Melbourne | Norrie leads British AO problem – Tennis Threads… – Tennis Threads

The organisers of the Australian Open, scheduled to start out in Melbourne on the sixteenth January, have revealed their entry checklist for the primary main of 2023 which incorporates 5 Brits, Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Kyle Edmund, Andy Murray and Jack Draper who might be making his debut down-under.

Heading the checklist are Rafa Nadal who might be defending his title, Novak Djokovic chasing his tenth AO title and Carlos Alcaraz, the present world No.1, hoping to pocket his first.

Nadal beat Daniil Medvedev for his third title down-under and the twenty first of his profession which he later prolonged to a document 22 when he picked his 14th at Roland Garros. It has left his rival Djokovic (who gained Wimbledon for his twenty first) desperate to get again on phrases following his undignified deportation from Australia final 12 months due to his cussed stance to stay unvaccinated in opposition to Covid.

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They are going to actually be watched carefully over the fortnight as many imagine the title will find yourself with considered one of them, although there may be the potential of an upset by the 19-year-old Alcaraz, the present US Open champion who took the tennis world by storm to finish the 12 months on the prime of the world rankings – the youngest participant to take action.

However there could be little doubt that each one three will face some stiff opposition for the Norman Brooks Problem Cup from the likes of Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas in search of their first grand slam title.

Each are on the planet’s prime 5 with Ruud reaching the fourth spherical in 2021 and Tsitsipas the semi-finals 3 times, the final time 11 months in the past.

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Australians might be seeking to Alex de Minaur and the controversial Nick Kyrgios to offer them with the house success they haven’t loved since 1976 when Mark Edmondson turned champion by beating fellow Aussie John Newcombe within the last. Lleyton Hewitt got here closest in 2005 however misplaced to Marat Safin within the last spherical.

Kyrgios made the ultimate at Wimbledon this 12 months and with Thanasi Kokkinakis gained the AO Doubles championship final January so of the home-grown expertise, he’s the extra more likely to go all the way in which in Melbourne.

However nobody ought to low cost Felix Auger-Aliassime, Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz and Taylor Fritz who all have the sport to trigger an upset, as does Holger Rune and Alexander Zverev who’s returning to the fray having lastly recovered from a foul ankle damage picked up within the semis of the French Open.

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Additionally within the final class falls Norrie, Britain’s prime participant who ended the 12 months world ranked 14 and has set his eyes on changing into world primary. He might be making his fiffh look and will definitely hope to enhance on his greatest consequence so far of a 3rd spherical achieved in 2021.

Murray in fact has the perfect outcomes of the British contingent having made the ultimate 4 instances in his 14 earlier visits however at 35, and along with his metallic hip, he might be pleased to only go deeper than final January’s second spherical.

Evans is at all times a menace however he has but to progress previous the fourth spherical within the six years he has performed the occasion whereas Kyle Edmund, who has just about not performed for over a 12 months, seems within the draw courtesy of a ‘Protected Rating’ however it could be shocking if he may emulate his semi-final look of 2018 with so little match play behind him on what might be his seventh look having missed the final two editions.

Whoever wins, it’ll set the scene for an interesting 12 months.