Djokovic faces Chardy, Kenin meets Inglis at Australian Open

Sofia Kenin kisses the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after defeating Spain's Garbine Muguruza to win the 2020 Australian Open. (AP)
Sofia Kenin kisses the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after defeating Spain's Garbine Muguruza to win the 2020 Australian Open. (AP)
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Djokovic faces Chardy, Kenin meets Inglis at Australian Open

Sofia Kenin kisses the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after defeating Spain's Garbine Muguruza to win the 2020 Australian Open. (AP)
Sofia Kenin kisses the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after defeating Spain's Garbine Muguruza to win the 2020 Australian Open. (AP)

Novak Djokovic will begin his Australian Open title defense against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, while reigning women’s champion Sofia Kenin meets wild card Maddison Inglis, following the draw for the year’s first Grand Slam on Friday.

World number one Djokovic captured a record-extending eighth title at Melbourne Park last year by beating Dominic Thiem, who is seeded third and will face Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin in the first round.

Rafa Nadal, seeking a first title at the major since 2009, will meet Serbia’s Laslo Djere in his opener.

The Spaniard is level with Roger Federer on 20 Grand Slam titles and looking to overtake the Swiss champion, who is not playing this year following knee surgery.

Top-ranked Ash Barty resumes her quest to become the first homegrown singles winner at the Australian Open since 1978 when the 24-year-old takes on Danka Kovinic.

American Serena Williams, bidding to win a record-equaling 24th major, will meet Laura Siegemund in the opening round.

Naomi Osaka, the 2019 champion, has a series of potentially tough matches starting with a clash against former quarter-finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The Japanese player could face Caroline Garcia and Ons Jabeur in her next two rounds before a likely match-up with either Garbine Muguruza or Angelique Kerber in the fourth round.

Second seed Simona Halep of Romania, a beaten finalist at Melbourne Park three years ago, will play wild card Lizette Cabrera while fifth-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina faces Marie Bouzkova.

ATP Finals champion Daniil Medvedev, who lost in the fourth round in the previous two years, meets Canada’s Vasek Pospisil, while young guns Jannik Sinner and Denis Shapovalov are set to face off in what promises to be a blockbuster opener.

Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas has a tricky test against French veteran Gilles Simon while Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev have relatively easier first rounds against Marcos Giron and Yannick Hanfmann, respectively.

Iga Swiatek, who made her breakthrough last year by winning the French Open title, takes on Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands while Venus Williams plays Kirsten Flipkens.



Only a British Finalist, or his Children, Will Bring Murray to Wimbledon this Year

FILED - 10 July 2016, United Kingdom, London: British tennis player Andy Murray kisses the trohpy after winning the Wimbledon final against Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios. Photo: Adam Davy/PA Wire/dpa
FILED - 10 July 2016, United Kingdom, London: British tennis player Andy Murray kisses the trohpy after winning the Wimbledon final against Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios. Photo: Adam Davy/PA Wire/dpa
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Only a British Finalist, or his Children, Will Bring Murray to Wimbledon this Year

FILED - 10 July 2016, United Kingdom, London: British tennis player Andy Murray kisses the trohpy after winning the Wimbledon final against Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios. Photo: Adam Davy/PA Wire/dpa
FILED - 10 July 2016, United Kingdom, London: British tennis player Andy Murray kisses the trohpy after winning the Wimbledon final against Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios. Photo: Adam Davy/PA Wire/dpa

Andy Murray said he has no plans to attend Wimbledon this year unless a British player makes the final, or his children want to go.

Murray, who won two of his three major titles at Wimbledon and ended Britain's 77-year wait for a men's singles champion at the grass-court Grand Slam in 2013, said he rarely attends tennis matches as a fan.

"I don't have any plans to go," Murray, who lifted the title again in 2016, told British media.

"I'm not working there. I don't go to watch tennis as a fan. But if one of my kids wanted to go along and watch, I obviously would take them. If a British player made the final I'd go.

"I went to the Novak Djokovic v Carlos Alcaraz final a couple of years ago, just because I had a feeling it was going to be a great match. But I won't be there otherwise."

Murray, who will be immortalized with a statue during Wimbledon's 150th anniversary in 2027, ended his playing career after the Paris Olympics before joining the coaching team of 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic ahead of the Australian Open.

That partnership failed to yield any trophies and ended before the French Open.

According to Reuters, Murray said British men's tennis was in good hands and he expected Jack Draper to cope with the added pressure after winning at Indian Wells in March and climbing the rankings to fourth in the world.

Draper will be seeded fourth when the Wimbledon main draw begins on Monday.

"It'll be a little bit different this year coming in as a top seed but he'll deal with it well," Murray said.

"He's played in difficult environments and under pressure before, and I'm sure he'll cope with it well."