Australian Open entry lists out, stars miss out on seedings - UBITENNIS

Australian Open entry lists out, stars miss out on seedings

By Alex Burton
3 Min Read
Spain’s Feliciano Lopez could have a tough first round draw after being confirmed in a place outside the seedings (Zimbio.com)

The entry lists for the first grand slam tournament of 2018 have been released. A lot of familiar names look set for unfamiliar seedings.

World No.1 Rafael Nadal is the top seed. He is followed by Roger Federer, Grigor Dimitrov, and Alexander Zverev.

Yet is further down the lists that some names look oddly placed. Novak Djokovic is set for the 12th seed, one place behind Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro. Fellow former No.1 Andy Murray is set to be seeded 16th. Former grand slam finalists Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic are set for the 21st and 24th seeds respectively.

In the 30th seeded position Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur looks set for a seeding at a grand slam for the first time in his career. Richard Gasquet (31) and Pablo Cuevas (32) grab the last two seedings according to this entry list. Cuevas earned a timely move up the rankings late in the season after winning the Montevideo Challenger that boosted his chances of a seed.

Some familiar names have missed out completely on seedings. Former Roland Garros finalist David Ferrer (37) will be a tough draw for anyone in the first round, as will Queen’s champion Feliciano Lopez (36). Other names without seedings include Fernando Verdasco, Gael Monfils, and Gilles Simon.

Next Gen stars Andrey Rublev, Jared Donaldson, and Denis Shapovalov will also feature after being confirmed. Four players have a protected ranking strong enough for direct entry into the event. These players are Andreas Haider-Maurer, Yoshihito Nishioka, John Millman, and Ricardas Berankis.

The first group of alternates are also listed. These are players to be moved into the main draw should a withdrawal take place. These include the United States’ Taylor Fritz, former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis, and Davis Cup winner Nicolas Mahut. James Duckworth and Pablo Andujar’s protected rankings are enough to see them into the alternates list.

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