Andy Murray facing nightmare Australian Open draw as Emma Raducanu to face old foe in comeback tournament
EMMA RADUCANU will be reunited with a familiar face from her New York fairy-tale run at next week’s Australian Open.
And Andy Murray may end up having to face old foe Novak Djokovic for the first time in SEVEN YEARS if the pair win their opening two matches in Melbourne.
Brit Raducanu, 21, has been drawn to face American Shelby Rogers, 31, in the first round of the first Slam of the New Year.
The only time they have previously met the Kent player succeeded 6-2 6-1 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in the Big Apple.
This was in the last 16 of the 2021 US Open as she went on to lift her maiden major, collect £1.8million in prize money and become a worldwide celebrity.
Raducanu is playing Down Under for the first time since undergoing three operations – one on her left ankle and two on her wrists – in May 2023.
To enter this tournament, she is having to use a protected ranking, like her American opponent, but required half-a-dozen withdrawals to squeeze into the main draw and avoid the rigmarole of qualifying.
The British No.8 is in the same section of the women’s singles tournament as Katie Boulter – who opens up against China’s Yuan Yue – and there is the prospect of the two countrywomen meeting in the last 32.
Jodie Burrage, who has made the step up to Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup squads in recent months, has been drawn to face Tamara Korpatsch of Germany.
In the men’s draw, Murray – a five-time Aussie Open finalist – begins his campaign against Argentine No.30 seed Tomas Martín Etcheverry.
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The winner of that faces either Frenchman Gael Monfils or German Yannick Hanfmann in round two.
And then it is likely to be Djokovic, the world No.1 and 10-time champion, who lies in wait in the third round.
Though this is a case of looking further ahead, Murray has not played the Serbian superstar since Doha in February 2017.
Of course, the pair – whose birthdays are separated by only a week – share plenty of history with seven of their 36 battles coming in finals across the four majors.
Provided he is fit, then No.19 seed Cameron Norrie – who pulled out of this week’s Auckland Classic as a precautionary measure – starts against Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas.
Dan Evans plays Italian Lorenzo Sonego but will be aware that No.2 seed Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon champion, should be lurking in the second round.
Jack Draper, who cramped up in defeat to Rafa Nadal in the first round of the 2023 Oz Open, has been paired with Marcos Giron, the ninth-ranked player from United States, in the bottom half of the draw.
Other notable ties involve top seed Iga Swiatek against 2020 champion Sofia Kenin and the returning Naomi Osaka – who gave birth to a baby girl last summer – against Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia.
The Slam begins on Sunday and will take place over 15 days for the first time.
Francesca Jones retired with injury after eight games of the third set of her qualifier on Melbourne Park against German Ella Seidel.