The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsAndy Murray will play Alexander Zverev in his opening match at the Australian Open, as the Brit seeks his first title in Melbourne.
Murray, who reached the finals in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2015, recently defeated the teenager at the Hopman Cup but will be wary of the German, who is touted as a future star of the game.
However, should Murray progress through, opponents he could face include Sam Groth, Joao Souza, and Bernard Tomic, with a possible quarter-final tussle against David Ferrer. In the semi-finals, the Brit could be set for a showdown with fellow grand slam contenders Stan Wawrinka or Rafael Nadal, before a possible blockbuster final against Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic, who defeated Murray in the final last year, will open his bid against Hyeon Chung, with Andreas Seppi, Ivo Karlovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Kei Nishikori all lurking in his section of the draw.
Meanwhile Roger Federer, who could face Djokovic in a mouth-watering semi-final clash, will play Nikoloz Basilashvili in his opener, and the Swiss maestro could encounter Alexandr Dolgopolov, Grigor Dimitrov, and Marin Cilic before a potential last 16 meeting against Tomas Berdych.
Also, Rafael Nadal takes on fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in arguably the pick of the opening round matches, given that these two players produced a memorable five set contest in 2009. If the world number five should come through, he may need to navigate past dangerous opposition in the form of Ernests Gulbis, Gael Monfils and Kevin Anderson in order to book a potential quarterfinal against Stan Wawrinka.
Looking at the women’s side of the draw, Serena Williams opens the defence of her title against Camila Giorgi, but could face stiff tests in the later rounds by Caroline Wozniacki, Belinda Bencic and Sara Errani, with Maria Sharapova looming as a possible quarterfinal opponent. However, if the American world number one reaches the semi-finals, she could play Petra Kvitova or Agnieszka Radwanska before potentially meeting her sister Venus Williams, Simona Halep, or Garbine Muguruza in the final.
