Five who could deliver Down Under

Milos Raonic Stan Wawrinka

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic will be big favorites for the Australian Open when it opens in Melbourne on Monday. Here are five contenders who could challenge the world’s top two. The tall, serious Canadian ended 2016 as world No 3 as he continued his steady rise up the rankings, and it is surely only a matter of time before he wins a Grand Slam. Raonic, 26, laid down a marker for the season at last year’s Australian Open when he ousted Stan Wawrinka before falling to Murray in a thrilling five-set semifinal in which he was hampered by injury. Six months later, he reached his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon before losing to Murray again. Raonic rounded off the year with a last-four spot at the ATP World Tour Finals in London and he heads into 2017 with a new coach, former Wim- bledon winner Richard Krajicek. “The Stanimal” is riding high after winning his third major at the US Open and the powerful Swiss has the tools to triumph in Melbourne, as he memorably proved in 2014. Wawrinka has forced his way into tennis’ upper echelon in the past three seasons, but at age 31 he faces the challenge of staying there — and even improving — as a group of younger players matures. The world No 4 with the vicious, one-handed backhand appears to enjoy the conditions at Melbourne Park and it was a surprise when he lost to Raonic in the last 16 a year ago. The superlative Swiss has lost none of his popularity but, at 35, only his most ardent fans rate him as a leading contender for the Australian Open, where he will be

Roger Federer Rafael Nadal

making his 69th Grand Slam appearance. Federer is feeling his way back after a sixmonth injury layoff, the longest of his career, which he ended with a mixed performance at the Hopman Cup team tournament in Perth last week. Federer does not seem to be contemplating retirement, however, and remains stubbornly optimistic of a last hurrah to add to his record 17 Grand Slam titles. His ranking has dropped to No 17 after his long absence, meaning he faces a tougher draw. Like Federer, Nadal’s aura and results are on the wane and it has been more than two years since he won a major, at the French Open in 2014. The 30-year-old Spaniard didn’t make it to any of the Grand Slam quarterfinals last season, and his tally of two tournament wins was his lowest in 12 years as he dropped to ninth in the