The 2014 Australian Open Men's and Women's Singles Draws

by Savannah

The draws came out yesterday afternoon in the US so I'm sure everyone who wanted to has seen them. Before I get into how I interpret the draws lets look at them one at a time starting with the Men's Singles Draw.

TOP HALF

Rafael Nadal (ESP) [1] v Bernard Tomic (AUS)
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) v Igor Sijsling (NED)
Tobias Kamke (GER) v Jack Sock (USA)
Ryan Harrison (USA) v Gael Monfils (FRA) [25]

Andreas Seppi (ITA) [24] v Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
Robin Haase (NED) v Donald Young (USA)
Qualifier v Lucas Pouille (FRA)
Marinko Matosevic (AUS) v Kei Nishikori (JPN) [16]


Milos Raonic (CAN) [11] v Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP)
Qualifier v Victor Hanescu (ROU)
Qualifier v Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE)
Bradley Klahn (USA) v Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) [22]

Benoit Paire (FRA) [27] v Qualifier
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) v Benjamin Becker (GER)
Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) v Tim Smyczek (USA)
Qualifier v Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) [5]

Andy Murray (GBR) [4] v Go Soeda (JPN)
Qualifier v Qualifier
Qualifier v Michael Llodra (FRA)
Somdev Devvarman (IND) v Feliciano Lopez (ESP) [26]

Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) [21] v Aljaz Bedene (SLO)
Michal Przysiezny (POL) v Horacio Zeballos (ARG)
Qualifier v Federico Delbonis (ARG)
Qualifier v John Isner (USA) [13]


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [10] v Filippo Volandri (ITA)
Qualifier v Julian Reister (GER)
Marin Cilic (CRO) v Marcel Granollers (ESP)
Daniel Brands (GER) v Gilles Simon (FRA) [18]

Fernando Verdasco (ESP) [31] v Qualifier
Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) v Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)
Radek Stepanek (CZE) v Blaz Kavcic (SLO)
James Duckworth (AUS) v Roger Federer (SUI) [6]

BOTTOM HALF

Tomas Berdych (CZE) [7] v Aleksandr Nedovyesov (KAZ)
Di Wu (CHN) v Kenny De Schepper (FRA)
Jan Hajek (CZE) v Qualifier
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) v Ivan Dodig (CRO) [32]

Kevin Anderson (RSA) [19] v Jiri Vesely (CZE)
Qualifier v Joao Sousa (POR)
Carlos Berlocq (ARG) v Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA)
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) v Tommy Haas (GER) [12]


Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) [14] v Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)
Florian Mayer (GER) v Qualifier
Albert Ramos (ESP) v Pablo Andujar (ESP)
Jordan Thompson (AUS) v Jerzy Janowicz (POL) [20]

Jeremy Chardy (FRA) [29] v Jesse Huta Galung (NED)
Qualifier v Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)
Steve Johnson (USA) v Adrian Mannarino (FRA)
Alejandro Gonzalez (COL) v David Ferrer (ESP) [3]

Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [8] v Andrey Golubev (KAZ)
Alejandro Falla (COL) v Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ)
Nicolas Mahut (FRA) v Matthew Ebden (AUS)
Samuel Groth (AUS) v Vasek Pospisil (CAN) [28]

Tommy Robredo (ESP) [17] v Lukas Rosol (CZE)
Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) v Julien Benneteau (FRA)
Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) v Lukasz Kubot (POL)
Qualifier v Richard Gasquet (FRA) [9]


Fabio Fognini (ITA) [15] v Alex Bogomolov Jr. (RUS)
Dudi Sela (ISR) v Jarkko Nieminen (FIN)
Santiago Giraldo (COL) v Sam Querrey (USA)
Juan Monaco (ARG) v Ernests Gulbis (LAT) [23]

Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) [30] v Michael Russell (USA)
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) v Denis Istomin (UZB)
Leonardo Mayer (ARG) v Albert Montanes (ESP)
Lukas Lacko (SVK) v Novak Djokovic (SRB) [2]

The entire narrative in the ATP revolves around the Top 4 and how they compete against each other especially in M1000 and Slams. So this random draw gives us numbers 1, 4, and 6 in the top half with numbers 4 and 6 in the same section. I know that Number 6 is technically not part of the Big Four but for all intents and purposes he is. I mean he got his own special night didn't he so we have to consider his place in the draw. I also notice that Number 5, the definition of a dangerous floater, is also in the top half of the draw.

And remember that fan research that showed Murray never facing a seed ranked between 5 and 8 in the quarters? He's got seeds number 26, 13, 21, 10 18 and 6 in his section. I guess they want him to face #6.

Meanwhile in the Bottom Half the top seed is number 2 followed by number 3. Number three has been having a rough go of it lately hasn't he? He may be able to pull it together for the AO since they're five set matches. As we all know anything can happen in a tennis match and Number 2 hasn't played a warmup tournament other than an exhibition in Kooyong.

And wasn't it just precious that his newly minted coach Boris Becker was the only person available to analyze the draw? I know inside he was ecstatic but I'm guessing Boris has learned how to put on a professional mien in a situation like this. I guess they could've signed a contract with Boris and had to use him but the announcement of his new position was made in time to say to Boris that it's a conflict of interest for you to do this and I'm sure Boris would've understood but publicly at least nothing of the sort was done or hinted at having been tried. Absolutely amazing move by Tennis Australia. Then again, maybe I should say it's typical of tennis.

Let's look at the Women's Draw now.

Serena Williams (USA) [1] v Ashleigh Barty (AUS)
Vesna Dolonc (SRB) v Lara Arruabarrena (ESP)
Pauline Parmentier (FRA) v Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
Qualifier v Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) [31]


Samantha Stosur (AUS) [17] v Klara Zakopalova (CZE)
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) v Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP)
Annika Beck (GER) v Petra Martic (CRO)
Kiki Bertens (NED) v Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [14]


Roberta Vinci (ITA) [12] v Jie Zheng (CHN)
P.Mayr-Achleitner (AUT) v Madison Keys (USA)
Casey Dellacqua (AUS) v Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
Laura Robson (GBR) v Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) [18]


Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) [30] v Hao Chen Tang (CHN)
Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) v Virginie Razzano (FRA)
Sachia Vickery (USA) v Lauren Davis (USA)
Julia Goerges (GER) v Sara Errani (ITA) [7]


Na Li (CHN) [4] v Qualifier
Qualifier v Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN)
Donna Vekic (CRO) v Qualifier
Julia Glushko (ISR) v Lucie Safarova (CZE) [26]


Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) [22] v Venus Williams (USA)
A.Medina Garrigues (ESP) v Qualifier
Shahar Peer (ISR) v Monica Niculescu (ROU)
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) v Sabine Lisicki (GER) [15]


Angelique Kerber (GER) [9] v Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS)
Caroline Garcia (FRA) v Qualifier
Dinah Pfizenmaier (GER) v Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)
Alison Riske (USA) v Elena Vesnina (RUS) [23]


Flavia Pennetta (ITA) [28] v Alexandra Cadantu (ROU)
Monica Puig (PUR) v Qualifier
Shuai Zhang (CHN) v Mona Barthel (GER)
Luksika Kumkhum (THA) v Petra Kvitova (CZE) [6]

BOTTOM HALF

Jelena Jankovic (SRB) [8] v Misaki Doi (JPN)
Nadiya Kichenok (UKR) v Ayumi Morita (JPN)
Kurumi Nara (JPN) v Shuai Peng (CHN)
Andrea Petkovic (GER) v Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) [32]


Sorana Cirstea (ROU) [21] v Marina Erakovic (NZL)
Qualifier v Bojana Jovanovski (SRB)
Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) v Varvara Lepchenko (USA)
Qualifier v Simona Halep (ROU) [11]


Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) [16] v Vania King (USA)
Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) v Qualifier
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) v Stefanie Voegele (SUI)
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) v Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) [20]


Alize Cornet (FRA) [25] v Polona Hercog (SLO)
Camila Giorgi (ITA) v Storm Sanders (AUS)
Paula Ormaechea (ARG) v Karin Knapp (ITA)
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) v Maria Sharapova (RUS) [3]


Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [5] v Yulia Putintseva (KAZ)
Olga Govortsova (BLR) v Qualifier
Qualifier v Mandy Minella (LUX)
Teliana Pereira (BRA) v A.Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) [29]


Kaia Kanepi (EST) [24] v Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
Timea Babos (HUN) v Anna Schmiedlova (SVK)
Christina McHale (USA) v Yung-Jan Chan (TPE)
Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) v Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [10]


Sloane Stephens (USA) [13] v Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ)
Tadeja Majeric (SLO) v Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO)
Olivia Rogowska (AUS) v Mariana Duque-Marino (COL)
Elina Svitolina (UKR) v Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) [19]


Jamie Hampton (USA) [27] v Jana Cepelova (SVK)
Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) v Yvonne Meusburger (AUT)
Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) v B.Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)
Johanna Larsson (SWE) v Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [2]

Overall I'd say the WTA's draw is fair and balanced. Sure Sara Errani must be giddy with joy and Maria Sharapova has been tucked away in a nice pretty safe little section way away from that hateful woman ranked number 1. On paper there is no one in Pova's section who should be able to trouble her but there is a reason they play matches isn't there?

Tsvetana Pironkova and Madison Keys are dangerous floaters in the top half. Pironkova has proven to herself that she can play well on grass but will her confidence hold in the heat of Melbourne? Garbiñe Muguruza was on fire last night disposing of her semi final opponent 0 and 1 but has she peaked too soon? We'll soon be able to judge all three women in the heat of battle.

As you all know I don't do predictions leaving that to the experts. I'd like to see Jamie Hampton do well and make it to the second week.

The weather will be a factor. I expect that the roof will be closed on courts that have that as an option. Here's what Accuweather is predicting.

Melbourne Week 1 Weather