Djokovic, Nadal two hot!

Novak Djokovic returns to Italy’s Jannik Sinner during an exhibition match at Adelaide yesterday

Former India tennis ace Somdev Devvarman has claimed that though World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and legendary Spaniard Rafael Nadal are clear favourites to win the upcoming Australian Open (February 8 to 21) the next generation stars are also good enough to pull off an upset at the Melbourne event. Djokovic has won seven of the last 10 finals at the season-opening Grand Slam. He was challenged by Austrian Dominic Thiem last year but the Serb eventually triumphed 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Rafael Nadal. Pic/AFP

Eight is great
"Djokovic has won the title eight times, including the last two. So it'll be hard to look much further than him for a favourite. But of course, there is Nadal as well and to beat him in a five-setter is a whole different challenge. So, for me, these two are the favourites," Devvarman, who is an expert panelist on the Sony Sports show, Extraaa Serve, told mid-day on Friday.

Somdev Devvarman

However, there is more than enough room for surprises, insisted Devvarman, 35, who reached Round 2 of the Australian Open in 2013. "Thiem, [Stefano] Tsitsipas and [Daniil] Medvedev have been standout performers, so we can expect a few upsets. I won't be surprised if someone among the lower seeds makes a breakthrough this year," added the Padma Shri awardee.

Watch out for Thiem
Thiem was one of the next generation players, who managed to break the Grand Slam domination of the Big Three (Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer) by winning the US Open last year. But beating the biggies consistently will be tough, felt Devvarman. "The next generation players have the ability but can they do it in five-setters? That's one of the biggest challenges for them. It's hard enough to beat the big guys in a tour-level match but when it comes to a Slam, it's a much tougher challenge altogether. They'll have to play the match of their lives to beat them," added Devvarman, a Commonwealth Games [Delhi 2010] and Asian Games [Guangzhou 2010] gold medallist.

However, before stepping onto the court, the COVID-19-caused quarantine situation is a tough challenge, said Devvarman. "Quarantine will definitely play a role as it will affect the preparation of the players. Some players are very meticulous about their planning and preparation. They like to train every day to maintain their rhythm and these players will be more affected by the quarantine restrictions than others. But having said that, these guys are the best in the world because of their ability to adapt. So, I expect most of them to get on with their business as usual. After all, at the end of the day, they have an opportunity to win a Grand Slam," concluded Devvarman, who retired from the game in 2017.

Injury scare for Novak
Adelaide: Novak Djokovic played only one of the two scheduled sets in his opening game of the season on Friday here. He did not appear for the first set against Jannik Sinner at an exhibition in Adelaide and television pictures showed a raw blister on the palm of his right hand, with which he grips his racquet.