Fedex to play Bedene in Slam first round

Melbourne, Jan. 11: Romania’s world no. 1 Simona Halep will face Australian wild card Destanee Aiava as her first round opponent at the Australian Open, while on Thursday’s draw could also see her go up against Karolina Pliskova in the quarter- finals. Halep, who has been beaten in the first round four times in Melbourne, must first overcome Aiava if she is to realise her dream of going on to win a first Grand Slam title.

This year’s Australian Open field is wide open following the decision by 23- time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams not to defend her title in Melbourne, saying she was not quite ready to compete after giving birth in September.

Last year’s British quarterfinalist Johanna Konta is in the same quarter as Halep and faces American Madison Brengle first up.

Danish former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, the second seed after her resurgence in 2017 when she reached eight finals, opens against Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania in the bottom half of the draw.

Wozniacki is projected to face French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in the quarters.

Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza is in the same half of the draw as Halep and takes on France’s Jessika Ponchet in the opening round.

Muguruza, seeded three, could face another Frenchwoman, Caroline Garcia, in the quarters.

Meanwhile, Roger Federer will open his title defence against Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene and has a potential quarter- final with David Goffin in the Australian Open.

In Thursday’s draw, 36year- old Federer, bidding for a record 20th Grand Slam title, has a first round encounter with the 51st- ranked Bedene.

The Swiss marvel, chasing a sixth Australian Open crown, could also face big- serving Canadian Milos Raonic in the fourth round in the bottom half of the men’s draw.

World number one and top seed Rafael Nadal starts his Australian campaign against the 83rdranked Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic in the top quarter of the draw.

Nadal withdrew from his first tour event of 2018, in Brisbane, with continuing knee problems, and has been getting in match practice in a Melbourne exhibition event this week ahead of Monday’s start to the Open.

Nadal could face Marin Cilic of Croatia in the quarter- finals.

Novak Djokovic, seeded 14th for this year’s tournament, has a couple of potential early obstacles with American Donald Young and potentially mercurial Frenchman Gael Monfils in the second round. — AFP