After a worrying few days in Melbourne - during which she withdrew from back-to-back friendlies - Emma Raducanu's trip took a positive turn on Thursday.
After putting in a solid two-hour practice session in the morning, she earned a favorable draw against a woman who hasn't played on the tour in six months.
Following on from the tournament that made her famous, Raducanu opens her Australian Open campaign against Shelby Rogers - the 31-year-old American she thrashed on her way to the 2021 US Open title.
That previous match was Raducanu's first at Arthur Ashe Stadium - tennis's largest venue - and she looked in amazement at the dizzying stands.
But if she felt any fear about performing on such a big stage, she quickly got over it as she played eleven games in a row, turning Rogers' early lead into a 6-2, 6-1 defeat.
These days, as a global celebrity with 2.4 million Instagram followers, Raducanu is used to being a main attraction. But her low ranking after her injury layoff (she is ranked 299 in the world, and Rogers is ranked 156) means she will likely have to settle for one of the smaller show courts.
As this is the first Australian Open to introduce a Sunday start, the first round of the tournament will stretch over three days and it has not yet been decided when Raducanu will play. She might prefer to wait until Tuesday after the general soreness she took from her comeback tournament in Auckland last week, which prompted her to withdraw from the two scheduled friendlies on Tuesday and Wednesday.
However, fears that Raducanu could have a specific injury were allayed on Thursday as she practiced for two hours at Melbourne Park alongside her latest observer Nick Cavaday, who had previously worked with her when she was a junior at Bromley Tennis Centre.
In a draw that produced mixed results for the British contingent, Andy Murray found himself meeting 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina. If he were to win it, Murray could potentially face two old foes he's known since junior college: Gael Monfils in the second round, and... gulp... Novak Djokovic in the third.
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"Let's hope I can get there," said Murray, who made his second appearance at the Kooyong Classic exhibition on Thursday, recording a solid 6-4, 6-2 victory over former US Open champion Dominic Thiem. "I haven't done my best at the Grand Slams in recent years, so my focus has to be on the first match. But I would like to play against Novak again if possible."
How the British will fare in Melbourne
Emma Raducanu (299) vs. Shelby Rogers (156)
Rogers' form will be difficult to predict. She has not played since Wimbledon last year due to knee and abdominal problems. So Raducanu - who also missed most of last season due to injury - could have a slight advantage having enjoyed an outing in Auckland last week. Rogers is 6-foot-4 and relies on a direct route-one play from the baseline. Raducanu would do well to use angles and changes of pace to keep her moving, as Rogers packs a real punch when she's allowed to get her feet on the ground. If Raducanu were to advance, she would likely meet 22nd seed Sorana Cirstea - the Romanian she ambushed in the third round of 2021 Wimbledon - in a demanding next match.
Prediction: third round
Andy Murray (44) v Tomas Martin Etcheverry (30)
Murray hasn't had much luck with his draws at the Australian Open lately. In four appearances since the onset of his hip injury, he has secured a first-round meeting with a seed each time. Etcheverry may not be a big name - except in the most literal sense of the word - but he's a ruthless grinder who gives very little away. These two met twice on the ATP Tour last season, scoring one win each after a pair of three-set slugfests. However, regarding the longer format used in the slams, Murray would be wise to avoid another dogfight against such a physically powerful opponent. "It's not easy," Murray said Thursday. "Last year he had a great year and is playing very well. It's a good test for me in the first match."
Prediction: third round
Cameron Norrie (19) vs. Juan Pablo Varillas (80)
This should be a comfortable draw against a 28-year-old Peruvian who has only one Grand Slam victory on hard courts. However, there must be some concerns about Norrie's fitness after he decided to withdraw from the ATP event in Auckland late on Thursday. The reason given was a problem in his right wrist. Even if Norrie's agent insisted the withdrawal was precautionary, Norrie himself has a sentimental fondness for the town where he grew up, and would not have made this decision lightly.
Prediction: Fourth round
Katie Boulter (57) vs Yue Yuan (73)
Boulter comes to the Australian Open with a place in the world's top 50 in his sights. She made a fast start to the new season, scoring a career-best win over world No. 5 Jessica Pegula in the United Cup in Perth, but then lost some of that momentum by losing to unknown Anna Bogdan in Adelaide. Still, this is a decent draw. Both women are unusually tall - Boulter 6-foot-1 and Yuan 6-foot-1 - and they play first-strike tennis because they aren't the best defenders. If Boulter were to win, she would likely face another Chinese opponent in her next match - the dangerous Qinwen Zheng.
Prediction: Second round
Dan Evans (40) vs. Lorenzo Sonego (46)
Evans won't be able to match Sonego - a tall Italian with loose limbs - when it comes to power. But as a fleet-footed sprinter with a silky touch, he is used to neutralizing physically stronger players. Sonego can be destructive when his game is fluid, but he is also prone to flakiness and generally underperforms in the majors. If Evans were to come through, he would likely earn a repeat of his fan-pleasing US Open clash with reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Prediction: Second round
Jodie Burrage (102) vs. Tamara Korpatsch (81)
Korpatsch was Raducanu's opponent here last year and went down without much protest, even though Raducanu was suffering from the aftermath of a sprained ankle. Normally she is at her best on clay courts, while Burrage prefers the faster surfaces. Based on that, we could tip Burrage to start her first Australian Open with a win. However, if we're right, Burrage faces a likely meeting with ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova in the second round.
Prediction: Second round
Jack Draper (62) vs. Marcos Giron (60)
These two may be closely matched in the rankings, but Draper is clearly underrated at No. 62, having missed the entire grass court season last year due to a nasty shoulder tendon injury. His talent was underlined by the fact that he came through the UTS Finals in London's Docklands undefeated last month, beating key opponents such as world number 8 Holger Rune and three-time major finalist Casper Ruud. Yes, we are talking about an exhibition, and an idiosyncratic one at that. But I have yet to meet a professional athlete who likes to lose.
Prediction: Second round
Draper beats American Paul in Aussie Open boost
Jack Draper scored a statement win to reach the Adelaide semi-finals in what could be a huge boost to his Australian Open chances.
Draper crushed top American seed Tommy Paul with a clinical 6-1, 6-4 performance and will face Alexander Bublik on Friday in only his fifth ever ATP semi-final.
Thursday's win not only helped him equal his run in Adelaide last year, but it was also his second victory in two meetings with Paul. That fresh winning feeling could be significant next week in Melbourne.
If Draper can beat unseeded American Marcos Giron in the first round of the Australian Open, he is expected to face Paul again in the second round, and this result in Adelaide will be a source of confidence.
Draper stormed out to a 4-0 lead on Thursday, which was especially impressive as his last 16 match from the day before had turned into an absolute marathon. After Draper won the first set 6-1, Paul responded and entered the battle. But the Briton only faced one break point in the match and won 22 of 24 points on his first serve.
When Paul served to stay in the match at 5-4, Draper turned up the intensity. His trademark running forehand was on fire throughout, and on match point he hit a pass beyond Paul's reach, equaling the third-best result of his career on the rankings.
"Last year I played in Adelaide and reached the semi-finals. I'm very happy to be back and hopefully I can go one step further this week," said Draper afterwards. "I had to start well because I was playing a 3h40 [minute] match yesterday in the sun, so I knew I had to work really hard for that first set. I felt really great, I came out strong. The second set was a bit of a battle... but I stayed strong and was able to make it in the end."
Last year at the Australian Open, Draper was unlucky to draw Rafael Nadal in the first round, but this time he has a real chance of progressing in Melbourne. He has shaken off the injury woes that plagued the first half of 2023 and has the added experience of going deep at a major in New York last September and reaching the last 16 for the first time.
He said on Thursday that he has returned in 2024 a better player, adding: "Last year I was not in this form. I always struggled to compete in long matches, but I came back a better player this year, so I hope I can progress further.
"This tournament prepares you really well for the Australian Open, getting used to the conditions and the courts, and it's really good to play some good matches. There's nothing better than getting matches. I'm proud of the way I'm playing and hopefully I can continue to improve."
