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There was a query mark over Federer, who warned this month he was in a “race in opposition to time” to be match after two rounds of knee surgical procedure. However the Swiss legend has begun coaching in Dubai and was amongst these entered to play at Melbourne Park.
On the Melbourne Park, Serena will set herself as much as equal Margaret Court docket’s file of 24 Grand Slam singles titles by successful an eighth Australian Open crown.
“Though the AO will look a bit totally different to earlier years, the protection of everyone seems to be our high precedence. We have now the chance to stage a really secure, and glad Slam, and provides the gamers the expertise of competing in entrance of crowds once more, one thing they’ve missed for many of this yr,” Australian Open match director Craig Tiley stated in a press release on Thursday.
“There are such a lot of nice storylines for AO 2021. Serena is gunning for her eighth AO title whereas Novak, who usually appears invincible at Melbourne Park, goes for a file ninth title. Our personal world No.1 Ash Barty will return to Grand Slam competitors, as will Roger Federer as he comes again from harm. And there is a new crop of rising stars coming as much as problem all of them,” he added.
Becoming a member of defending champion Djokovic is world quantity two Rafael Nadal Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Diego Schwartzman and Matteo Berrettini.
Additionally in rivalry on the ladies’s aspect are world quantity two Simona Halep, 2020 US Open champion Naomi Osaka, defending champion, Sofia Kenin, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Pliskova, Bianca Andreescu, Petra Kvitova, Kiki Bertens (NED) and Aryna Sabalenka
Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka returns, having missed the match in 2020, alongside19-year-old Iga Swiatek, the latest grand slam girls’s champion who gained Roland Garros in October.
A complete of 104 gamers will obtain direct entry into the boys’s and ladies’s singles predominant draw and an extra eight are awarded wildcards, whereas 16 locations shall be decided on the qualifying rounds.
Prior to now 17 years, the all-time grand slam main trio of Djokovic (2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020), Federer (2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017, 2018) and Nadal (2009) have gained the Norman Brookes Problem Cup 15 instances between them.
There have been eight totally different girls’s champions since 2011 – Kenin (2020), Osaka (2019), Caroline Wozniacki (2018), Serena Williams (2017, 2015), Angelique Kerber (2016), Li Na (2014), Azarenka (2013, 2012) and Kim Clijsters (2011).
The ATP had earlier introduced that males’s qualifying for the Australian Open would happen in Doha and Dubai from January 10-13 earlier than gamers relocated to Melbourne to enter 14-day quarantine.
Australia Open was earlier scheduled to start out from January 18, nonetheless the schedule was up to date due to the Covid-19 restrictions.
–IANS
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