[ad_1]
Males to observe on the Australian Open:
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
Ranked: 1
Nation: Serbia
Age: 33
2020 Match File: 41-5
2020 Singles Titles: 4
Profession Singles Titles: 81
Grand Slam Singles Titles: 17 — Australian Open (8: 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020), French Open (1: 2016), Wimbledon (5: 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019), U.S. Open (3: 2011, 2015, 2018)
Final 5 Australian Opens: 2020-Gained Championship, 2019-Gained Championship, 2018-Misplaced in 4th Spherical, 2017-Misplaced in 2nd Spherical, 2016-Gained Championship
Aces: Resumes bid for Grand Slam title No. 18 — and record-extending ninth at Melbourne Park, third in a row — after shedding to Rafael Nadal within the closing of the French Open in October and being defaulted on the U.S. Open for by chance hitting a line choose within the throat with a ball swatted in anger whereas strolling to the sideline. … Assured of tying Roger Federer’s file for whole weeks atop ATP rankings on March 1, it doesn’t matter what occurs in Australian Open.
Matchup to Watch For: Might face 2019 quarterfinalist Frances Tiafoe within the second spherical.
Phrases: “The extra you win, clearly, on the court docket, the extra assured you’re feeling coming again to it.” — Djokovic, discussing his success at Rod Laver Area
RAFAEL NADAL
Ranked: 2
Nation: Spain
Age: 34
2020 Match File: 27-7
2020 Singles Titles: 2
Profession Singles Titles: 86
Grand Slam Singles Titles: 20 — Australian Open (1: 2009), French Open (13: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), Wimbledon (2: 2008, 2010), U.S. Open (4: 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019)
Final 5 Australian Opens: 2020-QF, 2019-Runner-Up, 2018-QF, 2017-Runner-Up, 2016-1st
Aces: Looking for males’s file twenty first Grand Slam singles title after tying Federer’s mark of 20 by successful a thirteenth trophy at Roland Garros in October. … Sat out opening match of ATP Cup, citing a sore decrease again. … Member of ATP Prime 10 since April 2005, breaking Jimmy Connors’ file with greater than 800 weeks in that group.
Matchup to Watch For: Might face flamable Fabio Fognini, the sixteenth seed, or speedy Alex de Minaur, the twenty first seed, within the fourth spherical.
Phrases: “I simply can congratulate the nation for a tremendous effort that Australia did to comprise the virus right here. Is without doubt one of the greatest examples on the planet about find out how to do the issues properly on this specific case.” — Nadal, in regards to the pandemic
DOMINIC THIEM
Ranked: 3
Nation: Austria
Age: 27
2020 Match File: 25-9
2020 Singles Titles: 1
Profession Singles Titles: 17
Grand Slam Singles Titles: 1 — U.S. Open (2020)
Final 5 Australian Opens: 2020-RU, 2019-2nd, 2018-4th, 2017-4th, 2016-Third
Aces: After shedding to Djokovic in final yr’s closing in Melbourne to fall to 0-3 in Grand Slam title matches, earned his first main trophy on the U.S. Open in September. … Member of Prime 10 since June 2016, the second-longest energetic run behind Nadal’s keep that started 11 years earlier. … 9-3 over the previous two seasons towards Djokovic, Nadal and Federer.
Matchup to Watch For: Might face crowd favourite Nick Kyrgios within the third spherical.
Phrases: “I’m by no means the man who has the best begins to a brand new season or after a very long time off. There’s many, many issues to enhance and to regulate, nonetheless.” — Thiem
DANIIL MEDVEDEV
Ranked: 4
Nation: Russia
Age: 24
2020 Match File: 28-10
2020 Singles Titles: 2
Profession Singles Titles: 9
Grand Slam Singles Titles: 0 — Greatest: RU, U.S. Open (2019)
Final 5 Australian Opens: 2020-4th, 2019-4th, 2018-2nd, 2017-1st, 2016-Did Not Play
Aces: Ended final season on a 10-match successful streak, with seven of these victories coming towards gamers within the Prime 10. … His title on the season-ending ATP Finals included wins over Djokovic, Nadal and Thiem, making him the primary participant since 2007 to beat every of the lads ranked 1-3 at one match.
Matchup to Watch For: Might face No. 7 seed Andrey Rublev in an all-Russian matchup within the quarterfinals.
Phrases: “He’s like a chess grasp to me. He’s mainly my favourite man to observe now, as a result of he simply performs, like, ‘old fashioned,’ a bit of bit. He’s strategizing. He’s considering forward.” — John McEnroe on Medvedev
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS
Ranked: 6
Nation: Greece
Age: 22
2020 Match File: 29-14
2020 Singles Titles: 5
Profession Singles Titles: 1
Grand Slam Singles Titles: 0 — Greatest: SF, Australian Open (2019), French Open (2020)
Final 5 Australian Opens: 2020-Third, 2019-SF, 2018-1st, 2017-DNP, 2016-DNP
Aces: Pushed Djokovic to 5 units within the semifinals at Roland Garros final October. … Misplaced to Nadal within the Australian Open semifinals two years in the past after beating Federer within the quarterfinals. … Picked up wins towards every member of the Massive Three earlier than his twenty first birthday.
Matchup to Watch For: Might face 17-year-old Carlos Alcaraz of Spain within the third spherical.
Phrases: “Proper now I’m good bodily, I’m good mentally. I’m prepared to only go on the market and provides every part I’ve.” — Tsitsipas
ALEXANDER ZVEREV
Ranked: 7
Nation: Germany
Age: 23
2020 Match File: 28-11
2020 Singles Titles: 2
Profession Singles Titles: 13
Grand Slam Singles Titles: 0 — Greatest: RU, U.S. Open (2020)
Final 5 Australian Opens: 2020-SF, 2019-4th, 2018-Third, 2017-Third, 2016-1st
Aces: Has proven regular progress at Melbourne Park. Now can he take the following step? … Produced the 2 greatest Grand Slam showings of his profession in 2020, reaching the semifinals on the Australian Open, then reaching the U.S. Open closing earlier than blowing a two-set lead and shedding to Thiem in a fifth-set tiebreaker.
Matchup to Watch For: Might face Djokovic within the quarterfinals.
Phrases: “I’ve been working extraordinarily arduous within the low season. I’d prefer to assume that I did every part I might to be as well-prepared as I will be.” — Zverev
Extra AP tennis: https://apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
[ad_2]
Source link
