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Champions Al Hilal Aim for Fourth Asian Football Title

Al Hilal players celebrate winning the Asian Champions League last month. (SPA)
Al Hilal players celebrate winning the Asian Champions League last month. (SPA)
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Champions Al Hilal Aim for Fourth Asian Football Title

Al Hilal players celebrate winning the Asian Champions League last month. (SPA)
Al Hilal players celebrate winning the Asian Champions League last month. (SPA)

Defending champions Al Hilal were Tuesday drawn against UAE's Al Ahli and Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor for the start of their campaign for a record fourth Asian club title in the AFC Champions League.

The Saudi giants beat Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds last month, ending a 19-year wait for their third continental trophy and joining South Korea's Pohang Steelers as the only three-time Asian champions.

They also became the competition's first West Asian winners since Qatar's Al Sadd in 2011, torpedoing a run of victories by clubs from Japan, South Korea, China and Australia.

Two-time winners Guangzhou Evergrande of China, who won the Chinese Super League title this month, will face South Korean side Suwon Samsung Bluewings after being drawn in the same group at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, South Korea's Jeonbuk Motors, who have also clinched the title twice, will face Yokohama Marinos of Japan and Australia's Sydney FC.

Ulsan Hyundai, champions in 2012, were drawn with Shanghai Shenhua from China and Australian side Perth Glory.

"It is quite an evenly balanced" draw, AFC general secretary Windsor John told AFP. "We look forward to another thrilling campaign."

The 2020 season begins with the preliminary stage in January, with the two-leg final scheduled for November.

The AFC Champions League will feature 32 teams in 2020 for the final time, with the tournament set to expand to 40 sides from 2021.

Group A: Al Wahda (UAE), Al Shorta (IRQ), play-off winner, play-off winner

Group B: Al Hilal (KSA), Al Ahli (UAE), Pakhtakor (UZB), play-off winner

Group C: Al Duhail (QAT), Al Taawoun (KSA), Sharjah (UAE), Persepolis (IRN)

Group D: Sepahan (IRN), Al Sadd (QAT), Al Nassr (KSA), play-off winner

Group E: Beijing (CHN), Chiangrai United (THA), play-off winner, play-off winner

Group F: Ulsan Hyundai (KOR), Shanghai Shenhua (CHN), Perth Glory (AUS), play-off winner

Group G: Japan 2nd Club, Suwon Samsung Bluewings (KOR), Guangzhou Evergrande (CHN), Johor Darul Ta'zim (MAS)

Group H: Sydney FC (AUS), Yokohama Marinos (JPN), Jeonbuk Motors (KOR), play-off winner

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Sinner, Djokovic in Opposite Halves at Australian Open, Sabalenka vs Stephens in 1st Round

09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
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Sinner, Djokovic in Opposite Halves at Australian Open, Sabalenka vs Stephens in 1st Round

09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa

Defending champion Jannik Sinner and 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic have landed in opposite sides of the draw for the season’s first major, ruling out a replay of last year’s semifinal match.
Sinner upset Djokovic in the semifinals at the Australian Open last year before coming back to beat Daniil Medvedev in the final 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 for his first Grand Slam singles title.
Top-ranked Sinner has a first-round match against Nicolas Jarry and also has Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Medvedev in his quarter of the draw. Fritz will open against fellow American Jenson Brooksby.
Djokovic and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz could meet in the quarterfinals, with a possible semifinal against No. 2 Alexander Zverev.
At the draw Thursday to set the brackets for the singles fields, defending champions Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka walked into the official ceremony holding thei trophies.
Sabalenka won her second consecutive title at Melbourne Park in 2024 by defeating Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Sabalenka will be attempting to win a third consecutive women’s singles title at Melbourne Park, something last accomplished by Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999.
Sabalenka drew a tough opening match against 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens and has 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva and Zheng in her section.
“I have a lot of great memories and to be back here ... as a two-time Australian Open champion, it’s definitely something special,” Sabalenka, who won the Brisbane International title last week, said at the draw ceremony. “I hope that I can keep doing what I’m doing here in Australia.”
Third-seeded Coco Gauff is a potential semifinal rival for Sabalenka. Gauff has a challenging first-round match against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and is in the same section of the draw as seventh-seeded Jessica Pegula.
The Australian Open starts Sunday morning in Melbourne (Saturday night EST) and will run for 15 days.
Djokovic will be playing in his first event alongside new coach Andy Murray, his former on-court rival and a three-time major champion. Nobody has won the men's title at Melbourne Park more often than Djokovic, although he said he still feels trauma from the one year he wasn’t allowed to play.
Nick Kyrgios, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up who withdrew from an exhibition against Djokovic this week because of an abdominal strain, will face Jacob Fearnley in the first round if the mercurial Australian is fit enough to contest his first major since the 2022 US Open. Kyrgios is in the same section as Zverev.