The Australian Open has not yet started and a Frenchman has already been eliminated. Richard Gasquet was forced to forfeit before the draw which took place this Friday in Melbourne. The Biterrois, 34, will therefore have done a fortnight and a little preparation match for nothing before taking the plane back home.
His compatriots, for their part, will have a hard time stretching their Australian stay for two more weeks. If the unfathomable Gaël Monfils (n ° 11), who will face the Finnish Emil Ruusuvuori (86th) in the first round, seems able to reach the German Zverev (7th) in the round of 16, the other Habs have interest in surpassing oneself. Starting with Jérémy Chardy and Gilles Simon, respectively opposed to Djokovic (n ° 1) and Tsitsipas (6th) for the opening of the boxes of the ball. Ugo Humbert (32nd) could find Austrian Thiem (n ° 3) in the third round if he eliminates the whimsical Nick Kyrgios in the second.
Benoît Paire (28th), who underwent two weeks of strict isolation and abandoned Friday against Thiem in the ATP Cup, will start against Belarusian Gerasimov (78th) with the Argentinian Schwartzman (9th) in sight for a 3rd tower. Party also complicated for Pierre-Hugues Herbert (84th) against the Italian Fognini (17th), Quentin Halys (206th) against the Spaniard Andujar (59th) or Corentin Moutet (80th) in front of the Australian Millman (38th). Adrian Mannarino (35th) will play Austrian Novak (100th).
Obstacle course for Osaka
Among the girls, Kristina Mladenovic (50th), still as transparent in singles, will have to surpass herself against the Greek Sakkari (22nd). Caroline Garcia (44th), she could fall in the second round on the Japanese Naomi Osaka (3rd), winner of the last US Open and winner in Melbourne in 2019. The French n ° 1 Fiona Ferro (43rd) should be wary of the Czech Siniakova (59th). Alizé Cornet (53rd), she inherits from the Russian qualifier Savinykh (227th).
Big favorite of the tournament and eight times winner on the banks of the Yarra river, Novak Djokovic risks living a spicy second week with perhaps Wawrinka (18th) or Raonic (15th) in 8th, Zverev in quarterfinals and Thiem (whom he had beaten in the final last year) in the semi-finals.
In delicacy with his back, Nadal (n ° 2) could cross Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals and Medvedev (n ° 4) in the semi-finals. Headliner of the women’s tournament, Naomi Osaka, opposite entry to Pavlyuchenkova, quarter-finalist in Melbourne during the last two editions, could then see Muguruza, Andreescu, Kvitova and Halep tumble in the semi-finals! In the other half of the table, defending champion Sofia Kenin and world number 1 Ashleigh Barty could meet in the semi-finals.
Article original de: www.leparisien.fr
