Established Australians fared better than the greenest of the emerging talents in Thursday’s draw, with respective No.1s Nick Kyrgios and Ash Barty protected to some degree by their seedings, but new-season revelation Alex De Minaur and 17-year-old Destanee Aiava are among those to face long-term residents of the top 20.
Kyrgios, the 17th seed and former quarter-finalist who has spent the week topping off a preparation that began with a maiden singles title on home Plexicushion at the Brisbane International, faces a reasonably comfortable start against Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva, and would then play the winner of fellow Australian Alex Bolt or seasoned Viktor Troicki.
Things potentially get far tougher for the Canberran in the third round, however, via a potential match-up against either the old (French veteran Jo-Wilfried Tsonga) or the young (Denis Shapovalov, who stunned Rafa Nadal at the 2017 Montreal Masters and then made an exhilarating charge to the last 16 at the US Open, or fast-improving young Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas). Next would be world No.3 Grigor Dimitrov in a Brisbane semifinal rematch Kyrgios would back himself to repeat.
Things are likely to hot up more quickly for De Minaur, the 'Baby Lleyton' whose second main draw campaign at Melbourne Park will be launched by a feature court clash with Czech 19th seed and former Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych. Yet what is an on-paper mismatch in size, weight and ranking is likely to be far closer than that, as De Minaur’s giant-slaying efforts in Brisbane and Sydney have shown. He has every chance.
The luck of the draw deserted Australian No.2 Matt Ebden (facing 16th seed John Isner), and wildcard Jason Kubler (against No.10 and US Open semi-finalist Pablo Carreno Busta), while Thanasi Kokkinakis meets talented contemporary Daniil Medvedev in a nod to the future. Meanwhile, anything is a bonus for Sydney’s French Open junior champion Alexei Popyrin, the world No.621 who will mark his Grand Slam debut against American world No.135 and fellow wildcard Tim Smyczek.
“It’s a great opportunity for me. I’m looking forward to getting on the big stage,’’ said the 196-centimetre Sydneysider, who nevertheless said he expected to “have a bit of nerves and a bit of goosebumps”.
“I’ve dreamt of this moment so many times in my life and it’s just a great opportunity for me to get out there and compete, and hopefully win some matches.’’
For her part, Barty has landed among potential landmines in the loaded top quarter of the draw. The 18th seed should be too accomplished for Belarussian Aryna Sabalenka - the teenager who upset Sloane Stephens in last year’s Fed Cup final - but is then likely to face fellow Sydney International semi-finalist Camilla Giorgi before perhaps running into No.1 seed Simona Halep in the round of 16.
Daria Gavrilova, another among the last three in Sydney and the host nation’s remaining seed, could start with consecutive qualifiers, then follow-up with 12th seed Julia Goerges, but would then possibly have to beat the great Venus Williams to surpass her fourth-round efforts of the past two years.
There was little to smile about for Aiava, though, who is admitting to some tennis growing pains, and will need to conjure something remarkable to rise above Halep. But at least there will be a guaranteed local presence in the second round via the all-Melbourne clash between Jaimee Fourlis and Olivia Rogowska.