Nick Kyrgios’s Australian Open dangermen revealed: Everything you need to know about grand slam draw
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The potential dangers for Nick Kyrgios at the Australian Open revealed: everything you need to know about today’s draw for the down under grand slam
- Kyrgios lost to Daniil Medvedev in the second round of last year’s Open
- This time around he’ll avoid tough opening opponents courtesy of his 20th seed.
- If he makes it to the third round, things could be much more difficult.
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Which dangerous man Nick Kyrgios could hit in the third round is the most compelling question to be answered at Thursday’s Australian Open draw in Melbourne.
Kyrgios has been seeded 20th, ensuring the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up and US Open quarter-finalist avoids a top-eight challenger until at least the second week, if he gets that far.
Potentially standing in the way of Australia’s main title hope and a place in the last 16 is a group of exciting youngsters and some of the best hitters in men’s tennis.
If the bigwigs live up to their rankings and advance to the third round, Kyrgios will face a player seeded 9-16 in the last 32 at Melbourne Park.
Kyrgios (pictured with girlfriend Costeen Hatzi) is ranked 20th, which means he’ll avoid the kind of difficult Australian Grand Slam opening he had to carry last year.
In 2022 he lost to Daniil Medvedev in the second round (pictured) before winning the men’s doubles crown with great partner Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The deadly group includes former World No. 2 Alexander Zverev, 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini and multiple Grand Slam semifinalist Pablo Carreno Busta.
All England Club semi-finalists Hubert Hurkacz and Cameron Norrie also loom as potential third-round obstacles for Kyrgios, as do Jannik Sinner, Frances Tiafoe and Danish sensation Holger Rune, who has just broken into the world’s top 10.
If he can negotiate a way to the second week for the fourth time, Kyrgios could face reigning champion Rafael Nadal, nine-time winner Novak Djokovic, Melbourne Park double-finalist Daniil Medvedev or second seed Casper Ruud for a berth in the quarterfinals. final.
Germany’s Alexander Zverev (pictured playing at a charity event in Melbourne on Wednesday night) looms as a potential hurdle for Kyrgios.
The Australian could meet 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini (pictured playing at the United Cup in Sydney earlier this month) in the third round.
Alex de Minaur is Australia’s only other singles seed for the first Grand Slam of the season which begins on Monday after women’s hopeful Ajla Tomljanovic cruelly lost a protected position.
De Minaur is the men’s 23rd seed, which puts him in the same position as Kyrgios, guaranteed not to meet a player in the top eight until at least the fourth round.
But Tomljanovic let slip a prized seed after missing two places in this week’s standings after missing out on the United Cup due to a knee injury.
The open draw will take place at Melbourne Park at 3pm AEDT.