It is the first round match-up of the Australian Open that brings one word to everyone’s minds: popcorn. Six-time champion Novak Djokovic will begin his title defence against the player he battled to save five match points against just last week in Doha. Fernando Verdasco pushed the World No. 2 to the limit in their semi-final at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, but the Serbian dug his heels in to win the match. The next day, he claimed the title with a win over World No. 1 Andy Murray, avenging his loss at the ATP Finals last November in London. Second-seeded Djokovic was handed a tricky opener against the veteran Spaniard, and he knows it. “I just see it as a...
#NextGenATP stars Noah Rubin and Andrey Rublev are one step away from the main draw of the Australian Open, with both players recording second-round qualifying victories in a rain-filled Day 3 of qualifying on Friday. Only 16 matches were completed. Rubin once again came through in a deciding set to take out No. 32 seed Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. The American reached the second round last year in Melbourne through a reciprocal main draw wild card, but looks to qualify for a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. The 20-year-old will now compete for a spot in the main draw against No. 11 seed Evgeny Donsky of Russia, who scored a hard-fought 7-6(3),...
Andy Murray could have a tricky path to becoming the last man standing in Melbourne, while Novak Djokovic has an equally treacherous road in pursuit of a seventh Australian Open crown. Top seed Murray opens up his quest for his first Australian Open title against Illya Marchenko, with the Brit winning their lone meeting at the 2011 edition of this tournament. Looking ahead, Murray could face No. 16 seed Lucas Pouille in the fourth round and either No. 5 seed Kei Nishikori or No. 17 seed Roger Federer in the quarter-finals. Second seed Djokovic was given a very tricky first-round against veteran Fernando Verdasco. The Serbian leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 9-4, including a third-round victory in the 2015...