Top seeds Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek begin their campaigns on Day 1 of Australian Open 2023, while the only two former women’s champions square off.
Here’s our pick of the best first round clashes on Monday.
Rafael Nadal v Jack Draper
Head-to-head 0-0
Former Spanish world No.1 Carlos Moya holds no grudges seeing any records he once held fall at the hands of his charge, Rafael Nadal.
There is one the Australian Open finalist from 26 years ago would like to hang on to though and it would be to top seed Nadal’s advantage when he opens his title defence against Jack Draper on Rod Laver Arena on Monday.
Not since 1997 has the defending champion at Melbourne Park fallen in the opening round.
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That came when a 25th-ranked Moya stunned Boris Becker in five sets before reaching his maiden major final at the end of the fortnight.
Nadal, keen to put an injury-disrupted 2022 behind him, bids to avoid Becker’s fate when he faces the left-handed Briton for the first time.
Almost a year since his remarkable comeback from two sets down to deny Daniil Medvedev for his second Australian Open title, Nadal arrived in Melbourne with two United Cup losses for Spain, while Draper reached his second ATP 500 semifinal in Adelaide to break into the top 40.
“Probably one of the toughest first rounds possible, being seeded,” Nadal said. “[Draper is] young, powerful, growing very, very fast on the ranking, playing well.
“Probably, yeah, a big challenge for me at the beginning to start the tournament. Let's see. I'm here to just give myself a chance.
“I know he's playing well. He has a lot of positive things, and probably a great career in front.”
Iga Swiatek v Jule Niemeier
Head-to-head 1-0
Few imagined how quickly Poland’s Iga Swiatek would step up and fill the void left when Ash Barty retired last March.
The dominant world No.1 collected two of the three subsequent majors in 2022 – at Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows – with the only letdown a third-round exit to Alize Cornet at Wimbledon.
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That incidentally was where big-striking German Jule Niemeier first announced herself with a run to a maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal, beating second seed Anett Kontaveit en route.
The 69th-ranked 23-year-old also reached the fourth round at the US Open where she led top seed Swiatek by a set and a break before the top seed went all the way to the title.
“You saw how intense that match was, how tough,” Swiatek said. “It's not going to be easy. But on the other hand, any match in a Grand Slam is always more intense and more stressful than other tournaments. I'll be ready for it.
“It's nice also that we played not so long ago, so I can take a lot from that match. Now I know how her ball feels on the racquet, so we'll see.”
Niemeier did not win any of her three matches leading in, while Swiatek went undefeated in three United Cup matches for Poland in Brisbane before falling to Jessica Pegula in Poland’s semifinal defeat to the US in Sydney.
Victoria Azarenka v Sofia Kenin
Head-to-head 1-1
The only two former women’s champions in the draw will stand toe to toe in the first round when Victoria Azarenka and Sofia Kenin meet for the third time.
A decade since she defended her Australian Open title at Melbourne Park, 33-year-old Azarenka arrives on the back of two three-hour-plus defeats in Adelaide events – the first in a quarterfinal to 18-year-old Linda Noskova and last week to Veronika Kudermetova in the first round.
DRAW: Australian Open 2023 men's singles
DRAW: Australian Open 2023 women's singles
The 24th seed wound back the clock on her best surface late last year, reaching the fourth round at the US Open and the semifinals at the WTA 1000 event in Guadalajara.
Azarenka would do well to remember the last time she crossed paths with the American in Rome in 2020, when she dished out a double-bagel drubbing.
Kenin narrowly claimed the honours previously in Acapulco in 2019 and following her injury and form woes of last year, the 2020 Australian Open champion made a promising dash to the Hobart semifinals last week, her first at tour level since reaching the Roland Garros final in 2020.