Djokovic, Federer on opposite sides of Australian Open draw

Djokovic starts at the top of the draw and will open against a qualifier. Things could get much tougher quickly, with a potential second-round meeting against wild-card entry Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who he beat in the 2008 Australian final, and with Canada’s Denis Shapovalov in the same section.

Eighth-seeded Kei Nishikori, who opened the season with a title in Brisbane, is a potential quarterfinal rival and No. 4 Alexander Zverev looms as a semifinal opponent if both players advance that far.

The 25th-seeded Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., will open against 82nd-ranked Spaniard Pablo Andujar.

One of the most intriguing men’s first-round matches features 16th-seeded Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., a 2016 Wimbledon finalist, against mercurial Australian Nick Kyrgios, who is unseeded after his ranking slid from No. 13 into the 50s, but has tour-level wins over Federer, Nadal and Djokovic to his credit.

Federer, who has won the last two at Melbourne Park in a career resurgence, is in the bottom half of the draw with second-ranked Rafael Nadal, who is returning from an injury layoff.

Aiming for a 21st Grand Slam trophy and a 100th career singles title, Federer will open against Denis Istomin. And with No. 6 Marin Cilic in the same quarter, there’s potential for a rematch of the 2018 final a few rounds early.

“I’m so close, I’ll give it a go,” Federer said. “If I made 100 at the Australian I’d take it, I’d gladly accept it — and I’ll give it all I have.”

But, he noted before heading out to practice after attending the tournament draw with his trophy, “the moment you find out the draw, that’s when you shift your focus to the first round and only the first round.”

Cilic was drawn into the same section as five-time finalist Andy Murray, who is coming back from a long-term hip injury and is set to open against No. 22-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut.

Murray won only two games in an incomplete practice match with Djokovic at Melbourne Park, showing signs he’s still not fully fit after spending most of the last 18 months off the tour. Murray played at the season-opening Brisbane International last week, where he won his first-round match against James Duckworth but lost in straight sets to Daniil Medvedev in the second, limping between points and admitting he’s still dealing with his troublesome right hip.

Williams will open against Tatjana Maria and could meet Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard in the second round. Bouchard, from Westmount, Que., will take on Chinese wild-card entry Peng Shuai in a battle of unseeded players.

Halep has drawn another first-round against Kaia Kanepi, who beat her at the same stage at last year’s U.S. Open, and a possible third rounder against unseeded Venus Williams.

Caroline Wozniacki, who won her first Grand Slam title in Melbourne last year after a tough final against Halep, is in the same section as Maria Sharapova and has Petra Kvitova at the top of her quarter.

“The first time I came back here and hit on the courts, I thought, ‘OK, I’m home,’” the third-seeded Wozniacki said of her return to Melbourne Park. “I feel like these courts are suited for me, so it’s incredible to be back. I’m just enjoying every minute of it.”

Second-seeded Angelique Kerber, who won the Australian and U.S. Opens in 2016 and added the Wimbledon title last year, is in the same half as Wozniacki and has 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens in her quarter.

Peter Polansky of Thornhill, Ont., and Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., were both a win away from reaching the main draw after earning second-round qualification round victories Thursday.

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With files from The Canadian Press.

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More AP Tennis: https://www.apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

John Pye, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Djokovic, Federer on opposite sides of Australian Open draw

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