Nadal, Djokovic Favourites at Australian Open: Federer

The 36-year-old is bidding for a record 20th Grand Slam title and is in form and fit, unlike the Spaniard and the Serb who enter the tournament under injury clouds.

He added that it was “just great to be back”.

Ostapenko impressed UAE fans in December with her ability to find winners from all angles during her win over Serena Williams at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. As I’ve said before, just when you think you have it figured out, you don’t! I get to see familiar faces again at all these events because I’ve made so many friends over the course of my career.

Top-ranked Rafael Nadal and defending champion Roger Federer have been seeded first and second for the Australian Open, meaning they can only play each other at Melbourne Park this month if they set up a rematch of last year’s final.

The Serb hasn’t played a competitive match for more than six months and it would be a tall order, to say the least, for him to turn up and win the tournament – although that was said about Federer previous year.

“So let’s see. There’s not much more I can do”.

Djokovic had contested 51 consecutive Grand Slams until he missed last year’s U.S. Open during his rehabilitation.

“Having no expectations was so nice after all these years always having expectations, like now this year again”.

Perennial favourite Roger Federer will begin his campaign on Tuesday, as will Australia’s highest-ranked woman Ashleigh Barty.

The American who had an upsurge late last season retired from a match at the Hopman Cup with an injured hip, but returned two days later when he lost to Roger Federer.

Sections of the Melbourne Park crowd jeered him as he suffered a meltdown to lose to Andreas Seppi in five sets in the second round past year.

“I’ll play on whatever court I’m scheduled on”, Stosur said.

In backing up his magical Open triumph with an eighth Wimbledon title, Federer’ achieved a two-slam year for the first time since 2009, and also collected Masters 1000 trophies in Miami and Indian Wells to storm back into the world’s top two. Meanwhile, Serena Williams decided not to participate in the first Grand Slam tournament of 2018 after giving birth in September. His progress has marked him out as the most likely of the current crop of youngsters to translate his talent into major titles. Thiem isn’t really the best hard court player while Zverev has yet to make it past the fourth round of a major.

Even at 36 years of age, Federer is still at the peak of his powers, taking out two Grand Slams in 2017. At my age, I see the finish line.

“Is the first time I am here without playing official match”, Nadal said. Michael Steele, Getty Images Federer loses to Nadal in Rome in 2006, 6-7 (0), 7-6 (5), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (5). I lost to Raonic in Wimbledon. After four hours and twenty-eight minutes of battle, Mats Wilander defeated Cash in five sets, after trailing the Australian by two-sets-to-one. Dimitrov hopes that 2018 will be yet another season in which he can hit the milestones that he has long expected of himself, but insists that he doesn’t want to change too much in the season ahead.

But I played plenty of tournaments in my career without Toni (present).

Goffin ended 2017 with victory over Nadal and Federer at the World Tour Finals in London the week before nearly single-handedly carrying his country to Davis Cup glory. In fact, even with a bum knee I think he could get through. “Right after I finished the match, I watched it the following day”, said Dimitrov of his epic Melbourne encounter with Nadal. “But I think that goes with the business”.

“I’ve done really everything in my power, with a team of people around me, to enable me to be right here in front of you guys, and to compete in Australian Open”. “Hopefully we can get there”.