Australian Open 2022: Men's singles draw analysis, preview and prediction
The draw for this year's Australian Open was announced on Thursday, throwing up a number of enticing storylines. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have been drawn in the same half, meaning they could meet in the semifinals of the competition.
The build up to the tournament has been dominated by Novak Djokovic's visa controversy. Australia's Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is monitoring the matter and could cancel Djokovic's visa, preventing the Serb from competing in the competition.
But if Djokovic is cleared to compete, he will be the heavy favorite to win a 10th Australian Open crown and 21st Major, which will see him gain sole ownership of the Grand Slam record.
However, the likes of Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are more than capable of giving the World No. 1 a run for his money.
Andrey Rublev, Matteo Berrettini, Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz also cannot be counted out.
Australian Open men’s singles draw (pdf view) https://t.co/HBmZTOOQ8V
So without any further ado, let's take a more detailed look at the men's singles draw for the 2022 Australian Open.
1st quarter: Another Novak Djokovic-Matteo Berrettini quarterfinal on the cards
Top seeds: [1] Novak Djokovic, [7] Matteo Berrettini, [12] Cameron Norrie, [16] Cristian Garin
Expected quarterfinal: Novak Djokovic vs Matteo Berrettini
Dark horse: Sebastian Korda
Analysis: Reigning champion Djokovic will start his Australian Open campaign against compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic. His likely opponent in the second round will be American Tommy Paul. The American reached the quarterfinals of both warm-up tournaments he competed in in Melbourne, but he too should not pose much of a threat to the World No.1.
Djokovic will likely face either Cristian Garin or Gael Monfils in the fourth round. Djokovic has won all of his 17 encounters against the Frenchman and is a perfect 2-0 against Garin.
Matteo Berrettini, meanwhile, has landed in a rather tricky section. The Italian will take on budding youngster Brandon Nakashima in the first round following which he could face Czech Republic's Jiri Vesely.
Berrettini could face his sternest test in the third round against rising star Carlos Alcaraz, who reached the US Open quarterfinals in 2021. The Spaniard defeated the Italian when they met in Vienna a few months ago.
Sebastian Korda and Cameron Norrie are also present in this quarter of the draw. The American was a runner-up at the Next Gen Finals last year, while Norrie had a sensational 2021 season.
Quarterfinal prediction: Novak Djokovic def. Matteo Berrettini.
Second quarter: Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev on a collision course
Top seeds: [3] Alexander Zverev, [6] Rafael Nadal, [10] Hubert Hurkacz, [14] Denis Shapovalov
Expected quarterfinal: Rafael Nadal vs Alexander Zverev
Dark Horse: Mackenzie McDonald
Analysis: Alexander Zverev will be keen to get his hands on his Grand Slam trophy in Melbourne. The World No. 3 opens against compatriot Daniel Altmaier, before a potential clash with John Millman.
Zverev will likely face 30th seed Lloyd Harris before taking on Denis Shapovalov in the last 16. The Canadian has beaten him twice in six meetings, but given Zverev's recent form, the German should be able to make the quarterfinals.
The other section of this quarter consists of sixth seed and 2009 champion Rafael Nadal, who enters the tournament high on confidence, having won the Melbourne Summer Set last week. The Spaniard should have little trouble reaching the third round, where he could come up against Karen Khachanov.
Potential opponents for the 35-year-old in the fourth round include Hubert Hurkacz and last year's semifinalist Aslan Karatsev. Mackenzie McDonald, who reached the fourth round of the Australian Open last year, should not be written off either.
Quarterfinal Prediction: Rafael Nadal def. Alexander Zverev
Third quarter: Stefanos Tsitsipas' path to the semifinals littered with obstacles
Top Seeds: [4] Stefanos Tsitsipas, [8] Casper Ruud, [11] Jannik Sinner, [15] Roberto Bautista Agut
Expected quarterfinal: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Casper Ruud
Dark Horse: Andy Mu
Analysis: Eighth seed Casper Ruud failed to make an impact at the ATP Cup and will be eager to make amends at the Australian Open. The Norwegian should have an easy path to the third round, where he could face local favorite Alex De Minaur.
Also in this section of the draw are Jannik Sinner and Andy Murray. The Scot has shown glimpses of his best tennis in recent weeks, having beaten Nadal in Abu Dhabi last month and made the semifinals of the ongoing Sydney International. The three-time Grand Slam champion will likely face Sinner in the third round before a potential last-16 encounter with Ruud.
The other side of this quarter is headlined by two-time semifinalist Stefanos Tsitsipas. The World No. 4 does not have the easiest of draws as he faces Sweden's Mikael Ymer in the opening round.
Tsitsipas is projected to face Grigor Dimitrov in the third round. Should he manage to beat the Bulgarian, he will likely set up a last-16 meeting with Roberto Bautista Agut.
Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe also lurk in this section and are capable of pulling off an upset or two to reach the last 16.
Quarterfinal prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas def. Casper Ruud
Fourth quarter: Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime look to thwart Daniil Medvedev
Top seeds: [2] Daniil Medvedev, [5] Andrey Rublev, [9] Felix Auger-Aliassime, [13] Diego Schwartzman
Expected quarterfinal: Daniil Medvedev vs Andrey Rublev
Dark Horse: Jan-Lennard Struff
Analysis: Daniil Medvedev is among the favorites to win the Australian Open, but he has a few tricky early matches. After opening against Henri Laaksonen, Medvedev could face Nick Kyrgios and Ugo Humbert in the second and third rounds respectively. The Russian will most likely face Diego Schwartzman or John Isner in the fourth round.
The other side of this quarter is headlined by fifth seed Andrey Rublev. The Russian has a relatively straightforward path to the third round, where he is likely to face Marin Cilic.
Felix Auger-Aliassime is one of the favorites to make it out of this section. He could face Dan Evans in the third round, before a potential fourth-round encounter with Rublev.
Quarterfinal prediction: Daniil Medvedev def. Felix Auger-Aliassime
Prediction for semifinals
Novak Djokovic def. Rafael Nadal
Daniil Medvedev def. Stefanos Tsitsipas
Prediction for the final
Daniil Medvedev def. Novak Djokovic