The 2017 Australian Open is just around the corner. The first Grand Slam of the year will offer a rare level of excitement because of the configuration of the draw, which you will read about in the player information section below. Fans are hoping that whatever the case may be, this tournament will feature a lot of showcase matches between top players, leading to semifinal and final matches which leave a memorable imprint on spectators and commentators alike.
The competition in the 128-player main draw begins on Monday, January 16, in Melbourne.
Event Details
Event: Australian Open
Category: ITF (International Tennis Federation) Grand Slam
Date: January 16-29, 2017
Location: Melbourne Park – Melbourne, Australia
With a prize money allotment of just over $37.5 million, ATP professionals can bank big numbers of the dollars and points which can enable them to continue to support a fuller staff and a wide array of resources throughout the year. The top players are easily taken care of in this regard, but the players ranked 90 or lower can really use a few match wins to give their careers a measure of financial and structural security.
Points
Championship – 2,000 points.
Runner-up – 1,200
Semifinal – 720
Quarterfinal – 360
Round of 16 – 180
Round of 32 – 90
Round of 64 – 45
Round of 128 – 10
Former Champions and Results (5 Years)
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2016 – Novak Djokovic def. Andy Murray – 6-1, 7-5, 7-6
2015 – Novak Djokovic def. Andy Murray – 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-0
2014 – Stan Wawrinka def. Rafael Nadal – 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
2013 – Novak Djokovic def. Andy Murray – 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2
2012 – Novak Djokovic def. Rafael Nadal – 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5
Player Info:
This is a sensational draw, one which will put a lot of fans on edge but create epic entertainment in Australia. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, due to injuries, slipped to No. 17 and No. 9. This has created a situation in which Federer has to play higher-seeded Tomas Berdych in the round of 32, should Berdych advance. Federer would then have to play Kei Nishikori in the fourth round and top-seeded Andy Murray in the quarterfinals. Matches are going to be played in the middle of the tournament which possess the quality of semifinals or finals.
It’s similar for Nadal, who plays Alexander Zverev in the round of 32, and could play Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals after facing Gael Monfils in the fourth round. That’s a very challenging path for a player of Nadal’s stature, but again, it goes back to injuries and a lack of rankings points, which have created low seedings for this tournament.
Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka got the best draws of the top players. Djokovic drew Dominic Thiem in his quarter, while Wawrinka got Marin Cilic, who has not been able to do much since winning the 2014 U.S. Open. Both players will be favored to make the semifinals, and in the semifinals, they’ll both have very good opportunities to make the final. The real drama is in the Murray and Raonic quarters, since Federer and Nadal lurk inside them.
The question with Djokovic is which guy are we going to see? Are we going to see the player that ascended to the top of the tennis tour early on last season? Djokovic was the unquestioned No. 1 player for the early part of the season – deep into the summer. He even won the French Open. On the other hand, he also had a tumultuous finish to the year, battling through nagging injuries. He then parted ways with head coach Boris Becker. How will this impact his performance? That’s part of the intrigue going into this event.
Melbourne Park
The Australian Open has thrived in the nearly 30 years since the tournament moved from Kooyong’s grass courts to the hardcourts of Melbourne Park in 1988. The best feature of the Australian Open is that it has three courts with retractable roofs, which can therefore host matches either in the event of rain or severe heat. Matches cannot occur over a certain level of heat (as measured by the heat index), and within certain parameters, players get to take a 10-minute break before a third and final set. It’s so much easier and more pleasant if a match can be played indoors, under a roof. The three courts with roofs support a lot more tennis played under comfortable conditions. No other major tournament has this feature.
Click here to bet on tennis – including all of the major grand slams this season – and many other sports at BetDSI!
