Six-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams has a tough draw starting in the opening round against Camila Giorgi, who finished 2015 at No. 34 and was the highest-ranked player not seeded for the season’s first major.Scanpix Denmark/Reuters
Defending champion Serena Williams and No. 5-ranked Maria Sharapova were drawn into the same section for the Australian Open on Friday, meaning last year's finalists could meet in the quarter-finals.
Six-time champion Williams has a tough draw starting in the opening round against Camila Giorgi of Italy, who finished 2015 at No. 34 and was the highest-ranked player not seeded for the season's first major. Williams could also meet former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round.
Eugenie Bouchard of Montreal plays Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia in her first match.
Men's champion Novak Djokovic will open against Chung Hyeon of South Korea and, if results go with rankings, could meet No. 7 Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals and No. 3 Roger Federer in the semis. Federer, who has won four Australian titles among his 17 majors, opens against Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia, and possibly Alexandr Dolgopolov in the second and No. 27 Grigor Dimitrov in the third.
No. 2 Andy Murray will open against Alexander Zverev of Germany, and on the same half of the draw, No. 5 Rafael Nadal opens against fellow Spaniard and 2009 Australian Open semi-finalist Fernando Verdasco.
Toronto's Milos Raonic faces Lucas Pouille of France in the first round while Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., faces France's Gilles Simon.
With a file from Reuters