Australian Open Draw 2016: Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic face tough draws

Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic are on tough roads. 

Top seeds and dominant world number ones Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic received potentially tricky draws in their quest for another Australian Open title in Melbourne Thursday morning.

For the 21-time Grand Slam champion, Williams received the toughest first round match that any of the top women’s seeds could have gotten in the explosive Italian talent Camila Giorgi. Giorgi just missed out on getting one of the 32 seeds and has the ability to beat any opponent on any day, Serena included.

If that wasn’t rough opening draw news for the defending women’s champion, having the likes of close friend Caroline Wozniacki, Belinda Bencic and whipping tool Maria Sharapova in her quarter will make her road to a 2016 title be as difficult as her 2015 one. Fortunately for Serena, in-form second favorite Victoria Azarenka will not face her in Melbourne unless both players meet in the final. The Belorussian ace, coming off her impressive title in Brisbane, finally saw her draw placing be on the opposite side from Williams, unlike last year’s French Open and Wimbledon. Still, the fiery Belorussian ace will have a potentially difficult opener herself against rising Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck.

Though Djokovic doesn’t have a player capable of truly beating him in the first round like Williams does, the Serbian superstar does have talented opposition against him in emerging Korean teen Hyeon Chung. No.7 Kei Nishikori is the top seed he could face in the quarterfinals, and though Djokovic has controlled his head to head with the Japanese shotmaker (5-2 H2H to Djokovic), Nishikori did produce a famous win over him at the 2014 US Open semifinals. Djokovic could then meet Roger Federer in the semifinals, as the Swiss legend and No.3 seed could potentially have encounters against dangerous talents Alexandr Dolgopolov and Grigor Dimitrov before the Round of 16.

For both draws, the most anticipated viewing was which quarter would have formidable No.5 seeds Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova. Nadal was rooted to being outside the top four despite his Doha loss to Djokovic, but Sharapova’s 2016 got off to an inauspicious start. The 2008 champion saw her ranked drop one spot last week after being unable to defend her title in Brisbane, coupled with Agnieszka Radwanska winning the Shenzhen Open title.

Despite Nadal and Sharapova’s multiple Grand Slam winning pedigree, both were in danger of drawing the top seeds who have dominated them either as of late (Djokovic on Nadal) or virtually forever (Serena on Maria). Unfortunately for Sharapova, she got placed into Serena’s quarter. But Nadal lucked out, slightly. The Spanish legend ended up in big hitting, multiple Slam champion Stan Wawrinka’s quarter, as both could face Andy Murray in the bottom half’s semifinal.

Half of Djokovic’s ten Grand Slam titles have come in Melbourne, and it would be a complete shock if he doesn’t bring home a sixth crown. That doesn’t mean the likes of Wawrinka, a Grand Slam nemesis for him two years ago in Melbourne and at last year’s Roland Garros, can’t produce another banner win against him. But Djokovic’s confidence is at an all-time high, consolidating his tremendous start last year with an even more ominous end to the year. Now off his first Doha title to begin his 2016 season, Djokovic brings in a remarkable 16 straight tournament finals reached streak to his favorite tournament.

On the women’s side, Williams comes in as the prohibitive favorite. But questions over the health of her knee and lack of activity since her U.S. Open loss to Roberta Vinci last September make her slightly less of a lock than her male number one counterpart. Serena’s sister, Venus Williams, is seeded No.8 and would only be able to meet her in the final. The elder Williams sister had an impressive 2016 herself and could make a deep run in Melbourne, as she drew British number one Johanna Konta in the first round.