With two days to go ahead of the start of the 2019 ATP Tour season, top seed Rafael Nadal was handed a tough draw at the Brisbane International.
The 32-year-old, competing at the Queensland event for the second time, will make his return to action against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or a qualifier after a first-round bye. In his first tour-level event since retiring from his US Open semi-final against Juan Martin del Potro in September, Nadal will be aiming to reach his second quarter-final in Brisbane.
On his debut in 2017, Nadal did not drop a set en route to the last eight before falling to defending champion Milos Raonic in three sets. The 80-time tour-level titlist's appearance in Brisbane proved to be the perfect start to the season, with Nadal reaching his first Grand Slam final in almost three years at the Australian Open three weeks later.
If Nadal reaches the quarter-finals in Brisbane, he may need to overcome 2018 semi-finalist Alex de Minaur for a place in the last four. In 2018, De Minaur announced himself to the tennis world in front of home fans, reaching the semi-finals in Brisbane (l. to Harrison) before advancing to his maiden ATP Tour final at the Sydney International (l. to Medvedev). The 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up is joined in the top quarter by countrymen Alex Bolt, Jordan Thompson and Alexei Popyrin.
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Also featuring in the top half of the draw is fourth seed Daniil Medvedev and former champions Andy Murray and Milos Raonic. After a stunning breakthrough season in 2018, Medvedev will be eager to get off to a quick start in Australia. The 22-year-old Russian, who could meet Murray in the second round, lifted three tour-level titles in 2018.
Two-time champion Murray (2012-'13), who owns an unbeaten 9-0 record at the event, will open his 2019 campaign against Australian wild card James Duckworth. Canadian No. 1 Raonic will begin his bid for a second Brisbane title against Aljaz Bedene. Raonic reached back-to-back finals at the tournament in 2015 (l. to Federer) and 2016 (d. Federer).
In the bottom half of the draw, second seed Kei Nishikori could meet Grigor Dimitrov in a repeat of the 2017 championship match. Nishikori will face Taylor Fritz or Denis Kudla for a place in the quarter-finals, with 2017 winner Dimitrov opening his season against Yoshihito Nishioka.
Third seed Kyle Edmund and defending champion Nick Kyrgios headline the third quarter of the draw. Edmund, who captured his first tour-level trophy at the European Open in October, will meet the winner of an all-qualifier first-round match, while Kyrgios will meet Ryan Harrison in a repeat of the 2018 final. Kyrgios overcame the American in straight sets to become the first home champion at the event since Lleyton Hewitt in 2014.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour http://bit.ly/2GMs88n
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