Men’s Draw: Nadal V Draper Gets Australian Open Underway With Bang

Defending champion Rafael Nadal has avoided landing in the same half of the draw as nine-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic.

But the top seed will have his work cut out from the get-go against an in-form 21-year-old fellow southpaw as he bids to navigate a route to a possible third Norman Brookes Challenge Cup at Melbourne Park.

The top seed Down Under for the first time in three years, Nadal’s bid to successfully defend an Australian Open crown for the first time begins in earnest against rising Briton Jack Draper.

If there was ever a round to draw the 36-year-old it is arguably first up but 40th-ranked Draper – through to his second tour-level semifinal in Adelaide – knows better than to assume his opponent is underdone, despite having fallen in both United Cup singles lead-up matches for Spain.

Should Nadal progress to the second week he could run into recent United Cup champion and US Open conqueror from last year, 16th seed Frances Tiafoe, with the man he vanquished from two sets down in last year’s final, seventh seed Daniil Medvedev a projected quarterfinal foe.

Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas remains the last person to defeat Nadal at Melbourne Park, having done so in the quarterfinals two years ago.

The Greek could meet the top seed in the semifinals should he emerge from a section that includes a potential fourth round against 15th seed Jannik Sinner and a possible quarterfinal against sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Nine-time champion Djokovic hailed his title run in Adelaide as the perfect tune-up for his Australian Open return as he continued his pursuit to draw level with Nadal on 22 majors.

The Serbian fourth seed opens against Roberto Carballes Baena and could run into another Spaniard, 14th seed Pablo Carreno Busta, in the fourth round.

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Danish ninth seed Holger Rune is a name many have a close eye on after he sounded his intentions to win a major this year.

Should the 19-year-old reach his second Grand Slam quarterfinal after Paris last year, he could face Djokovic – the man he denied for last year’s Paris Masters title – in the quarterfinals.

Should the 35-year-old Djokovic push on to the semifinals, second-seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud or eighth-seeded American Taylor Fritz would be his projected seeded opponent.