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I don't think Nadal is fit enough. It should be Federer vs the young brigade. Dimitrov, Zverev, and Thiem. Maybe Cilic, an ex-USO winner. Stan is possibly not match fit. Goffin is possibly not good enough.

Nadal has an incredibly easy draw. Djokovic is seeded 14th, which is ludicrous for one of the most successful players at the AO ever.

Totally agree PKB - the draw is incredibly bottom heavy. Federer has Raonic, Berdych (always decent at the AO), del Potro, Goffin, Djokovich, both Zverevs, Thiem, and Wawrinka (also always decent at the AO).

In contrast, Nadal has only Kyrgios, Cilic & Dimitrov as contenders in his half, and only Cilic is even in his quarter.

This kind of bizarre draw has occurred because of the idiosyncratic seeding system (purely based on ATP computer rankings, with no consideration given to past performance at Slams, and specifically at this Slam). Surely Djokovic and Wawrinka should have been in the top-8 seeds, if not top-4, given that they have won this tournament (Djoker multiple times, in fact more AO titles than anyone else in the Open era).

Prashant wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2018 5:00 am Totally agree PKB - the draw is incredibly bottom heavy. Federer has Raonic, Berdych (always decent at the AO), del Potro, Goffin, Djokovich, both Zverevs, Thiem, and Wawrinka (also always decent at the AO).

In contrast, Nadal has only Kyrgios, Cilic & Dimitrov as contenders in his half, and only Cilic is even in his quarter.

Raonic, Thiem and Wawrinka are all injured and Berdych has been poor outside of grass for some time now. Sascha still has to show GS credentials.

In terms of my pre-draw AO favourites, it is pretty even distributed with Federer and Novak in one half and Nadal, Kyrgios and Dimitrov on the other.

2 seeds are already out in the early action at Australian open today. 11th seed Kevin Anderson lost in 5 sets against the only British player in the draw this year- Kyle Edmund and 15th seed John Isner lost in 4 sets to Australian Mat Ebden. So, both of Somdev's compatriots from his NCAA days are bundled out. Perhaps, their career is now towards decline due to ageing.

Third upset of the day comes when Yuichi Sugita beats 8th seed Jack Sock. How well is this guy Sugita come on from being a challenger level player for so many year till couple of years back. His game is blossoming at 29.

John millman defeats Borna Coric in straight sets, lucas pouillie also out losing to qualifier bemelmans.

To me, it seems like Dmitrov's quarter is the weakest.

After the second round, next 2 rounds can be tough for Dimitrov- can run into young Rublev in third round and one of Tsonga/Krygois in fourth round. If he gets thru that, QF should be easier- One of Edmund, Basilashvili, Seppi and Karlovic will make the QF to meet Dimitrov if he gets there.

True. In a GS, you cannot expect to have it all easy. Nadal's bracket at the USO was a fluke.

Sin Hombre wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2018 11:33 am

Prashant wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2018 5:00 am Totally agree PKB - the draw is incredibly bottom heavy. Federer has Raonic, Berdych (always decent at the AO), del Potro, Goffin, Djokovich, both Zverevs, Thiem, and Wawrinka (also always decent at the AO).

In contrast, Nadal has only Kyrgios, Cilic & Dimitrov as contenders in his half, and only Cilic is even in his quarter.

Raonic, Thiem and Wawrinka are all injured and Berdych has been poor outside of grass for some time now. Sascha still has to show GS credentials.

In terms of my pre-draw AO favourites, it is pretty even distributed with Federer and Novak in one half and Nadal, Kyrgios and Dimitrov on the other.

As expected, Wawrinka with a straight sets loss against a journey American.

Thiem almost lost to another in Kudla. And Goffin lost to Benneteau though that is more of a surprise to me.

As I said, big names does not mean anything in itself.

Also Chung comfortably making the R32 setting up a blockbuster "Gen Next" match against Sascha.

A genuine WC player for the Koreans, wonder how many decades will it take for us to have one

Hyeon Chung won the NextGen ("Race to Milan") Finals last year, so he is officially the most exciting player of the next generation (although Sasha Zverev and Thiem didn't participate in the tournament).
The Koreans have come up with a veritable pipeline of tennis players, just as they have in golf (and especially women's golf).

Sin Hombre wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2018 11:33 am

Prashant wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2018 5:00 am Totally agree PKB - the draw is incredibly bottom heavy. Federer has Raonic, Berdych (always decent at the AO), del Potro, Goffin, Djokovich, both Zverevs, Thiem, and Wawrinka (also always decent at the AO).

In contrast, Nadal has only Kyrgios, Cilic & Dimitrov as contenders in his half, and only Cilic is even in his quarter.

Having Djokovic (six times champion, the man who has won the AO more often than anybody else in the Open era) in one half is an order of magnitude different from having the likes of Kyrgios and Dimitrov in the other half.

Federer has a tougher opponent at every stage than Nadal. Next up is the dangerous Gasquet, while Nadal will play Dzhumur, followed Schwartzman of Argentina. DelPotro is the QF opponent likely for Federer, and Djokovic the SF opponent (unless Sasha or Chung is able to beat the six-times champion). Sasha is the genuine #3 in the world right now: that he faces Djokovic so early in the draw is absurd.