Roger Federer will open his title defence against Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene and has a potential quarterfinal with David Goffin in the Australian Open.
In Thursday’s draw, 36-year-old Federer, bidding for a record 20th Grand Slam title, has a first round encounter with the 51st-ranked Bedene.
The Swiss marvel, chasing a sixth Australian Open crown, could also face big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic in the fourth round in the bottom half of the men’s draw.
World No.1 and top seed Rafael Nadal starts his Australian campaign against 83rd-ranked Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic in the top quarter of the draw.
Nadal could face World No. 6 Marin Cilic of Croatia in the quarterfinals.
Six-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, seeded 14th this year, has a couple of potential early obstacles with American Donald Young and potentially mercurial Frenchman Gael Monfils in the second round.
World No. 5 Dominic Thiem is projected to face rising young German star Alexander Zverev in the quarters of Djokovic’s section of the draw.
Former winner Stan Wawrinka, is in the same section of the draw and faces Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis first up.
World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov faces a qualifier first up and could face American Jack Sock in the quarters.
Tempestuous Australian 17th seed Nick Kyrgios, is in the same section of the draw and faces Brazil’s 100th-ranked Rogerio Dutra Silva.
Venus seeded fifth
Romania’s World No. 1 and tournament’s top seed Simona Halep will face Australian wild card Destanee Aiava as her first round opponent at the Australian Open, while Thursday’s draw could also see her go up against Karolina Pliskova in the quarterfinals.
Last year’s quarterfinalist Johanna Konta is in the same quarter as Halep and faces American Madison Brengle first up.
Caroline Wozniacki, the second seed after her resurgence in 2017 when she reached eight finals, opens against Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania in the bottom half of the draw.
Wozniacki is projected to face French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in the quarters.
Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza is in the same half of the draw as Halep and takes on France’s Jessika Ponchet in the opening round.
Muguruza, seeded three, could face another Frenchwoman, Caroline Garcia, in the quarters.
The 2008 champion Maria Sharapova is unseeded and takes on 47th-ranked German Tatjana Maria in the first round in the same section of the draw.
Venus Williams, who last won a Slam in 2008, is seeded five and has a first-round encounter with Swiss Belinda Bencic. .
Williams could face Ukraine’s fourth seed Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals.
