New stars all set to step up

Grigor Dimitrov and Alexander Zverev, two men who made perhaps the biggest steps forward in 2017, believe they are ready to contend for the title at the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on Monday.

Dimitrov starts the year ranked third, having won his biggest title in November when he triumphed at the ATP Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London. Germany’s Zverev won five titles in 2017, including two Masters 1000 titles, finishing the year just behind Dimitrov as the world number four.