Brisbane International 2019: Men's Preview and draw analysis

Even though the tennis off-season is one of the shortest off-seasons in all sports, it still somehow makes the wait for the new season extremely tough. So after a long, grueling wait of over 30 days, the 2019 season kicks off with the Brisbane International, held at the Queensland Tennis Centre.

Rafael Nadal, who will be playing his first official match since the US Open semi-final, headlines the field along with former World No. 1 Andy Murray, who ended last season prematurely to be completely ready and fresh for the new season.

The defending champion Nick Kyrgios will be hoping for a similar performance as last year along with the Aussie No. 1 Alex De Minaur. Apart from them, Kei Nishikori, Grigor Dimitrov and British No. 1 Kyle Edmund also feature in the star-studded field.

So without further delay, let’s take a look at the first draw of the 2019 ATP tour:

First quarter

Nadal leads the quarter and has a tough draw, especially given the fact that he still seems to be recovering from his ankle surgery.

He is likely to face the French veteran Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in his opener. Then in the quarters he is likely to face the next gen star Alex De Minaur, who had a stunning breakthrough last season, finishing at No. 31 after starting 2018 outside the top 200.

The Pick: Alex De Minaur

Second quarter

World No. 16 Daniil Medvedev is the top seed in this quarter, and he too had a meteoric rise from outside the top 50 last season. But all eyes will be on his potential second round opponent, Andy Murray, who will be gearing to test his match fitness after an extended off-season training block.

2016 champion Milos Raonic also features in this quarter, and he is another player who struggled with multiple injuries last season. But Raonic had a very good outing in Hawaii last week, where he reached the final, losing to Kei Nishikori in two tiebreakers.

The Pick: Daniil Medvedev

Third quarter

British No. 1 Kyle Edmund leads this quarter after having a groundbreaking 2018, where he reached his first Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open before capturing his first ATP title in Antwerp.

Defending champion and former Aussie No. 1 Nick Kyrgios features in the other section of this quarter. The Aussie face Ryan Harrison in his opener, in a rematch of last year’s final, before having a chance to face Edmund.

The Pick: Nick Kyrgios

Fourth quarter

2017 finalist Kei Nishikori is the top seed in this quarter and after a rough outing at the ATP Finals, will be looking to find some rhythm in time for the first Grand Slam of the season.

Former champion and Andre Agassi’s new charge Grigor Dimitrov also features in this section and could face the home favorite and giant killer John Millman in the round of 16 before having a chance of a rematch of the 2017 final.

The Pick: Kei Nishikori

Semifinals

Alex De Minaur v Daniil Medvedev

The Pick: This is a clash that we might witness in the latter stages of many major tournaments in the coming years and is a tossup, especially at the start of the season. But the defensive skills and home support could help De Minaur to eke out the win.

Nick Kyrgios v Kei Nishikori

The Pick: This is a mouthwatering match-up and one that has produced some blistering tennis in the past, with the Japanese coming out on top every time. But after a lackluster last season, Kyrgios will have a point to prove and will fancy his chances for a chance to defend the title.

Final

Alex De Minaur v Nick Kyrgios

The Pick: A tussle between the current and the former Australian No. 1s will be a dream final for the Brisbane crowd. Kyrgios will be looking to take some revenge against his compatriot for taking away the country’s top honor, and in the process get back into everyone’s conversations for the right reasons once again.

Exciting potential early round matchups

Rafael Nadal v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Alex De Minaur v Alexei Popryn

Andy Murray v James Duckworth

Jeremy Chardy v Jan-Lennard Struff

Nick Kyrgios v Ryan Harrison

Grigor Dimitrov v John Millman