For several reasons, this year's Australian Open should be a much different experience for Andy Murray than the 2016 edition. The most obvious reason is the number next to Murray's name: 1. Murray, playing in his 12th Australian Open, is the top seed at a Grand Slam for the first time. The Scot ascended to No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings last season at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris in November. Closer to home, Murray should have a more peaceful stay in Melbourne this January. Twelve months ago, his wife, Kim Sears, was pregnant and could have gone into labour at any point during the tournament. She gave birth to their daughter, Sophia Olivia, a week after Murray...
Roger Federer’s return to tournament play at the Australian Open has fans buzzing about potential matches against the world’s top players, but the four-time champion said he can't look that far ahead when he doesn't know who he will play first. The No. 17 seed opens up against a qualifier and is guaranteed to play another qualifier in the second round should he advance. Having not played a competitive match since Wimbledon, Federer said he can’t afford to take any of his opponents lightly. “It would be good to know who I play. Once it's out, it's a good thing because then you can start actually mentally preparing for the Australian Open,” said Federer. “Is it a lefty, a righty?...
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...
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...
Four-time former champion Roger Federer could run into a Top 16 seed early at the Australian Open, having been listed outside the Top 10 seeds for the first time since the 2002 US Open (No. 13 seed). The Swiss superstar, who has won 17 Grand Slam championship titles, has been named as the No. 17 seed. Pete Sampras was No. 17 seed when he won his 14th and final major at the 2002 US Open. World No. 1 Andy Murray will attempt to go one better than his five runner-up finishes, while No. 2-ranked Novak Djokovic is bidding to capture a record-breaking seventh Australian Open crown. Rafael Nadal, the 2009 titlist, is the ninth seed. The 2017 Australian Open draw...