Since the first grand slam of the season will indeed take place despite the chaotic situation, let's take a look at the draw for the table of the Australian Open. Carried out Thursday, this one did not spare the French, only Benoît Paire and especially Gaël Monfils having on paper a first round frankly within their reach. Among the ladies, Kristina Mladenovic (39th world) is even condemned to the exploit as of its entry in competition facing the world number 2 Karolina Pliskova.
In the absence on injury of Lucas Pouille, who had reached the semi-finals of the last edition, Gaël Monfils, 10th in the world, will be the main French chance in Melbourne. He will start his tournament against the Taiwanese Yen-Hsun Lu (532nd). Things will quickly get complicated with a theoretical 3rd round against the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (22nd). Paire (24th), well off, will be opposed to Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (164th) to start.
A tricolor slaughter from the first round?
However, the first round is likely to be fatal to Adrian Mannarino (43rd) against Dominic Thiem (5th), Jérémy Chardy (56th) against David Goffin (11th and winner of Nadal on hard last week in ATP Cup) and Corentin Moutet (81st) against Marin Cilic (39th). The winner of this match will then face Pair. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (30th and finalist in 2008) will have a difficult first round against the Australian Alexei Popyrin (94th), as will Gilles Simon (57th) against the Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas (44th).
On the side of the top seeds, Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev will have a good start against Jan-Lennard Struff and Frances Tiafoe. First round easier for the world number 1 Rafael Nadal who will face the Bolivian Hugo Dellien (72nd). Finally, Roger Federer (3rd) will be opposed to the American Steve Johnson (84th). The Swiss will theoretically find Djokovic in the semi-finals, while at the top of the table Nadal could face Medvedev in the last four.
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- Benoit pair
- Australian Open
- Tennis
- Gaël Monfils