Abu Dhabi return puts Brisbane in question
BRISBANE International target Novak Djokovic has chosen to start his Australian open build-up at a rich Abu Dhabi exhibition in late December.
Djokovic, who has rested his injured elbow since July, said last month he would start his 2018 season in Australia, but evidently was thinking of ATP tournaments in making that statement.
Brisbane International organisers hope their tournament, from December 31-January 7, is still in the running to be his first tour event.
The prospective Brisbane top seed, Rafael Nadal, is also playing the Abu Dhabi exhibition from December 28-30, so there is no reason Djokovic could not also play in both.
Djokovic is seventh in the rankings and still likely for a top-four seeding at the Queensland Tennis Centre, getting him a first-round bye and a start as late as January 4.
Brisbane tournament director Geoff Quinlan yesterday declined to comment on the chances of Djokovic joining Nadal and world No.3 Andy Murray in the field.
“The line-up (in Abu Dhabi) is very strong and it will be the perfect way to make my comeback,” Djokovic said.
“The whole thing about my tennis and what happened to me is more complex than a single word, although that (the elbow) was the biggest problem, I could not train like I wanted, could not play with full intensity.”
Murray, who has agreed to return to Brisbane after a fiveyear absence, resumed hitting last weekend, two months after he called off his 2017 season because of hip pain.
“The ball was still coming out of the middle,” he said.