Cabrera draws Maia in opener
TOWNSVILLE junior Lizette Cabrera will look to turn the tables on Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia when they face off in the first round of the Australian Open.
Maia soundly beat the 20- yearold 6- 3 6- 2 in just 68 minutes in their opening round clash at the Hobart International last Sunday.
Cabrera was awarded a wildcard into the Australian Open draw last week and the world No. 152 will chase her first win on Australian soil this summer when she faces off with world No. 71 Maia.
Fellow young Aussie talent Destanee Aiava has been shunted into a daunting first- round Australian Open clash with world No. 1 Simona Halep.
Aiava’s appointment with Halep was among several leaked on social media before they were confirmed during the official draw broadcast.
Aiava, Matt Ebden, Jason Kubler, Alex De Minaur and Ajla Tomljanovic are among a cluster of Australian underdogs to be pitted into battle with seeded opponents.
Ebden drew US 16th seed John Isner, wildcard Kubler takes on Spanish 10th seed Pablo Carreno Busta and De Minaur will tackle Wimbledon runner- up Tomas Berdych.
Ajla Tomljanovic meets 29th seed Lucie Safarova, while Sam Stosur has a tough start against 2016 Rio gold medallist Monica Puig.
Ashleigh Barty has lobbed in a difficult section, starting with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka.
Daria Gavrilova will begin against a qualifier.
If Aiava stuns Halep, she would earn a shot at Eugenie Bouchard or France’s Oceane Dodin.
Nick Kyrgios has a notionally simpler path. He will play world No. 100 Rogerio Dutra- Silva in what ought to be an untroubled opener.
Queenslander John Millman faces Croat Borna Coric, while Thanasi Kokkinakis plays gifted Russian Daniil Medvedev and Alex Bolt plays Serb Viktor Troicki.
Defending champion Roger Federer opens against Slovenian Aljaz Bedene while six- time winner Novak Djokovic plays American Donald Young.
Federer, who shared an epic final last season with Rafael Nadal, said his form in the fifth set of that match was possibly the best of his career.
But he insists it is premature to contemplate a repeat clash with the Spaniard.
“Possibly, but this time we’re a long way away in the draw,” he said.
“So he’s ( number) one, I’m ( number) two so that means we have six matches to play ( to meet in the final).
“So I don’t think both of us are thinking that far ahead.”
Djokovic says Federer is deserved favourite.
“Roger, obviously, with the year he had is the favourite,” he said.
“Nadal, he’s No. 1 in the world and made the finals last year – I don’t think I would be ahead of him.
“Obviously I’ve had great results here in the past but I’ll take it more modestly and see how it goes.”
Nadal opens against Victor Estrella- Burgos, of the Dominican Republic.