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sports A23
Friday 12 January 2018

Federer, Djokovic drawn in same half for Australian Open

By JOHN PYE and No. 5 Dominic Thiem. Defending men’s singles champion Switzerland’s Roger Federer poses for a photo with his trophy
AP Sports Writer Federer beat Rafael Nadal
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) in the final here last year on during a ceremony for the official draw at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne,
— Roger Federer found his return from six months on
himself in a slightly awk- the sidelines and is seeded Australia Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018.
ward position before the No. 2 as he bids for a 20th
Australian Open draw. Grand Slam singles title. Associated Press
Just being there. Djokovic had a contrast-
A few minutes later when ing 2017, starting at No. wild card Destanee Aiava, after a failed doping test director Craig Tiley saying
the formalities were com- 2 but losing in a second-
pleted, Federer found out round upset at the Austra- has a potential second- here in 2016. the sanction was over and
how difficult defending his lian Open and not playing
title could be after landing again after Wimbledon. It round match against 2014 The five-time major winner the 30-year-old Russian was
in the same half as six-time was the first year since 2009
champion Novak Djokovic. that Djokovic didn’t reach Wimbledon finalist Eug- finished 2017 ranked No. there as a former cham-
“This is not normal,” Federer at least one Grand Slam
told a crowd of hundreds final. He delayed his return enie Bouchard, and is in 60, meaning she missed out pion.
of fans before the draw until two exhibition appear-
on Thursday at Margaret ances this week. the same half as Garbine on a seeding for the Austra- Sharapova said after a
Court Arena. “I don’t like Top-ranked Nadal will open
usually going to draws be- against Victor Estrella Bur- Muruguza, the Wimbledon lian Open and could face long time out she had to
cause they freak me out. I gos, has a potential fourth-
don’t want to know who I round match against John champion. 2016 champion Kerber in be patient coming back to
play other than just seeing Isner, and No. 3 Grigor
the sheet at the end and Dimitrov in his half of the Third-seeded Muguruza is in the third round. the tour, but was still confi-
knowing who my first-round draw. He followed his run
opponent is.” to the final in Melbourne by a difficult quarter contain- “There’s no easy way to dent of returning to the top
First up, the 36-year-old winning the French Open
Swiss will play Ajaz Bedene and U.S. Open, splitting the ing former Australian Open get to the top,” Sharapova ranking and winning major
of Slovenia. He also has Grand Slam honors with Fe-
No. 7-ranked David Goffin, derer for the year. champions Maria Sharapo- told the crowd at Marga- tournaments.
Juan Martin del Potro, Sam Serena Williams has opted
Querrey, and Milos Raonic not to defend her title four va and Angelique Kerber, ret Court Arena before the “The drive, I still have it. I
in his quarter. months after giving birth to
There’s a potential semifi- her first child, leaving the and U.S. Open finalist Madi- draw. “You always have to certainly will hope I put
nal against Djokovic, who women’s draw open.
is aiming for a record sev- Her sister Venus, who lost son Keys. beat the top players in or- myself in that position,”
enth Australian Open title the all-Williams Australian
but is seeded 14th as he re- Open final last year, has a Sharapova, who won the der to get to the top.” Sharapova said. “I put a
turns from six months on the tough opener against Be-
sidelines with a right elbow linda Bencic — who com- 2008 Australian title and Organizers defended the lot of expectations on my-
injury. bined with Federer to win
Djokovic is in the same quar- the Hopman Cup for Swit- reached three other finals decision to invite Sharapo- self because I have been
ter as the Zverev brothers — zerland last week — and
fourth-seeded Alexander is also in the same quarter at Melbourne Park, missed va to appear as the repre- there, and I have delivered
could meet older brother as U.S. Open winner Sloane
and No. 32-seeded Mischa Stephens. last year’s tournament dur- sentative for the women’s in those moments. I expect
in the third round — 2014 Top-ranked Simona Halep
champion Stan Wawrinka, opens against Australian ing a 15-month suspension draw, with tournament to continue to do so.”q

Kerber reaches Sydney semis, Giorgi ousts Radwanska

SYDNEY (AP) — Former world defending champion Agniesz- 6-3, 6-3, and Benoit Paire
No.1 Angelique Kerber con- ka Radwanska 6-1, 6-2. beat second-seeded Gilles
tinued her strong start to the Ashleigh Barty also advanced, Muller 6-4, 6-4.q
season by advancing to the 6-3, 6-2 over Barbora Stry-
Angelique Kerber of Germany plays a forehand to Dominika Sydney International semifi- cova.
Cibulkova of Slovakia during their women’s quarterfinal singles nals with a 6-3, 6-1 win over She will play fellow Australian
match at the Sydney International tennis tournament in Sydney, Dominika Cibulkova on Thurs- Daria Gavrilova, who had a
Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. day. walkover win over Wimble-
Kerber, who began last year don champion Garbine Mu-
Associated Press at the top of the rankings be- guruza when the Spanish
fore finishing at No. 22, won player withdrew from her
her seventh straight match of quarterfinal with a right thigh
2018, including four singles at injury.
the Hopman Cup last week. In men’s quarterfinals, fourth-
“This start is not bad, for seeded Fabio Fognini beat
sure,” Kerber said. No. 5 Adrian Mannarino 6-7
Kerber will play Camila Giorgi (4), 7-6 (4), 6-2, Daniil Med-
in the semifinals. Giorgi beat vedev defeated Paolo Lorenzi