The Australian Open gets under way at Melbourne Park on Monday with a host of intriguing match-ups.
Here, Press Association Sport picks out eight of the best.
Roberto Bautista Agut v Andy Murray
#AusOpen main draw is out and the 🇬🇧 men face:@kyle8edmund vs Berdych@cam_norrie vs Fritz@andy_murray vs Bautista Agut #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/BBGolNvYKn
— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) January 10, 2019
As an unseeded player, Murray was left to the luck of the draw and his luck was out. Spaniard Bautista Agut, seeded 22nd, won the title in Doha last week, beating Novak Djokovic along the way, and his relentless baseline game will give Murray's dodgy right hip a thorough workout.
Kyle Edmund v Tomas Berdych
I'm a tennis player. Get me out of here 🙋🏼♂️🐊 @AustralianOpen pic.twitter.com/RE09IiQskb
— Kyle Edmund (@kyle8edmund) January 10, 2019
As the 13th seed, Edmund would have hoped for a kind draw, but he was also unfortunate. Last year's semi-finalist will face former slam finalist Berdych, whose ranking has dropped to 57 after back problems saw him miss the second half of last season.
Nick Kyrgios v Milos Raonic
.@darren_cahill's player to watch at #AusOpen 2019: Nick Kyrgios
"He's beaten all the top guys." pic.twitter.com/aSgbUyK6s6
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 10, 2019
Kyrgios' poor results have caused the Australian's ranking to plummet outside the top 50, making him one of the key unseeded floaters in the draw. His name landed next to 16th seed Raonic, a former semi-finalist in Melbourne.
Marin Cilic v Bernard Tomic
.@Cilic_Marin, the 2018 finalist, gets drawn in @rogerfederer & @RafaelNadal's half and plays Bernard Tomic in the @AustralianOpen first round.
▶️ https://t.co/fKV88tWmGT pic.twitter.com/04IvDa9Ell
— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) January 10, 2019
The other Australian 'bad boy' also has a high-profile first-round match against last year's runner-up Cilic. Tomic failed to qualify 12 months ago but has climbed back into the top 100.
Simona Halep v Kaia Kanepi
Simona Halep and Serena Williams are in the same round of 16 🍿#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/sxVRqrDbt3
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 10, 2019
Halep goes into the tournament as world number one and last year's beaten finalist but the Romanian is also on a five-match losing streak, including a first-round loss to big-hitting Estonian Kanepi at the US Open.
Alison Van Uytvanck v Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki:
"I never look at the draw because when I was at juniors I used to look and I used to lose. So then I stopped looking at the draw and I started winning." pic.twitter.com/7kXDvX70O8
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 10, 2019
Wozniacki defeated Halep to win a long-awaited first slam title here 12 months ago but the rest of 2018 was a struggle and in October she revealed a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Belgian Van Uytvanck is not at her best on hard courts but has proved capable of big wins.
Destanee Aiava v Madison Keys
👋👋👋 @Madison_Keys! Welcome to Melbourne 🇦🇺
The #USTennis star is getting ready for the first Grand Slam of 2019! pic.twitter.com/yHD3Liw8Qn
— USTA (@usta) January 9, 2019
American Keys has reached at least the quarter-finals at four of the last five slams but should face a stern first test against exciting 18-year-old Australian wild card Aiava.
Sloane Stephens v Taylor Townsend
the unofficial selfie of @SydneyTennis with @Simona_Halep 🤳🏽 pic.twitter.com/Q5bB8xZMFZ
— Sloane Stephens (@SloaneStephens) January 6, 2019
Stephens' last six grand slams have yielded one title, one final, one quarter-final and three first-round exits, which rather sums up the fifth seed's unpredictability. In the first round here she takes on one of the most stylish players in the draw in fellow American Taylor Townsend.
