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Novak Djokovic to meet easy first-round opponent in Australian Open
Updated 20:57, 13-Jan-2022
CGTN
Novak Djokovic of Serbia is the men's singles No. 1 seed at the 2022 Australian Open. /CFP

Novak Djokovic of Serbia is the men's singles No. 1 seed at the 2022 Australian Open. /CFP

World No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic of Serbia will meet his compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round of the coming Australian Open, according to the draw results of the tournament on Thursday.

The draw was delayed because it's unclear whether Djokovic, who's also the men's No. 1 seed at the Australian Open, will be allowed to stay in the country or not. As he was unvaccinated against COVID-19, Djokovic sought and was granted a medical exemption by two independent panels of experts before departing for Australia.

However, the Australian Border Force had Djokovic's visa cancelled when he arrived at Melbourne Airport and kept him in a detention hotel for days. The Australian government, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison, threatened deportation of the Serbian superstar.

Rafael Nadal of Spain is the men's singles No. 6 seed at the 2022 Australian Open. /CFP

Rafael Nadal of Spain is the men's singles No. 6 seed at the 2022 Australian Open. /CFP

An Australian federal court on Monday ruled in favor of Djokovic against deportation. He posted a photo of himself on a tennis court at Melbourne Park later on the day, confirming that he plans to compete in the Australian Open.

However, Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke holds the right to cancel Djokovic's visa, which could result in a three-year ban from the country for the player. Hawke has not made his decision so far.

If he does play, Djokovic is unlikely to face a major challenge until the quarterfinals, in which he may play against No. 7 seed Matteo Berrettini from Italy. If Djokovic reaches the semifinals, his opponent may be the winner between No. 6 seed Rafael Nadal pf Spain and No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany.

Daniil Medvedev of Russia is the men's singles No. 2 seed at the 2022 Australian Open. /CFP

Daniil Medvedev of Russia is the men's singles No. 2 seed at the 2022 Australian Open. /CFP

No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who lost to Djokovic in the men's singles final in the Australian Open in 2021, will have to beat his compatriot, No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev, if he wants to get revenge for the lost final match.

On the women's side, No. 1 seed, home player Ashleigh Barty's first major challenge will be the reigning champion No. 13 Naomi Osaka of Japan. No. 17 seed Emma Raducanu from Britain, who won the U.S. Open title last year, will play against Sloane Stephens of the U.S. in the first round before having the chance to challenge No. 3 seed Garbine Muguruza of Spain.

Ashleigh Barty of Australia is the women's singles No. 1 seed at the 2022 Australian Open. /CFP

Ashleigh Barty of Australia is the women's singles No. 1 seed at the 2022 Australian Open. /CFP

Five Chinese players will compete in the women's singles event at the Australian Open. Zhang Shuai will meet Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic in the first round. Golubic has lost in the first round of all five editions of Australian Open she attended, but has beaten Zhang twice in the previous three matches they played.

Wang Qiang will challenge No. 18 seed Cori Gauff of the U.S. in her first match. Ann Li, who is also from the U.S., will play against China's Wang Xinyu. Zheng Saisai and Wang Xiyu of China are waiting for their rivals to be confirmed from the qualification event.

This year's Australian Open will begin on January 17.

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