Injuries, withdrawals affect marquee names at Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia — With Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic among the walking wounded and Serena Williams deciding not to defend her title, injuries and absentees have been the focus of attention ahead of the Australian Open.

That’s not bothering Roger Federer, who returns as defending champion 12 months after entering the season-opening Grand Slam tournament seeded 17th and uncertain of his prospects after six months off the tour with an injured left knee.

He beat Nadal in a five-set final for his 18th Grand Slam title and his first since 2012; he later won Wimbledon.

“I just thought that the game and the wins weren’t going to come … because I would run into a red-hot Djokovic or (Andy) Murray or Nadal or somebody and my game wasn’t going to be good enough,” Federer said.

“After six, seven matches, you start feeling like a different player, that you can’t miss anymore. The fifth set (of the final) was maybe the best set I ever played.”

Second-seeded Federer and No. 14-seeded Djokovic have almost traded places.

This time, Federer’s 2017 comeback could be inspiration for the likes of Djokovic, who has won the Australian title a record six times but has been sidelined since Wimbledon with a right elbow injury.

They’re in the same half of the draw along with No. 4 Alexander Zverev, No. 5 Dominc Thiem, No. 7 David Goffin and No. 9 Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 Australian Open winner who also is returning from injury.

Nadal skipped the yearend championship last November and delayed the start of his 2018 season, so he has had only exhibition matches to see how his right knee has recovered.

“If I’m not feeling good, probably I will not be here,” Nadal said after his error-filled loss to Richard Gasquet in an exhibition. “That’s the good news.”

Murray, a five-time finalist, withdrew more than a week ahead of time, deciding to have surgery on a right hip problem that had kept him off the tour since

Wimbledon. Kei Nishikori also withdrew.

If the 2017 Australian Open was one for the ages — the revival of the FedererNadal rivalry and another Williams sisters final — the 2018 edition is shaping as a survival of the fittest.

Serena Williams, who was pregnant when she beat Venus last year to claim her 23rd major title, gave birth to her first child, Alexis Olympia, in September. She said it didn’t leave her enough time to feel confident of winning a major.

The No. 1 ranking changed seven times in 2017, with five different women assuming the top spot — three for the first time.

At 37, Venus Williams is seeded No. 5 and coming off a loss to former No. 1 Anglique Kerber in Sydney. She has a tough opener against Belinda Bencic, who combined with Federer last week to win the Hopman Cup for Switzerland.

“I feel my biggest expectation is from myself,” Venus Williams said, dismissing any notion that age or expectations will weigh heavily on her. “No one ever wants to let themselves down.”

She led the WTA Tour in prize money last year ahead of Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza and Simona Halep, who ended the year at No. 1.

Entering as the No. 1 seed for the first time at a major and at a tournament where she has had back-to-back first-round exits, Halep opens against teenage wildcard entry Destanee Aiava. She could face two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the third round and Karolina Pliskova in the quarters.

Five-time major winner Maria Sharapova is returning to Melbourne two years after a failed doping test here led to a 15-month suspension.