New look for Murray, Kerber
They’re top-ranked entering a Grand Slam tourney for first time
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — It’s new and exciting for Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber, entering a Grand Slam tournament with the No. 1 in front of their names.
Both reached the top of the rankings for the first time near the end of 2016, ending long reigns by Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams.
And so they’ll open their Australian Open campaigns on Rod Laver Arena on day one — both against Ukrainians.
Britain’s Murray, a five-time runner-up, opens his pursuit of a first Australian title against Illya Marchenko in the last day match on the main show court. Kerber opens the night session against Lesia Tsurenko. She’ll be followed on court by Roger Federer, returning from six months on the sideline.
The “one-round-at-a-time” cliche is well worn in tennis. For Kerber, though, it’s pertinent. Seeded seventh last year, the left-handed German had to save a match point in the first round against Misaki Doi. Spurred on by that, she beat Williams in the final and claim her first Grand Slam title. She added a second major at the U.S. Open and ascended to the No1 ranking.
“I think this point where I was match point down, that was the important point for my career,” Kerber said Sunday, speaking of her first-round escape against Doi. “You never know [if ] I lost the match, what would have happened.”
Kerber can hang on to the top ranking by reaching to the final here, but she’s already feeling there’s more to defend than her title.
“It’s a new challenge for me, for sure,” she said. But, “We are starting from zero here. I have to be ready from the first round again.
“I will try to not put too much expectation and pressure on myself. I mean, I will try to do it like last year — that was the way I had my success.”
Record-chasing, six-time champions Djokovic and Williams, seeded No. 2 and anchoring the bottom half of the men’s and women’s draws, won’t be in action until day two. Djokovic is aiming to be the first man to win seven Australian titles. Williams is chasing an Open-era record 23rd major title.
Williams, newly engaged, hasn’t wanted to talk about the record, being a little bit superstitious. Williams is concentrating on her first-round match against Belinda Bencic, who was seeded 12th here last year Britain’s Andy Murray, a five-time runner-up in the Australian Open, opens his pursuit of a first championship against Ukraine’s Illya Marchenko. and who beat her in Toronto in 2015.
While Serena has to wait, the Williams family was represented on Rod Laver Arena today by her older sister, Venus. The 13th-seeded Venus Williams defeated Kateryna Kozlova, 7-6 (5), 7-5, after fourthseeded Simona Halep was upset in the opener against American Shelby Rogers, 6-3, 6-1.
Nick Kyrgios will return to the tour against Gastao Elias.
Kyrgios, 21, finished 2016 under a ban in a season overshadowed by clashes with officials and fans and by the tanking at the Shanghai Masters which led to an eightweek suspension.
The ban was reduced to three weeks when Kyrgios agreed to consult a sports psychologist, allowing him to warm up for the Australian Open at the Hopman Cup.
That’s where Federer made his return from six months out to give his injured left knee time to heal. The17-time major winner didn’t play after Wimbledon and his ranking slid to No. 17 by this week. That resulted in his getting a tougher draw than usual at the tournament he has won four times, and where he has reached the Angelique Kerber of Germany beat Serena Williams in last year’s Australian Open final to claim her first Grand Slam title, and won the U.S. Open the same year. semifinals in 12 of the past 13 years. If results go with rankings, he’ll play two qualifiers before a potential third-round match against No. 10 Tomas Berdych. Nishikori and Murray are also in his quarter.
Federer will open against another 35year-old veteran, former No. 8-ranked Jurgen Melzer.
“That’s the part of the draw I care most about because of having not been playing,” Federer said.