Australian Open men's semfinals preview

One of these four will win the Australian Open.

For the second straight major and third of the last five, the game's top-four players — Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray — will square off in the semifinal round. To go even further, with only one exception — Juan Martin del Potro's 2009 US Open win — either Federer, Nadal or Djokovic has been the winner of every Slam tournament since Marat Safin's Australian Open win in 2005. Murray has yet to win a Slam, but the other three combine for 30 Grand Slam singles titles. Federer has the most of any player in the Open era with 16, Nadal has 10 and Djokovic has four, including two in Melbourne.

At various points in 2011, each of these four dominated the men's game. Most notable, of course, was Djokovic's 43-match win streak to begin the season. Roger Federer ended the year with a 15-match, three-title streak of his own and Andy Murray took two titles in Asia after the US Open. Combined, the four won 22 titles (Djokovic, 10; Nadal, 3; Murray, 5; and Federer, 4) and more than $31 million in prize money. Djokovic won the Australian Open (defeating Murray), Wimbledon and the US Open (defeating Nadal in both). Nadal defeated Federer to win the French Open. Federer won the ATP World Tour Finals, and Nadal led Spain to a fifth Davis Cup.

(2) RAFAEL NADAL VS. (3) ROGER FEDERER

When: Thursday, Jan 26, 3:30 a.m. ET
Head-to-head: Nadal leads 17-9
Evans: Nadal's heroics on display to reach semis

Path to the semifinals:

2. Rafael Nadal, ESP

SF (3) Roger Federer, SUI
QF (7) Tomas Berdych, CZE 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-3
R4 (18) Feliciano Lopez, ESP 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
R3 Lucas Lacko, SVK 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
R2 Tommy Haas, GER 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
R1 Alex Kuznetsov, USA 6-4, 6-1, 6-1
3. Roger Federer, SUI

SF (2) Rafael Nadal, ESP
QF (11) Juan Martin del Potro, ARG 6-4, 6-3, 6-2
R4 Bernard Tomic, AUS 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
R3 Ivo Carlovic, CRO 7-6(5), 7-5, 6-3
R2 Andreas Beck, GER Walkover
R1 Alexander Kudryavtsev, RUS 7-5, 6-2, 6-2
(1) NOVAK DJOKOVIC VS. (4) ANDY MURRAY

When: Friday, Jan 27, 3:30 a.m. ET
Head-to-head: Djokovic leads 6-4
Evans: Djokovic shows strain, lands in semis

Path to the semifinals:
1. Novak Djokovic, SRB
SF vs. (4) Andy Murray, GBR
QF (5) David Ferrer, ESP 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-1
R4 Lleyton Hewitt, AUS 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
R3 Nicolas Mahut, FRA 6-0, 6-1, 6-1
R2 Santiago Giraldo, COL 6-3, 6-2, 6-1
R1 Paolo Lorenzi, ITA 6-2, 6-0, 6-0

4. Andy Murray, GBR
SF (1) Novak Djokovic, SRB
QF (24) Kei Nishikori, JPN 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
R4 Mikhail Kukushkin, KAZ 6-1, 6-1. 1-0 Ret.
R3 Michael Llodra, FRA 6-4, 6-2, 6-0
R2 Edouard Roger-Vasselin, FRA 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
R1 Ryan Harrison, USA 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2

Earn upto Rs. 9,000 pm checking Emails. Join now!

Australian Open:-2012 ,start for Murray

Australian Open:-2012

Five other Britons to play first-round matches on Monday
Tuesday start for Murray

Andy Murray: Will play Ryan Harrison on Tuesday

.

Andy Murray will open his Australian Open campaign in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Monday's order of play was published on Saturday and
Murray's name was not on it.

The top half of the men's draw, including defending champion Novak Djokovic and Murray,
will not play until Tuesday.

Murray's first-round opponent is American Ryan Harrison.

The other five British players in the singles draws will, however, play on the tournament's opening day.

Heather Watson will get proceedings under way on Melbourne Park's main court, the Rod Laver Arena, against third seed Victoria Azarenka.

That match will take place at 0001 GMT on Monday.

Night session                                                                              

Laura Robson will also make a show court appearance - she's fourth on the Margaret Court Arena against former world number one Jelena Jankovic.

Court 11 will be the place to be if you are a British fan though, with James Ward, Elena Balatcha and Anne Keothavong all in action there.

Qualifier Ward will be first up against Slovenia's Blaz Kavcic. Baltacha's clash with Stephanie Foretz Gacon will be third match on and they will be followed by Keothavong against Mona Barthel, the German who warmed up for the tournament by winning the Hobart International.

Monday's schedule also features defending women's champion Kim Clijsters, while the night session matches on Rod Laver Arena will see Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki in action.

Earn upto Rs. 9,000 pm checking Emails. Join now!