Australia Open

SEEDS

1       Novak Djokovic                        

2       Carlos Alcaraz                                   

3       Danill Medvedev                   

4       Jannik Sinner                          

5       Andrey Rublev                      

6        Alexander Zverev               

7        Stefanos Tsitsipas            

8         Holger Rune                          

9        Hubert Hurkacz                       

10     Alex de Minaur                    

11       Casper Ruud                         

12      Taylor Fritz                          

13      Grigor Dimitrov               

14      Tommy Paul                             

15      Karen Khachanov                           

16     Ben  Shelton                                    

17      Frances Tiafoe                           

18     Nicolas Jarry                           

19      Cameron Norrie

20     Adrian Mannarino                        

21     Ugo Humbert                                

22     Franscisco Cerundolo                      

23    Alejandro  Davidovich Fokina        

24    Jan-Lennard Struff                        

25     Lorenzo Musetti                             

26    Sebastian Baez                                  

27    Felix Auger-Aliassime                         

28    Tallon Griekspoor                                

29     Sebastian Korda                         

30    Tomas Martin Etcheverry             

31     Alexander Bublik                                  

32     Jiri Lehecka 

There could be withrawal of players do to injury or whatsoev er other reasons that could essult in withdrawal from the ournament and I will make sure the above would be updated by Thursday.

Not necsssary to update anything  -  the 32 seeds are akll playing,     

ROUND 2

Top Half of the DRaw

1    Novak Djokovic                                   vs         Alexei Popyrin

30    Tomas Martin Etcheverry              vs         Gael Monfils

20   Adrian Mannarino                             vs         Jaume Munar

16    Ben Shelton                                        vs         Christpher O'Connell

12    Taylor Fritz                                          vs          Hugo Gaston

22     Francisco Cerundolo                       vs          Fabian Marozsan

25     Lorenzo Musetti                               vs          Luca van Assche

7    Stefanos Tsitsipas                                vs          Jeremy Thompson

4    Jannik Sinner                                         vs          Daniel Elahi Galan

17   Frances Tiafoe                                     vs          Tomas Machac

15   Karen Khachanov                               vs          Aleksandar Kovacevic 

10   Alex de Minaur                                    vs          Matteo Arnaldi

Flaviio Cobolli                                              vs          Pavel Kotov

29    Sebastian Korda                                 vs          Quentin Halys

5      Andrey Rublev                                     vs          Christopher Eubanks

Bottom Half of the Draw

 8     Holger Rune                                         vs           Arthur Casaux              

 28   Tallon Griekspoor                                vs          Arthur Fils

21    Ugo Humbert                                      vs           Zhizhen Zhang

9    Hubert Hurkasz                                     vs           Jakub Mensik  

13   Grigor Dimitrov                                    vs          Thanasi Kokkinakis

23   Alejandro Davidovich Fokina           vs           Nuno Borges

27   Felix Auger-Aliassime                         vs           Hugo Grenier   

3    Danill Medvedev                                   vs            Emil Vuusuvuori

6    Alexander Zverev                                   vs             Lukas Klein

32   Jiri Helecka                                             vs           Alex Michelsen

19   Cameron Norrie                                    vs           Giulio Zeppierri 

11    Casper Ruud                                        vs           Max Purcell

14    Tommy Paul                                        vs           James Draper

24    Jan-Lennard Struff                              vs           Miomir Kecmanovic

Sumit Nagal                                                   vs           Juncheng Shang

2     Carlos Alcaraz                                       vs             Lorenzo Sonego 

The final qualiying  rround  16 matches will be played tomoorw and the 16 winners wiltr ete the mai.n draw.    I will try to update those tomoorow.   `

According  to media reports the campaigns of both  Djokovic and  Sinner will start on Sunday.   It is not clear whom Djokovic will be playing - his fist opponent will be a qualifier and those qualification matches will only be completed today.   Sinner will be playing Botic van de Zands chulp, 

12 of the 16 qualifiers  have already been identified - 4 matches are on the go.   Three of those 4 matches are to be decided on in  a 3rd deciding sets,   /    .   

It is expected that we will know by this afternoon (SA time) who the final qualifiers will play in Round 1.   One of the qualifies are Lloyd Harris - the only SA playe to play in the Aussie Open this year.         

The Draws are completed and we know now who is playing  whom in R ound 1,   

Today was not an easy day for the playes .   To gimve you an idea how hard it was for the players to win.   Of the 16 maches played -

*     6    -   5 setters

*     6    -   4 setters

*     4    -    3 setters. 

Of the 7 seeded players all won their matches  - but it was a battle.   

Tommorrow there are 32 Round 1 matches to be played and on Tuesday 16 such mtaches.   2There will be 25 seeded players t play their  Round 1 matches.

ROUND 3

Top Half of the DRaw

1    Novak Djokovic                               vs        30       Tomas Martin Etcheverry

16    Ben Shelton                                    vs         20      Adrian Mannarino  

12    Taylor Fritz                                     vs         Fabian Marozsan

7    Stefanos Tsitsipas                           vs           Luca van Assche  

4    Jannik Sinner                                    vs          26        Sebastian Baez

15   Karen Khachanov                          vs           Tomas Machac

10   Alex de Minaur                               vs          Flaviio Cobolli     

5     Andrey Rublev                                vs         29          Sebastian Korda

Bottom Half of the Draw

28    Tallon Griekspoor                          vs          Arthur Casaux   

9    Hubert Hurkasz                               vs           21         Ugo Humbert

13   Grigor Dimitrov                              vs           Nuno Borges

3    Danill Medvedev                             vs          27   Felix Auger-Aliassime 

6    Alexander Zverev                            vs            Alex Michelsen

11    Casper Ruud                                  vs           19      Cameron Norriei

14    Tommy Paul/                                 vs            Miomir Kecmanovic

2     Carlos Alcaraz                                vs            Juncheng Shang

All the Round 1 matches have  been completed and only 3 seeds fell by  the wayside.   

ROUND 4

Top Half of the DRaw

1    Novak Djokovic                    vs       20      Adrian Mannarino      

7    Stefanos Tsitsipas                  vs       12     Taylor Fritz

4    Jannik Sinner                         vs       15     Karen Khachanov

5     Andrey Rublev                     vs       10      Alex de Minaur

Bottom Half of the Draw

9    Hubert Hurkasz                 t   vs        Arthur Casaux   

3    Danill Medvedev                   vs        Nuno Borges

6    Alexander Zverev                   vs       19       Cameron Norriei

2     Carlos Alcaraz                       vs       Miomir Kecmanovic

I am going to add  the following the following comments about performances:-

Top Half of the Draw Round 2 

*   After 2 rounds in which Djokovic played at a bel;ow0best level - for isnatnce the commentor said Djokovic in the two roumds lose more games than he did in the who;e tournamnet ;la;st year (and that against the number 178 and 45 rnked playwe in rgw qwoels,   

*     Shelton struggled in the games he played in and same did Tsitsipas.   

*     3 seeds lost their matches against ubnseededplayers and the casualty list 

*     Thus far 6 seeded players lost against  nseeeded opponents,.

Bottom Half of the Draw

 If anybody think  yesterday was bad whn t comes to eeded playes - today was wrse:

  *     Holger Rune was beaten by the no 128 ranked player in thew orl;d.  

  *     Yesterday there were 4 players who won in 3 set matches  - today there was only 1   

  *      It was an agony to see how ranked playes struggled tday even when they won in the end.  There were 10 5-sets matches tody - 5 4-set matches and one match that lasted three sets.         

There are now 17 seeded playes lossing  against a variety of players 

Round 3

The form players from the top Half  of the Draw came through their matnches.   The Bottom Half became a lotteery ticket and three unseeded players beat thei seeded opponents.

SEMIFINALS

1    Novak Djokovic            vs           4    Jannik Sinner

3    Danill Medvedev           vs          6    Alexander Zverev  

I think that Djokovic should win against Fritz and Jannik Sinnnr is the huge favorite to beat Rublev.   So the semi-final could be between  Djokovic and Sinner.   

.In the other case Alcaras should beat Zverev - who had a real battle to get into the quarterfianl against an unseeded player,   Medvedev is likely to beat Hurkasz - so   I think that the semi should be between Alcaraz and Medvedev.   

However there has been upsets aplenty in this tournament and I will niot be surprised by some even on this level.   Insofar as the Sinner-Rublev quarterfinal is concerned I took a look at the last match between Sinner and Rublev in Vienna where Sinner won 7-5, 7-6 - which was a victory - but not all that dominant.    In a five set match the conditions can also change - so although I believe Sinner will win I am not going to put my life on that happening.    

If the above semi-finals materialize the four players invol0vled will be ranked 1 to 4 at the start of the semi-final.   It is unlikely that there would be changes resulting from the semi and the final may determine the ranking as to who would be the top rankings involved.   

FINAL

1    Novak Djokovic/4    Jannik Sinner   vs    3    Danill Medvedev/ 6    Alexander Zverev  

FINAL

3         Danill Medvedev          vs         4          Jannik Sinne

Congrats to my star Sinner in winning the Aussie Open and thanks for my lucky bet on you beating both Djokovic and Medvedev.    

Congrats to my star Sinner in winning the Aussie Open and thanks for my lucky bet on you beating both Djokovic and Medvedev.