Australian Open 2022: Predicting the men's singles finalists
The men's singles draw for the 2022 Australian Open was revealed on Thursday, throwing up plenty of interesting storylines that will unfold over the next fortnight. Defending champion Novak Djokovic's visa controversy has dominated the headlines in the lead-up to the tournament and it remains to be seen if the Serb will be allowed to compete in Melbourne.
Rafael Nadal has been drawn in the same half as the World No. 1 and they're projected to meet in the semifinals. Both players are trying to become the first to win 21 Grand Slam titles.
World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev is on a mission of his own, attempting to become the first player outside the Big 3 to win consecutive Grand Slam titles.
Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini lead the charge for the next generation of players chasing Grand Slam glory. There are also quite a few underdogs who'll be looking to upset their more fancied opponents and chart their own fairytale runs to the title.
On that note, here's a prediction of how the tournament might play out.
Top half - Alexander Zverev earns first Slam victory over Novak Djokovic
Assuming three-time defending champion Djokovic is allowed to compete in the 2022 Australian Open, he has a rather easy path to the fourth round. After a first-round clash with Miomir Kecmanovic, he will most likely face Tommy Paul, Lorenzo Sonego and Cristian Garin in the next three rounds. All are winnable matches for the Serb.
@DjokerNole begins his title defence against Miomir Kecmanovic.
Top seed and nine-time #AusOpen champion 🇷🇸 @DjokerNole begins his title defence against Miomir Kecmanovic.
#AO2022 https://t.co/96MAlHNElG
Djokovic could then face Matteo Berrettini in yet another Grand Slam quarterfinal. The World No. 1 defeated the Italian in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and the US Open. He also won their Wimbledon final meeting in four sets. If this clash does come to fruition, the Serb will be the heavy favorite to come through and make the semifinals, where he could face third seed Alexander Zverev.
Zverev has a rather comfortable path until the fourth round. After facing Daniel Altmaier in the first round, his next three opponents are likely to be John Millman, Lloyd Harris and either Reilly Opelka or Denis Shapovalov. Given Zverev's current form, it's hard to see him losing to any of those opponents.
The ATP Finals champion could then face Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals provided the Spaniard gets through his section of the draw, which includes 28th seed Karen Khachanov and 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz.
@RafaelNadal will begin his campaign against Marcos Giron.
Rafa's ready 👌
Our 2009 #AusOpen champion and No. 6 seed 🇪🇸 @RafaelNadal will begin his campaign against Marcos Giron.
#AO2022 https://t.co/CXQWJSkwGr
While the former World No. 1 did make a successful comeback by winning the Melbourne Summer Set, he did not face a top player. Zverev will represent a huge challenge, one that Nadal is unlikely to be able to conquer.
If the German does make the semifinals, he will likely lock horns with Novak Djokovic. Zverev beat Djokovic at the Olympics and the ATP Finals last year, but he has never tasted success against the Serb at the Grand Slam level. This could be the tournament in which he rewrites that statistic.
Predicted semifinals: Alexander Zverev def. Novak Djokovic
Bottom half: Daniil Medvedev thwarts Jannik Sinner's challenge
Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas doesn't appear to be at his best following surgery towards the end of 2021. He looked rusty in the ATP Cup, and is unlikely to make a deep run in the Australian Open, given he will have to come through a section containing 26th seed Grigor Dimitrov and 15th seed Roberto Bautista Agut.
That could leave the door open for the likes of Casper Ruud and Jannik Sinner, who projected to meet in the fourth round. The young Italian has made some quick strides in his career to rise to the top and he'll be favored to make the semifinals from his section.
If he does make the last four of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career, Sinner will likely meet last year's runner-up Daniil Medvedev.
The second-seeded Russian kicks off his 2022 Australian Open campaign against Henri Laaksonen and could potentially meet Nick Kyrgios in the second round and Ugo Humbert in the third. 13th seed Diego Schwartzman is a potential fourth-round opponent for the Russian, ahead of a possible clash with compatriot Andrey Rublev or Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Regardless of who Medvedev faces, he should be able to make the semifinals.
Predicted semifinals: Daniil Medvedev def. Jannik Sinner
Predicted finalists: Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev