Feb 8 (Reuters) – Rafa Nadal begins his quest for a record 21st Grand Slam title under a cloud of injuries against Serbian Laslo Djere on Tuesday, with local favorite Ash Barty also in the spotlight on the second day of the Australian Open.
World number two Nadal’s preparations have been hampered by a back injury that ruled him out of the ATP Cup, with the Spaniard admitting on the eve of the season-opening major that he had been “suffering” for more than two weeks.
Nadal, who has not triumphed at Melbourne Park since 2009, said his injury had restricted his movements in training but he will still be confident of defeating 25-year-old Djere, who has never won a match in the draw main at Melbourne Park. Australian Open.
In the women’s draw, top-ranked Barty, fresh from triumphant in the Yarra Valley Classic warm-up event, opens against Danka Kovinic in the night session on Rod Laver Arena.
The 2019 French Open champion, who reached the semi-finals here last year, hopes to give Australia its first Grand Slam singles winner on home soil since Chris O’Neil in 1978.
American Sofia Kenin will begin her Grand Slam title defense for the first time in her career when she takes on Australian Maddison Inglis, while last year’s finalist Garbine Muguruza takes on lucky Russian loser Margarita Gasparyan.
Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev, who led Russia to the ATP Cup title on Sunday, faces Canadian Vasek Pospisil, while fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas meets French veteran Gilles Simon in a clash of generations.
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Reporting by Arvind Sriram from Bangalore, editing by Pritha Sarkar
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