangerman Kyrgios might strike within the third spherical was probably the most compelling query to be answered at Thursday’s draw.
Seeded nineteenth, Kyrgios is assured to keep away from a top-eight rival till a minimum of the second week – if he makes it that far.
But doubtlessly standing between Australia’s chief title hope and a spot within the final 16 had been a batch of thrilling kids and among the heaviest hitters in tennis.
He landed in the identical part as 19-year-old Holger Rune, the Scandinavian sensation who has simply gatecrashed the world’s prime 10 after a breakout 2022 highlighted by a run to the French Open quarter-finals.
If it’s not Rune, Kyrgios might face a testing third-round encounter with artful American serve-volleyer Maxime Cressy.
It might have been a lot worse.
The lethal bracket of potential third-round opponents Kyrgios might have struck included Alexander Zverev, Matteo Berrettini, Jannik Sinner, Pablo Carreno Busta, Hubert Hurkacz, Cameron Norrie and Frances Tiafoe.
But a yr after arriving at Melbourne Park ranked a hundred and fifteenth on this planet and questioning the place his future within the sport lay, Kyrgios will fancy his probabilities of a minimum of making it by means of to the final 16 for a fourth time.
“Well, I am one of the best players in the world,” the re-energised title drive mentioned on Thursday.
“So I’m definitely gonna go into the Australian Open, any tournament, with confidence.”
Kyrgios is slated for a possible assembly with fifth seed Andrey Rublev within the spherical of 16.
If the Australian equals his career-best Open run to the quarter-finals from 2015, eight lengthy years in the past, Djokovic is more likely to be mendacity in wait.
Norwegian second seed Casper Ruud is the highest-ranked participant in Kyrgios’s backside half of the draw.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal heads up the highest half of the draw and looms as a doubtlessly dream closing opponent for Kyrgios and Open officers.
After toppling Nadal on the United Cup, in addition to 2022 Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev in Paris in November, de Minaur harbours his personal Open title dream.
Should he survive his starter as anticipated, de Minaur will play both power-serving American veteran John Isner or awkward French southpaw Adrian Mannarino.
The twenty second seed might meet Carreno Busta in spherical three and Djokovic within the final 16.
It’s a doubtlessly pot-holed highway to the second week for de Minaur – however not half as treacherous because the one Aussie girls’s No.1 Ajla Tomljanovic might encounter.
After lacking the seeded safety by two awful rankings spots, Tomljanovic’s path to a 3rd consecutive grand slam quarter-final – following deep forays at Wimbledon and the US Open final yr – is riddled with risks.
After beginning in opposition to world No.192 Nadia Podoroska, Tomljanovic might play 2020 Open champion Sofia Kenin or twin winner Victoria Azarenka in spherical two, then final yr’s semi-finalist and tenth seed Madison Keys or world No.6 Maria Sakkari within the final 16.
WHO THE AUSSIES PLAY IN AUSTRALIAN OPEN FIRST ROUND (PREFIX DENOTES SEEDING):
Men’s singles
19-Nick Kyrgios v Roman Safiullin (RUS)
22-Alex de Minaur v Qualifier
Chris O’Connell v Jenson Brooksby (USA)
Jordan Thompson v J.J. Wolf (USA)
Thanasi Kokkinakis v Fabio Fognini (ITA)
Jason Kubler v Sebastian Baez (ARG)
John Millman v Marc-Andrea Huesler (SUI)
Alexei Popyrin v Chun-Hsin Tseng (TPE)
Rinky Hijikata v Qualifier
Women’s singles
Ajla Tomljanovic v Nadia Podoroska (ARG)
Jaimee Fourlis v Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE)
Storm Hunter v Wang Xinyu (CHN)
Talia Gibson v Qualifier
Olivia Gadecki v Qualifier
Kimberly Birrell v 31-Kaia Kanepi (EST)
