Third Quarter
Rafael Nadal is the resident question mark of this draw. On the one hand, he has reached the final in Melbourne the last two times he has played there, and the men who beat him in those matches, Djokovic and Wawrinka, are not in his half. This makes Rafa a favorite to challenge for the title again. On the other hand, he has played just one match since having an appendectomy late last year, and he lost it to world No. 127 Michael Berrer. This makes Rafa, [url]http://as he says himself[/url], vulnerable to upset by virtually anyone, especially early. Two players in his vicinity are plausible candidates to pull it off: Mikhail Youzhny, who Nadal plays first, and Lukas Rosol, whom he’s scheduled to play in the third round, both have wins at Slams over him.
Nadal has also said that if he can get a couple of wins under his belt, anything can happen. This draw shouldn’t make him think otherwise. Tomas Berdych, a man Nadal has owned for a decade, is slated to be his quarterfinal opponent.
Also here: Bernard Tomic. He starts against Tobias Kamke and, for once, avoids Federer and Nadal early.
First-round match to watch: Ernests Gulbis vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis
Sleeper: Jiri Vesely. The young Czech lefty just beat Kevin Anderson in Auckland.
Semifinalist: Berdych