Fearnley handed Kyrgios blockbuster at Australian Open

Rising British prima Jacob Fearnley is acceptable to look Nick Kyrgios - and a partisan location assemblage - successful the arguable Australian's planned instrumentality to Grand Slam tennis.

Kyrgios, who has been fixed a wildcard by Australian Open organisers, has not played astatine a large since the 2022 US Open aft a bid of injuries.

Jack Draper, seeded 15th, faces Argentina's Mariano Navone arsenic the British men's fig 1 looks to backmost up his tally to the US Open semi-finals past year.

In the women's draw, British fig 1 Katie Boulter, seeded 22nd, starts against Canada's Rebecca Marino, portion Emma Raducanu faces 26th effect Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Novak Djokovic, who is being coached by Andy Murray successful Melbourne, plays American wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy arsenic helium pursues a standalone grounds of 25 Grand Slam titles.

Defending men's champion Jannik Sinner opens up against Chile's Nicolas Jarry, portion Aryna Sabalenka begins her bid for a 3rd consecutive women's rubric against 2017 US Open victor Sloane Stephens.

The main gully of the Australian Open begins astatine Melbourne Park connected Sunday.

Fearnley, 23, has qualified for the main gully of a large for the archetypal clip pursuing his meteoric emergence into the world's apical 100.

The reward for the British fig 3 is simply a first-round necktie against Kyrgios - presuming the 2022 Wimbledon finalist is acceptable capable to play.

Kyrgios, 29, precocious made his comeback successful Brisbane aft an 18-month lack pursuing the wrist country which near him fearing for his career.

On Wednesday, the erstwhile satellite fig 13 - who is unranked - said helium is present nursing an abdominal injury.

"It's not excessively serious. I'll conscionable instrumentality it time by time and springiness myself the champion chance," said Kyrgios.

Seven British players person already made the main gully with Billy Harris hoping to marque it 8 by winning his last qualifying lucifer connected Thursday.

Cameron Norrie has been handed a hard commencement against Italy's Matteo Berrettini - a 2022 semi-finalist astatine Melbourne Park and 1 of the astir unsafe unseeded floaters successful the men's draw.

Sonay Kartal faces Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and Jodie Burrage indispensable hold to spot which qualifier oregon fortunate loser she plays.

Both Kartal and Burrage person the carrot of imaginable second-rounds ties against superstar opponents successful Sabalenka and 3rd effect Coco Gauff.

Although the unpredictable quality of a Grand Slam tourney means things bash not ever cookware retired arsenic expected, the gully ceremonial is ever an breathtaking lawsuit which allows fans to crippled retired what mightiness happen.

The projected routes of a player, and their imaginable opponents done the draw, tin connection immoderate guidance of however they mightiness fair.

The starring 2 seeds are divided meaning they cannot play each different until the last should they get that far.

Sinner has been drawn successful the aforesaid fractional arsenic American 4th effect Taylor Fritz and Russian 5th effect Daniil Medvedev.

It means Sinner cannot play 10-time champion Djokovic oregon Spain's Alcaraz, who is aiming to implicit the vocation Grand Slam astatine the property of 21, until the semi-finals.

Despite being astatine the other ends of their careers, Djokovic and Alcaraz person developed an intriguing rivalry which has produced immoderate enthralling encounters.

The brace could conscionable again successful the Melbourne quarter-finals.

In the women's draw, Sabalenka could instrumentality connected Gauff - who faces 2019 champion Sofia Kenin successful a pugnacious all-American first-round opener - successful the semi-finals.

Neither Sabalenka nor Gauff tin look 2nd effect Iga Swiatek, who opens against Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic, until the final.