The Australian Open is underway and the excitement levels among tennis fans is sky-high. The draw has thrown up the possibility of some very exciting matches that would be a delight for us to witness.
Let us take a look at five such matches, which if they happen, can turn out to a visual treat for all fans -
#5 Roger Federer vs Andy Murray
When it can happen - Quarter Finals
With Federer having missed the second half of 2016 with an injury, his ranking dropped down to 17. As a result, he goes into Melbourne Park as the 17th seed, and thus, faces the prospect of playing the newly crowned world No. 1 in the quarter-final itself.
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While their head to head record of 14-11 (in Federer's favour) might suggest that their rivalry is a well contested one, Federer is known to have a measure of Murray's game and has almost always beaten the Scotsman in important matches. This reflects in the fact that the Swiss star has beaten Murray in 5 out of the 6 Grand Slam matches they have played, with the Scottish player’s only win coming in the semi-final of the 2013 Australian Open.
With Murray still looking for his first Australian Open title and Federer desperately looking for his 18th Slam, the stakes in this quarter-final match will be a lot higher than in the usual Grand Slam quarter-final match.
#4 Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray
When it can happen - Final
Their rivalry dates back to 2006. Until a few years back, this rivalry used to be in the shadows of the Federer-Nadal rivalry, but it has taken centre-stage given the fact that these two are the top two players in the world now. Close friends off the court and fierce rivals on it, Djokovic and Murray have always produced scintillating matches.
While Djokovic has had the upper hand, leading 25-11 head to head, Murray has seemed to be coming into his own in the last few months, toppling Djokovic from the top spot in the ATP Rankings.
The two have faced each other a staggering four times in the final of the Australian Open, with Djokovic emerging victorious on all of those occasions. This year could be the year that Murray finally delivers in the Australian Open final and defeat the Serbian.
#3 Serena Williams vs Angelique Kerber
When it can happen - Final
Fans can sense a rivalry brewing between the two; a much-needed one, too. The WTA has been devoid of a competitive rivalry for a long time now, with Serena dominating season after season.
Kerber beating Serena in a well-contested final of the Australian Open last year was a very pleasant surprise for all WTA fans. And the fact that Serena took up the challenge and went on to beat Kerber in the final of the Wimbledon augurs well for the future.
Those two matches were arguably the two best WTA matches of 2016, quality-wise. The German's counter-punching style of tennis perfectly complements the American's attacking style. Fans will definitely be rooting for a repeat of last year's final this time.
#2 Nick Kyrgios vs Stanislas Wawrinka
When it can happen - 4th Round
Things aren't particularly rosy between these two. The feud began when Kyrgios infamously sledged Wawrinka about his girlfriend in their round of 32 match in Montreal in 2015.
They were reportedly later involved in a locker room scuffle, where Wawrinka is believed to have grabbed Kyrgios and dished out a bunch of abusive words. While they may have pretended to have forgotten the incident when asked about it in press, things will possibly never be the same between them.
Should these two make it to the 4th round, it'll be a match that no one would want to miss watching. With the vociferous Aussie crowd sure to be on the Australian's side, there will be a lot more at stake than just an Australian Open quarter-final spot.
#1 Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal
When it can happen - Final
If this match were to happen, it would definitely have the whole world watching. It goes without saying that their rivalry is definitely the best one that the sport has ever witnessed. And with this Grand Slam being played on hard courts, it takes away the advantage that Federer and Nadal have on grass courts and clay courts, respectively, making it a more or less even contest.
The Spaniard has just a slight edge in their head to head record on hard courts, leading 9-7.
When Federer was named the 17th seed before the tournament, there were concerns that these two could meet each other as early as the 3rd round. But now that they have been drawn in different halves, they cannot meet each other before the 29th of January. And what a start to the 2017 season that would be!
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