Australian Open Draw 2016

[britbox]

Live Stream for the Draw Ceremony:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4_F4yOa99o

 

[britbox]

Novak has Hyeon Chung (#51) in the 1st round.

Roger and Novak scheduled to meet in the semis. Roger is also scheduled to meet Dimitrov in Round 3, Berdych in the Quarters.

Nishikori/Kohlschrieber drawn for a tough first round match.

Nadal is in Stan's Quarter and has Verdasco in Round 1.

Murray probably has the easiest draw on paper.

 

[britbox]

Full Men's AO Draw here:

http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/scores/draws/ms/index.html

 

 

[Moxie]

Here's the projected Round of 16:
Djokovic-Simon
Tsonga-Nishikori
Federer-Goffin
Cilic-Berdych

Nadal-Anderson
Raonic-Wawrinka
Ferrer-Isner
Tomic-Murray

Both Novak and Andy have promising up-and-comers first round (Chung and Zverev, respectively.  Which is probably just bad news for the youngsters.)  Novak is likely happy to see Stan on the bottom half, but I don't think the draw matters much for him.  Not a bad draw for Rafa, though I'd have swapped Roger for Stan.  Roger's road is not too pretty, though mostly because he likely can't make the final without going through Djokovic.

 

[mrzz]

Gilles Muller is going to take out Fognini in round one.

 

[Moxie]

Gilles Muller is going to take out Fognini in round one.

That has to take the prize for early and esoteric prediction.

 

[Denis]

Bummer that Novak faces Chung in the first round. Chung was my pick to follow during the first week.

 

[britbox]

Bummer that Novak faces Chung in the first round. Chung was my pick to follow during the first week.

You never know- he still could be

 

[brokenshoelace]

Whoa, extremely tricky draw for Nadal. I mean, Verdasco hasn't done much in ages but he's not your typical round 1 opponent. Potential back to back matches with Gulbis and Anderson can be tricky, and of course, Wawrinka in the QF can be brutal. But, regardless, this is a true test to see where he's at. Anything less than a QF would be shameful. I said he'll lose to Djokovic, which would mean a final appearance, so I'll stick by that, but he has his work cut out for him.

 

[Denis]

Denis wrote:
Bummer that Novak faces Chung in the first round. Chung was my pick to follow during the first week.

You never know- he still could be

I am actually worried about that too. Its not a good first round draw at all. Novak should be fine though.

 

[Denis]

Whoa, extremely tricky draw for Nadal. I mean, Verdasco hasn’t done much in ages but he’s not your typical round 1 opponent. Potential back to back matches with Gulbis and Anderson can be tricky, and of course, Wawrinka in the QF can be brutal. But, regardless, this is a true test to see where he’s at. Anything less than a QF would be shameful. I said he’ll lose to Djokovic, which would mean a final appearance, so I’ll stick by that, but he has his work cut out for him.

Payback time for 2009: perhaps verdasco finds back some of that old glory. Don't thinks so though.

 

[Moxie]

Whoa, extremely tricky draw for Nadal. I mean, Verdasco hasn’t done much in ages but he’s not your typical round 1 opponent. Potential back to back matches with Gulbis and Anderson can be tricky, and of course, Wawrinka in the QF can be brutal. But, regardless, this is a true test to see where he’s at. Anything less than a QF would be shameful. I said he’ll lose to Djokovic, which would mean a final appearance, so I’ll stick by that, but he has his work cut out for him.

I agree he'll be in for some longer matches, will potentially drop a set to Verdasco and Anderson (with his serve,) but he has a good history against all of them.  And Gulbis has been having a miserable run.  His rank is down to 80, and he just lost 1st round qualies in Sydney.  And I get less concerned when he plays guys he knows pretty well.  He'll have to be on top of his game to get past Wawrinka, if the seeds hold. But I like your style:  sticking with your prediction.  One can only hope Djokovic doesn't make the final.  

 

[EdbergsGhost]

britbox wrote:
<blockquote>
Denis wrote:
Bummer that Novak faces Chung in the first round. Chung was my pick to follow during the first week.

You never know- he still could be </blockquote>
I am actually worried about that too. Its not a good first round draw at all. Novak should be fine though.

Short of Djokovic's pesky arm discomfort blossoming into an injury, I don't see Chung doing anything to slow him down.

Nadal has a tricky draw.  He'll probably have to go through Wawrinka and Murray just to make it to the final.

 

 

[Moxie]

Denis wrote:
<blockquote>
britbox wrote:
<blockquote>
Denis wrote:
Bummer that Novak faces Chung in the first round. Chung was my pick to follow during the first week.

You never know- he still could be </blockquote>
I am actually worried about that too. Its not a good first round draw at all. Novak should be fine though.</blockquote>
Short of Djokovic’s pesky arm discomfort blossoming into an injury, I don’t see Chung doing anything to slow him down. Nadal has a tricky draw. He’ll probably have to go through Wawrinka and Murray just to make it to the final.

I wish someone would tell me what this pesky arm discomfort is that Djokovic is suffering.  I asked before, and I don't think I got an answer.  Chung is likely, at best, to be a bother.  He's young and talented, fairly self-possessed from what I've seen, (solid ego,) and so he'll have no particular fear, and nothing to lose, which is a difficult combination for a guy who's taking the long view of a fortnight.  Nadal's draw is "tricky," but I think I've explained why I don't think he's facing anyone he can't beat, in the bottom half.  Probably will have to do a fair bit of hard work, though.

 

[EdbergsGhost]

Edbergs Ghost wrote:
<blockquote>
Denis wrote:
<blockquote>
britbox wrote:
<blockquote>
Denis wrote:
Bummer that Novak faces Chung in the first round. Chung was my pick to follow during the first week.

You never know- he still could be </blockquote>
I am actually worried about that too. Its not a good first round draw at all. Novak should be fine though.</blockquote>
Short of Djokovic’s pesky arm discomfort blossoming into an injury, I don’t see Chung doing anything to slow him down. Nadal has a tricky draw. He’ll probably have to go through Wawrinka and Murray just to make it to the final.</blockquote>
I wish someone would tell me what this pesky arm discomfort is that Djokovic is suffering.  

He mentioned that he was having some discomfort and ended practice before his final with Nadal.  He said in the post match interview that he was going to rest it a few days.  He did not seem too concerned.

 

[Moxie]

Moxie wrote:
<blockquote>
Edbergs Ghost wrote:
<blockquote>
Denis wrote:
<blockquote>
britbox wrote:
<blockquote>
Denis wrote:
Bummer that Novak faces Chung in the first round. Chung was my pick to follow during the first week.

You never know- he still could be </blockquote>
I am actually worried about that too. Its not a good first round draw at all. Novak should be fine though.</blockquote>
Short of Djokovic’s pesky arm discomfort blossoming into an injury, I don’t see Chung doing anything to slow him down. Nadal has a tricky draw. He’ll probably have to go through Wawrinka and Murray just to make it to the final.</blockquote>
I wish someone would tell me what this pesky arm discomfort is that Djokovic is suffering.</blockquote>
He mentioned that he was having some discomfort and ended practice before his final with Nadal. He said in the post match interview that he was going to rest it a few days. He did not seem too concerned.

Yes, but this has been going on since the summer, has it not?  That's what google tells me.  And @billie implies that it's a bit on-going.  But what is it?  Elbow, wrist, muscular?  It's a bit hard to take if he's beating the whole tour and he's harboring an injury, but Rafa has done it, so there's precedent.  I'd just like a bit more illumination.  And speaking of, did anyone ever explain what was the illness Nole was suffering from during the RG 2014 SF and Fs?  I never found an answer to that.

 

[Billie]

Moxie, I didn't hear anything about his arm until Doha.  It was just a bit sore.   I think Leonardo and Tomas hit big so Nole had to counter that and his arm didn't like it.  I noticed that many players have some sort of discomfort when they start playing after few weeks off.  Practice is not the same thing as competitive tennis, everything is more intense, so muscles feel it.   Anyway he practiced with Wawrinka, Verdasco, had other commitments and looks good in Melbourne so I don't think it is an issue.

I don't know what happened in Paris in 2014, what would cause someone to throw up 2 consecutive days?  Maybe something one eats?  Maybe nerves?  What caused Sampras to feel ill and throw up in New York years ago?   They are supremely fit athletes but they are not machines, they experience discomfort and illnesses just like most of us.

The draw kind of looks even for all contenders.  Very often we don't even get the matchups that we expect so I don't bother contemplating that much in advance.

 

[Moxie]

This from Tennis.com from last August, and they call it "chronic."  I just thought that the fans might have some more insight.  Same with the stomach bug or whatever was ailing him at the FO in 2014. I mean nothing by it, just that it was never explained.

 

[britbox]

Federer's draw is no cakewalk either... potentially:

R2: Dolgo, R3: Dimitrov, QF: Berdych, SF: Djokovic

 

Murray seems to have the easiest draw on paper.

 

 

[Moxie]

Federer’s draw is no cakewalk either… potentially: R2: Dolgo, R3: Dimitrov, QF: Berdych, SF: Djokovic Murray seems to have the easiest draw on paper.

I agree that Roger's is also tricky.  But, as with Rafa's, he's got a good chance getting through most of them, but he'll have to work for it, most likely.  I was watching Dimitrov in the final in Sydney, and, after the 1st set, I thought he might be trouble for Federer.  But then I watched the 2nd set.  Pfft.  Roger can be troubled by Berdy on occasion, and usually in bigger moments, but I think his only real impediment is Djokovic.

Agreed that Murray's section has the fewest land mines, and it's not bad to get Ferrer, given the options.  He's just got a promising youngster first round, so he'll have to start focused, and he could be a bit distracted by his wife's pregnancy.  I've read that he says he'll leave the tournament if she should give birth early.  (Due in mid-February.)  That's the "intangible" for Andy.