Djokovic avoids Federer and Nadal
World No.1 shares top half of men’s draw with Raonic, Wawrinka and Nishikori as he chases fifth Australian Open title
>> MELBOURNE: Defending champion Stan Wawrinka was yesterday pitted in the top half of the draw at the Australian Open with Novak Djokovic and faces a potential semi-final encounter with the world No.1.
The Swiss fourth seed upset fourtime champion Djokovic in the quarter-finals on the way to winning his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne last year.
The Serbian top seed is scheduled to face big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic in the quarter-finals, while Wawrinka could meet Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori in the last eight.
“It changes everything in your career, for sure,” Wawrinka said of his life-changing triumph. “When you win a Grand Slam you really start to be a part of the history of tennis.
“It changed my life and my tennis. I feel good and happy to be back.
“I’m playing well and have confidence in my game.
“It’s the first Grand Slam of the year, everything starts from zero again, and you have to be ready for the two weeks,” he added.
Roger Federer, who is chasing an 18th Grand Slam victory at the age of 33, is on course to face Andy Murray in the quarter-finals in the bottom half of the draw. Murray, a three-time Australian Open runner-up, lost to the Swiss great in the 2010 Melbourne Park final.
Third seed Rafael Nadal’s appendix surgery in early November has left him uncertain of his match fitness ahead of Monday’s start of the tournament. The Spaniard could meet Federer in the semi-finals.
He’ll have a tough first-round match against former top 10-player Mikhail Youzhny of Russia.
The Spaniard could play big-serving Czech Tomas Berdych in the quarters in the bottom half of the draw.
One of the tougher first-round match-ups will see 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, who is on the comeback trail from wrist surgery, take on Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz.