Djokovic fears Nadal and Fed in Melbourne

The sight of a rejuvenated Federer, probably the greatest offensive player tennis has seen, taking on Djokovic, the most outstanding defender the game has had, in the opening Grand Slam, is enticing.

The Australian Open, the first grand slam of the 2018 season, starts Monday with everyone wondering if Roger Federer can repeat his remarkable victory 12 months ago.

“So this phase now, the last eight years have just been the best”.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.Julian Finney/Getty Images.

Whenever the subject of equal pay arises in the sport, critics often point to the fact that the men play best-of-five during the majors as one reason they should walk away with more prize money. I’ll sleep, eat and train and not do too much.

Kyrgios would likely have to make it past former Australian Open runner-up and 15th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, provided the Frenchman avenges a US Open defeat to fast-surging 18-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov in round two. And when you see the finish line, you don’t slow down. “I don’t normally like going to draws as they freak me out”, Federer, 36, said.

“He slashed a few shots and got his belief back, I guess, and he started serving unbelievable”.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Stanislas Wawrinka, seeded ninth in Melbourne, will take on unseeded Richard Berankis in the first round.

BC-TEN-Australian Open-Draw, 2nd Ld-Writethru, 632 Federer, Djokovic drawn in same half for Australian OpenAP Photo MEL111, MEL113, MEL116Eds: Edits 5th paragraph to fix typos in Goffin and Querrey. The Dane will also look to improve upon her record of semi finals in 2011 and win her first ever Grand Slam title.

China’s Zhang Shuai was not as lucky, drawing 2017 US Open Champ Sloane Stephens as she attempts to recreate the success of 2016 when she made the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

Australian hopes will rest largely on the shoulders of 17th seed Nick Kyrgios, who won the Brisbane International on Sunday but has struggled with his temperament and openly admitted to lacking dedication in recent years.

‘On the women’s side I would say Serena Williams but as she’s not playing I think there is no clear favourite’. At the Melbourne Park, that trend might continue in 2018.

For women’s singles event, Caroline Wozniacki is seeded second Garbine Muguruza followed by Elina Svitolina, Venus Williams, Karolina Pliskova, Jelena Ostapenko, Caroline Garcia, Johanna Konta, CoCo Vandeweghe.

Court, a Pentecostal pastor, has strong views on homosexuality. But what a pleasure to be here on Margaret Court Arena.

The order of play for day one should be known on Friday. But you do not name a building after her.

She hasn’t regained fitness yet though and won’t be able to play.

The Australian Open is the ideal way to kick-start a new tennis season – unlike all the other Majors which have their fair share of warm-up events, the “Happy Slam” throws everyone into the mix right from the word go.