Carlos Alcaraz opens towards residence hope Adam Walton
Italy’s Jannik Sinner (C) holds the lads’s Australian Open singles trophy as he walks to the official draw ceremony. Picture: AFP
MELBOURNE:
Jannik Sinner was drawn on Thursday towards France’s Hugo Gaston to begin his Australian Open defence and is on a collision course to satisfy 10-time champion Novak Djokovic in a blockbuster semi-final.
World primary Carlos Alcaraz opens towards residence hope Adam Walton in his bid for a profession Grand Slam and first Melbourne Park title.
The Spanish celebrity is on the identical facet of the draw as final yr’s crushed finalist Alexander Zverev and is scheduled to satisfy him within the final 4.
Italy’s Sinner noticed off Germany’s Zverev in straight units in final yr’s remaining and went on so as to add the Wimbledon and ATP Finals crowns to his rising assortment.
If the 24-year-old makes it three in a row he would be a part of Djokovic as the one males within the Open period to take action.
The Serbian nice is aiming for a report twenty fifth main title and can meet 71st-ranked Spaniard Pedro Martinez first up.
“The draw could be very troublesome, it would not matter who you play,” mentioned Sinner on the draw ceremony.
“We’re the most effective gamers on the planet and the best way could be very, very lengthy and really far. We’ll go day-by-day.”
World quantity three Zverev faces big-serving Gabriel Diallo in spherical one whereas sixth seed Alex de Minaur has a tricky encounter towards former quantity six and 2022 semi-finalist Matteo Berrettini of Italy.
Within the girls’s draw, American defending champion Madison Keys will tackle Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova whereas world primary Aryna Sabalenka kicks off towards French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah.
Keys surprised then title-holder Sabalenka 12 months in the past in a traditional three-set remaining to win her first main title aged 29.
However she did not kick on from there, not successful one other event all yr, and Keys, the world quantity 9, can have a goal on her again as champion.
Sabalenka and world quantity three Coco Gauff are on the identical facet of the draw and can meet within the semi-finals in the event that they make it that far.
Gauff will get beneath method towards Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova and will meet veteran Venus Williams, handed a wildcard aged 45, within the second spherical.
Second seed and six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek will play a but to be decided qualifier in spherical one and will meet fourth seed Amanda Anisimova within the remaining 4.
Swiatek has received the French Open, US Open and Wimbledon however is but to go previous the semi-finals in Melbourne
