McIntyre Tennis

Australian Open Men's Quaterfinal Preview

By Mike McIntyre

We are down to the final eight players at the Australian Open and unlike on the women's side there are very few surprises up to this point. This should make for some very entertaining and hotly contested quarterfinal matches. Here is a quick breakdown of the four contests ahead of action on Tuesay and Wednesday in Melbourne.

Novak Djokovic (1) vs Kei Nishikori (7)

The undisputed favourite coming into the event and also the defending champion, Novak Djokovic suddenly seems like he may indeed be vulnerable after his five set win against Gilles Simon in the round of sixteen. Roger Federer was quick to defend Novak and his 100+ errors in that match saying that Simon has the tendency to make players go for broke on their shots, but none the less I don't think anyone quite expected it to get to a fifth set. Djokovic has defeated Chung, Halys, Seppi and Simon to get to the quarters and will face a stiff test from the 7th seeded Nishikori.

Nishikori has not yet gone the distance in any of his victories over Kohlschreiber, Krajicek, Garcia-Lopez or Tsonga and is perhaps a bit more rested than his adversary in this upcoming match. Beating a player of Tsonga's calibre by a score of 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 is quite impressive and bodes well for his confidence at this stage of the tournament. Djokovic leads the head to head by a margin of 5-2 including the last four in-a-row. Nishikori can draw strength from the fact that he has beaten Novak at a Grand Slam before, in the semifinals of the 2014 US Open.

I think anyone would be crazy to predict anything other than a victory for Djokovic in this one. That being said I also believe the possibility for an upset has increased somewhat due to the results in recent days. All in all I'm going with Novak in four.

 Roger Federer (3) vs Tomas Berdych (6)

This will be the seventh career meeting at the Slams between Federer and Berdych with Roger holding a 4-2 advantage, although Berdych has won their last two battles which came at the U.S. Open in 2012 and at Wimbledon in 2010. Overall Federer leads their career head to head 15-6 and has taken the last four in-a-row between them. A rejuvenated Federer won all three meetings in 2015 with ease, not dropping a set in any of those matches.

Federer has started 2016 fairly strongly with a loss to Milos Raonic in the finals of Brisbane and with four relatively convincing wins so far here at the Aussie Open. He has wins against Basilashvili, Dolgopolov, Dimitrov and Goffin to get to this stage. Even Roger knows that his window for winning an 18th major gets smaller and smaller with each passing Slam so that undoubtedly is providing him with a little extra incentive. Despite the fact that he still looks like he could play for another ten years, even Fed fans know realistically that is not going to happen. As he approaches the four year mark without a Slam victory, Federer needs to make something happen while the body is still co-operating.

Berdych has been most comfortable here at the Aussie Open where he has now made the quarter-finals or better the past six years straight. The Czech has beaten Bhambri, Basic, Krygios and Bautista-Agut to reach this point. If he's able to play his best and not get caught up in the fact that Roger has had his number of late, Berdych could move into the semifinals for a third straight year. I certainly give him a better shot of upsetting Federer than I give Nishikori versus Djokovic.

That being said, I'll take Roger in three sets given how he looks lately to set-up a final-like SF against Novak.

Milos Raonic (13) vs Gael Monfils (23)

You don't want to miss this one folks! Five sets written all over it and between two enormously different styles of tennis players. This match will have canon-like serves and circus-like acrobatics. An excellent opportunity for two players who have struggled with injuries to get some satisfaction with a semifinal appearance at a Slam. The pair have faced each other but twice before in their careers with Monfils coming up victorious both times. You can throw those results out the window however as both came before Raonic solidified himself as a top-level threat on the ATP World Tour. With a tournament win already under his belt this year and a new coach in Carlos Moya to provide a different perspective on things, I would say that the Canadian is the slight favourite coming into this quarterfinal match.

This is the fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal for Raonic who will be aiming to attain just the second major semifinal of his career. For Monfils meanwhile it is the seventh Slam quarterfinal, although most of those came on the clay of Roland Garros. Regardless of the result, I think this will be the most entertaining of the four matches to watch and I wouldn't want to miss it.

I'm giving the edge to Milos who will prevail in five sets.

Andy Murray (2) vs David Ferrer (8)

Not surprised one bit at the two who will be facing each other in this quarterfinal match. Soon to be father Andy Murray has always performed well at the first Slam of the year and this edition has been no exception. He has beaten Zverev, Groth, Sousa and Tomic to get to this stage and has only dropped one set along the way. It does not seem as though impending fatherhood has distracted him from his goal of winning the third Slam of his career.

Ferrer for his part has been even more workmanlike than Murray en route to his sixth Aussie Open QF. He has taken out Gojowczyk, Hewitt, Johnson and Isner to get here. He'll work his butt off against Murray but at age 33 I don't know if he truly has enough to take the No. 2 seed down.

Murray holds a 12-6 career edge against Ferrer, including the past five straight times they have played one another and eight of the past nine in total. In fact if you take the clay matches out of the equation, Ferrer has only defeated Murray twice. Expect that trend to continue and witness Murray advancing in four sets.

Australian Open Men's Preview

By Mike McIntyre

Novak Djokovic comes in with perhaps the best chance of repeating as Australian Open champion of anyone I can ever remember. While we can't say he is an absolute lock to hoist the trophy in two week's, it would be shocking to see anyone dethrone him the way he has been playing. He started 2016 by winning the title in Doha where he demolished Rafa Nadal in the finals 6-1, 6-2. The world No. 1 faces Hyeon Chung of Korea in the opening round. It will be their first career meeting and the 19 year old Chung will be up against it in this pressure situation. Ranked 51st in the world already, Chung is clearly someone to watch down the road. In the opening round however he will be watching a clinic put on by the 5 time Aussie Open champion. Djokovic could see 14th seed Gilles Simon in the fourth round and then Kei Nishikori or Jo Wilfried Tsonga in the quarters. He is matched in the same half of the draw as Roger Federer which would make for the semi-final everyone is hoping for - well everyone except for the other 62 players in their section of the field.

Federer starts with Nikoloz Basilashvili in the opening round and then could see baby Fed - Grigor Dimitrov - in the third round. Federer defeated Dimitrov in his opening tournament of 2016 in Brisbane 6-4, 6-7, 6-4. Fed could then meet the winner between a potential third round match between two up and coming players on the ATP World Tour in Dominic Thiem and David Goffin.

While 6th seed Tomas Berdych is also in Federer's quarter, I see Australian Nick Kyrgios who is seeded 29th as the real dark horse in this section of the draw. Having the home crowd behind him will be a huge boost and he also has a nice draw with his first two rounds. The two have never faced each other before but I'm going with the 20 year old to have a breakthrough here. He made the quarterfinals a year ago and therefore has the experience here in Melbourne of going deep in the draw. Berdych has done well here with two semi-final appearances in 2014 and 2015 and three quarter-final appearances before that, but at the age of 30 he is running out of time of actually winning a Grand Slam in his career. If he does get through the young Kyrgios, I don't see him beating Federer in the quarters.

In the bottom half of the draw 5th seeded Rafael Nadal will be looking to make the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time since 2014. Last year was a difficult one for Nadal although he did still manage to finish top five in the rankings. Nadal has made the finals here three times, winning once in 2009. Nadal has a brutal draw having to face compatriot Fernando Verdasco right off the bat. Despite holding a 14-2 career H2H against Verdasco, Nadal has lost two of their last three meetings. Nadal could then face Jeremy Chardy in the 3rd round, Gael Monfils in the 4th and will have to likely see either Stan Wawrinka or Milos Raonic in the quarters. I'm sure Rafa will have more success at the majors this year if he can stay healthy, but I can't see him getting too deep in Melbourne early in the season.

A Raonic vs Wawrinka fourth round match is the one I'm most anticipating. While the Swiss world No. 4 leads their career meetings 4-0, Raonic when healthy is a player that nobody wants to face. Just ask Roger Federer who was beaten by the Canadian in the finals last week in Brisbane. Whoever wins this match is my pick to go to the semi-finals and I wouldn't even be surprised if they ended up meeting Djokovic at the end of it all.

In the final quarter of the draw one cannot overlook Andy Murray, the second seed. Murray did not add to his two Grand Slam titles in 2015 but he did manage to lead Great Britain to a Davis Cup championship. Murray will not be satisfied without winning a Slam in 2016, or will he be? I often fail to see the same hunger in Murray as we have all seen time and time again in Djokovic, Federer and Nadal. Murray's family life will also be changing sometime towards the end of the Aussie Open as his wife is due to deliver their first child. Murray has already admitted he will fly back to the UK for the birth of their child regardless of how far he has progressed in the tournament. All things being equal however, we should see Murray get to the semi-finals without too much trouble. He opens against the young Alexander Zverev but then has smooth sailing until a potential fourth round match versus 16th seed Bernard Tomic and a quarter-final meeting that could be against 8th seed David Ferrer. A pretty darn good draw for a Grand Slam if you ask me. Also of note in this section of the draw is Lletyon Hewitt who is playing in his 20th and final Australian Open. Hewitt plays against a fellow Aussie, James Duckworth, in what could be a fitting way to end his playing career. More than likely I would see Hewitt with a final victory followed by a tough five set loss against Ferrer who he would likely face in the second round.

Check back with us throughout the tournament for updates and analysis. There is always plenty to talk about at the first Grand Slam of the year and Australia has been known to produce some unlikely finalists and even champions throughout it's remarkable history. While Djokovic is going to be a tough one to upset, you just never know how things will play out as everybody starts the season on relatively equal footing after the off season.

Is Serena Williams Ready for the Australian Open?

By Mike McIntyre

Thirteen years after she won it for the first time, Serena Williams remains the favourite to capture the Australian Open again this year. Going for her seventh title down under, it is hard to bet against the World No. 1 player and yet perhaps she is at her most vulnerable as the first Grand Slam of 2016 is about to begin.

Everything seemed to be going Serena's way at the final major of 2015 at the U.S. Open until she ran into the upstart Roberta Vinci in the semi-finals. There she remarkably could not close out a match that she led by a set and ultimately fell 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to the Italian veteran who had never previously beat her in four attempts. Williams was emotionally drained by the time she left New York and was unwilling to talk about the effect the pressure of going for the calendar year Grand Slam had on her in her post-match press conference. She subsequently withdrew from the remaining two tournaments on her schedule, the China Open and the WTA Tour finals. Williams has now had four months to digest what happened and yet we don't know for sure if she has come to terms with the lingering effects of that disappointment.

Physically there are also some question marks about Serena's preparedness for the Open. An inflamed knee took her out of the Hopman Cup to start January. Was this a precautionary withdrawal or the sign of something more serious? Earlier this week Williams also seemed to be in discomfort at one point during a practice session in Melbourne.The Australian Open is tough enough for competitors even when healthy. Most have not played a competitive match in at least two months and it is difficult to predict how one's body will react to match play after such a lengthy layoff. The extreme heat of the Australian summer can also deter the resolve of even the most fit player and is yet another obstacle towards success at the Open. Despite winning the tournament multiple times, there have also been early exits for Williams - see Ivanovic 2014, Stephens 2013 and Makarova 2012 as examples. In short, Serena has not been invincible in Australia and is capable of being beaten if she is not playing or feeling at her best.

Serena's draw is no walk in the park either. She opens against Camila Giorgi and will be hoping to reverse the trend against crafty Italian players in this difficult first round match. They have only played twice before, with Serena winning both, but those were on clay whereas the Aussie Open is on hardcourt. Down the road Williams could face good friend and 16th seed Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round and then perhaps Maria Sharapova or youngster Belinda Bencic (who beat her in Toronto in August) in the quarter-finals. The semis could bring bigger obstacles like Aga Radwanska, Sloane Stephens or Petra Kvitova and in the finals 14th seed but perhaps the biggest challenge to Serena in Victoria Azarenka or World No. 2 Simona Halep who seems destined to win a Slam at some point.

Serena loves it when people count her out and while that certainly isn't the case here we must acknowledge some questions that swirl as she prepares to take to the court this coming week. Check back with us regularly throughout the two week tournament as we keep you posted on all developments related to Serena Williams and other big names who try to steal the spotlight from the American legend and achieve Grand Slam glory.

Australian Open Just Around the Corner

By Mike McIntyre

Unlike most sports, tennis begins with one of its biggest moments of the year. A mere two weeks into the new tennis season in January and already fans are treated to a Grand Slam in Melbourne at the Australian Open. Why not cut right to the highest level of competition, right?

While some players have thrived under this early season pressure (see Andre Agassi and Novak Djokovic), other are simply not prepared that early into the new year to find the highest gear required to battle through best of five sets of pounding hard court action under the Australian sun.

Let's have a look at some of the favorites on the ATP World Tour to take home the first Slam of the season.

The conversation must start (and likely end) with world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. With five titles at the Aussie Open including four of the past five, how can anyone else be considered the heavy favorite once again this year? After completing one of the greatest seasons ever on the ATP World Tour in 2015 with a 82-6 record, Djokovic is heading into the new year as the man to beat. While repeating a three Slam season will be a demanding task, even if he does experience a slight hiccup Djokovic is still going to be the toughest man to face.

Without a Slam victory since Wimbledon in 2013, world No. 2 Andy Murray needs to grab a Major title in 2016 to justify his inclusion at the top of the men's game. Sure he was largely responsible for Great Britain winning the Davis Cup a couple of months ago and he can add that to his two Grand Slams and Olympic Gold medal making him one of the greats of his generation, but Murray is seemingly wasting his talent and potential by failing to add to his Grand Slam count. How this man has not achieved more since his U.S. Open triumph in 2012 is beyond me. With his coach Amelie Mauresmo back working with him this year I look for Murray to win at least one of the Slams in Australia, Wimbledon or Flushing Meadows.

The all-time greatest with 17 Slam titles is Roger Federer and he had a fantastic season in 2015 with two Slam finals. Turning 35 this coming year would signal the end of the road for most players but with Federer he somehow seems to continue to find ways (SABR) to stay fresh and try new things in order to compete for another big one. Hard to believe he has not won a Slam in over three years and it is true that as good as he is, the window is certainly closing on his chances to add to his impressive haul. On hard courts and on grass Federer could definitely still do it but he really has to hope that someone else can take Djokovic out of the equation as he was unable to put a dent in his armor when it counted the most in 2015.

World No. 4 Stan Wawrinka has proven that he truly belongs in the upper echelon of the men's game. His first Slam win was in 2014 in Melbourne and then last year he followed that up with a surprising victory on the clay in Paris. While he lacks the consistency of some of his peers who have been at the top for longer, Wawrinka is capable of winning any tournament that he enters. A deep run in the first Slam of the year is no longer possible, it is expected.

Rafael Nadal had an average season by his standards last year and failed to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time in his career. He couldn't even hold on to Roland Garros where he had won the previous 9 of 10 prior to 2015. Nadal appears to have lost his killer instinct and does not seem as physically imposing when he plays. While the French Open will still be within his grasp, I don't think he has the belief that he can win any of the other three Slams at this point in his career. Injuries have taken their toll and I would be quite surprised if we saw Rafa among the final four in Australia.

Aside from the regular favorites mentioned above, who happen to have claimed 41 of the past 44 Grand Slams, here are a few guys who want more than anything to break into the Grand Slam champions circle:

Tomas Berdych: A Slam finalist once at Wimbledon in 2010, the 6th ranked Berdych wins one and at most two ATP tournaments a year. This method has kept him in the top ten for many years but he never seems capable of beating the big guns. Now thirty years old it seems unlikely that Berdych will ever be able to put it together to win a Slam despite his immense talent.

Kei Nishikori: At 25 years old Nishikori certainly has time on his side and has made the finals of a hard court Slam before in 2014 in New York. His record at the Aussie Open is 16-6 and he has twice before advanced to the quarter-finals.

Milos Raonic: The Canadian Missile seemed to be the most likely to have a breakthrough at the Slam level but injuries are already starting to take their toll on the big man. He has had to withdraw from playing in the International Premiere Tennis League in December with back spasms which does not bode well for his chances to be ready to compete in best of five set matches in Melbourne. If he's healthy, this is a guy that could break through the big guns and make some noise.

John Isner: Similar to Raonic due to his immense height and booming serve, Isner is an older version who at the age of thirty needs to act now if he is going to taste Slam success. It is surprising to me that he has only once before made the quarterfinals of a major with the strength of his greatest weapon. He does have two Masters Series finals appearances under his belt which shows he can get hot and beat some top-level guys at times. Could it happen this year in Melbourne?

Nick Krygios: I put Kyrgios in here to stir things up a bit but also because he represents the next wave in men's tennis. Guys like Berdych, Ferrer, Tsonga and Gasquet for example are very unlikely to see the term "Grand Slam Champion" next to their names before they retire. Look to the up and coming generation who will not have to contend with Federer, Djokovic and Nadal for the bulk of their careers. Kyrgios has the swagger and confidence to will his way to a title. Others like David Goffin, Bernard Tomic, Dominic Thiem, Grigor Dimitrov and Borna Coric are also of the right age to snag some Slams at some point in their career. One of them could be a surprise in Australia this year if they are ready to make their move at a major just as an 18 year old Rafael Nadal or a 21 year old Roger Federer once did.

Top 5 Things Not To Miss At The U.S. Open

The 2014 US Open begins on Monday, August 25^th and lasts until Monday September 8^th. There's plenty to look forward to between the exciting matches, amazing food, luxurious accommodations and gorgeous weather. Let's take a look at what tennis fans should look forward to the most at the 2014 U.S. Open.

1) An Unpredictable Women's Tournament

Only one woman, Eugenie Bouchard, has reached the semifinal round at each of 2014's three women's Grand Slam events. The world's number one female player, Serena Williams, has failed to advance beyond the fourth round of this year's majors. All of this adds up to what looks like a women's US Open tournament that can be won by anyone.

2) Sleepers To Watch On The Women's Side

There is a sense around the professional tennis circuit that an unheralded player will rise up and make some serious noise in this year's US Open. Some potential sleepers on the women's side to watch are Madison Keys, Alize Cornet and Garbine Muguruza. Cornet, 24, has had a nice season that includes two wins over Serena Williams. Keys, a native of England, is only 19 but she won her first WTA title heading into the All England Club. Muguruza typically plays her best tennis on clay but the 20 year old is thought to have the potential to be a Grand Slam champion.

3) The Men Could Surprise As Well

Last year's men's US Open featured a stunning upset in which Tommy Robredo defeated the five time US Open winner Roger Federer. This year could have a few similar upsets in store. Tennis experts point to potential sleeper picks like Ernests Gulbis, Julien Benneteau and David Goffin. Marin Cilic is poised to make some noise as well. He is 6'6” and has an overpowering serve that few will be able to handle on the US Open's incredibly fast courts.

4) Experience The US Open In Comfort And Style

Tennis fans should take advantage of the US Open's Luxury Suite package. It is ideal for a large group of friends, corporate partners or those who are looking to entertain special guests. This package provides a gorgeous lounge in Arthur Ashe Stadium along with the finest foods, a plasma TV and a private bathroom. There's also a Premium Seat package with a shared hospitality space in which small groups can dine, a choice of premium seats in the stadium and much more. Finally, there is a Private Hospitality package that offers entertainment for large groups in a private room within the Indoor Training Center's Hospitality Pavilion, a plasma television and premium seating in the stadium.

5) The US Open's Amazing Food Choices

The US Open has the perfect variety of food for tennis fans of all backgrounds and ages. There's a Cuban restaurant called Mojito, Grey Goose Bar, Champions Bar & Grill for steaks, the US Open Club for American cuisine, Moet & Chandon Terrace, Cuppa Spotta, South Plaza Café, Ben & Jerry's, Carnegie Deli, the Heineken Red Star Cafe and the Patio Cafe & Bar for sandwiches, salads and cocktails. There's also courtside and suite food service provided by Aces and Champions Bar & Grill.

After the US Open ends that puts a cap on the 2014 Grand Slam season. Get ready for the 2015 season by getting an Australian Open travel package lined up so you don’t miss the beginning to what could be a crazy year in tennis.

Murray could go one better in Melbourne

The betting markets seem to suggest that the forthcoming Australian Open in Melbourne from the 13^th to the 26^th of January will be a straightforward contest between three-time reigning champion Novak Djokovic and the back-to-form Rafael Nadal who beat the Djoker so convincingly in the U.S. Open final at Flushing Meadows in September.

In fact, if you look at the advanced betting market with the biggest online betting exchange in the world, Betfair, the only other player on the men’s side of the draw they give a cat in hell’s chance is Britain’s Andy Murray. Currently, Djokovic is around 6/4, with Nadal a little further out at 2/1, followed by quite a big percentage gap to Murray at a best priced 6/1.

For those who watch the game closely, that 6/1 represents outstandingly good value if you enjoy a wager on the tennis now and again.

Remember that Murray has been on the losing side of the net in three of the last four finals in Melbourne, losing twice to Djokovic and once to Roger Federer back in 2009. This is a tournament in which the Scot really excels. The problem is that the man who excels a little more, Novak Djokovic, keeps getting in the way.

But of course that wasn’t the case at the Flushing Meadows 2012 final, nor in the London Olympics, nor at Wimbledon this summer when Murray well and truly overcame the Djoker’s Grand Slam hoodoo with a 3-0 convincing win. So perhaps Murray has lanced that particular boil?

Also; consider that Murray had to have surgery on his back at the end of the summer and wasn’t really back to his best for the U.S. Open. He will be determined to prove that he is now – and he could very easily go one better in Melbourne, so 6-1 looks mightily generous.

2013 Men's Australian Open Preview

By Mike McIntyre

The Australian Open begins tomorrow from Melbourne, Australia and tennis fans from all over the world will be eagerly waiting to see how their favorite players perform in the first Grand Slam of 2013.

While the overwhelming number one pick among experts and fans alike seems to be Novak Djokovic to capture his third slam in a row Down Under, we know that nothing is certain and that five set matches in the Aussie heat can produce some big surprises (see Johansson 2002 for example). 

Here are the main questions I have as we embark on two fantastic weeks of tennis.

- How will Roger Federer perform in his first match action of 2013? I'd be a little concerned if I were in his camp since he is the only top player to have yet to play this year.

- Will Bernard Tomic be able to continue his solid start to the year and back-up the confidence he is displaying at the moment? He is already publicly talking about a third round encounter vs Federer.

- How will Canada's Milos Raonic play? His start in Brisbane and Kooyong have yielded four straight losses.

- Will Lleyton Hewitt be able to use home court advantage to defeat Janko Tipsarevic in the opening round and find his groove in a very promising section of the draw?

- Who will be (if anyone) the darkhorse of this tournament. There are plenty of exciting options such as Gael Monfils, Jerzy Janowicz, Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic.

Let's take a look at the men's draw quarter by quarter to examine who has the best chance of advancing and what matches should be watched at all costs.

First Quarter:

Top seeded Novak Djokovic couldn't have asked for a much friendlier section of the draw to help with his title defence. While veteran Paul-Henri Mathieu is capable of playing some decent ball and a second round match with Ryan Harrison will get all the Americans buzzing, there is nobody before perhaps Tomas Berdych in the quarters who has the capability of defeating Djokovic on a day where he is healthy. Radek Stepanek is his projected third round opponent, with Sam Querrey in the fourth round. While these are all solid players, I would be absolutely shocked if they could take Djokovic down in a best of five set match.

Berdych gets veteran Michael Russell in his opener followed potentially by Guillaume Rufin, Fabio Fognini and Fernando Verdasco or Juan Monaco in the fourth round. In other words, look for him to advance to the quarters where he would face Djokovic for a spot in the semis.

Second Quarter:

David Ferrer, the fourth seed, finds himself in the top half of the draw with Djokovic. Ferrer could go from diminuitive Oliver Rochus in the first round to giant Ivo Karlovic in the second. Talk about a contrast! Beyond that he will have quality opponents such as Marcos Baghdatis in the third and Mikhail Youzhny in the fourth if he hopes to continue his quarter-finals or better streak at the majors which currently stands at four consecutive Slams. Not quite Roger Federer levels, but he sure did produce a consistent season in 2012. Ferrer is favored to make it to the final eight, but either Baghdatis (3-1 head-to-head for Ferrer) or more likely Youzhny (3-4 h2h) could bring an end to that without anyone being shocked.

Ferrer's quarter is going to give someone the opportunity to impress that we might not normally expect to see go deep in a Slam, or someone who has not gone deep in a while. Janko Tipsarevic is the 8th seed but faces national hero Lleyton Hewitt in the first round. Hewitt won the Kooyong Classic exhibition event this past week with victories over Milos Raonic, Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro in the finals. He's clearly in great shape and healthy which is always a concern for the 31 year old former world number one. This could be Hewitt's last chance to make a good run in Australia. Either he or Tipsarevic could see Gilles Muller in round two, Grigor Dmitrov or Julien Benneteau in round three and perhaps Nicolas Almagro or Jerzy Janowicz in round four before facing-off against Ferrer. Whoever manages to emerge from this terrific first round tilt should definitely be able to build on it moving forward in the draw.

Third Quarter:

I'm already looking forward to a potential fourth round match between Juan Martin Del Potro and Marin Cilic. Both of these guys should get through their initial three matches to set-up a this battle. Despite the fact that Del Potro has won their past four matches and leads head-to-head 7-2, I feel like Cilic is due for a breakout performance and that he is a player who has often played well early in the year. He also made the semi-finals here just three years ago, so we know he can perform in Australia.

A healthy Gael Monfils could spell trouble in this section if he can get by (and I think he will) the eighteenth seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov in the first round. An Andy Murray vs. Monfils fourth round match would not be one to miss either.

Murray should be enjoying the fact that the press has already annointed Djokovic as the eventual champion. After a tough loss to Federer at Wimbledon last summer, Murray finally grabbed a big one with his Olympic triumph and then followed that up with an even bigger result by nabbing his first Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows. The difference in Murray's play could be huge in 2013 as he no longer must dodge the constant stream of questions relating to his lack of Slam success. Free to simply let his play do the talking, Murray might be the one we should all be watching at the moment.

Fourth Round:

Roger Federer is getting some buzz for a potential early upset but doesn't that seem to be often the case with the game's all-time most consistent player? It is only natural for people to wonder how much longer he can keep-up his incredible streak of making the quarter-finals or better at the Slams which currently sits at an astounding 34 straight. While Benoit Paire lost to Federer in their only career meeting last fall in Basel, the young Frenchman has risen nicely in the rankings over the past couple of years and had decent results last year against some top players. While I'm not expecting an upset here, Federer does have tough players moving forward including an in-form Nikolay Davydenko in round two, upstart Bernard Tomic in round three and then perhaps the tricky Philipp Kohlschreiber or the booming Milos Raonic in the fourth round. My only issue with Federer coming into this tournament has been his decision not to play any warm-up events. All of the guys he will be facing are already well match tested in 2013.

Other players to look-out for in this section are Frenchmen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet. Those two should play each other in another entertaining fourth round possibility. Veteran Tommy Haas is lingering as well but in a best of five set match I don't think he has enough gas in the tank to compete with the younger guys.

Finally, don't forget about the potential of Raonic who is slated to meet Kohlschreiber in the third round. While he has dissapointed thus far in 2013, he has all the tools to be successful and is perhaps playing possum as we get underway. He's a guy that nobody wants to face in this tournament, I can guarantee you of that.

I'd normally go into predictions here for our semi-finalists but when I come up with Djokovic/Ferrer and Murray/Federer it just sets me up for a no-win scenario! I see Djokovic as a rock-solid pick and feel that Murray will likely face him in the finals if the latter part of 2012 was any indication. Both Federer and Ferrer are the far more vulnerable players and could be upset earlier, though I'd never bet against either one.

Enjoy the return to big-time tennis everyone and do check back for updates both here and on Twitter as the tournament progresses.

 

2013 Australian Open Draws

Here are the draws for the upcoming Australian Open. Check back with us shortly for full draw analysis.

2013 Australian Open Men's Draw

2013 Australian Open Women's Draw