Australian Open, Djokovic favorite. How are Berrettini, Sinner, Musetti-Corriere.it

Within a year, the world has (again) changed. Twelve months ago Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia on public interest grounds, landed with a vaccine waiver and had his visa revoked, today he is the favorite of an Australian Open which also allows Covid positives to go into the field, with two huge targets in the crosshairs: the 22nd Grand Slam title and the reconquest of the top of the ranking. Twelve months ago Rafa Nadal set out to conquer Melbourne and annexed half a Grand Slam, this year he is back from two consecutive defeats (Norrie and De Minaur at the United Cup) and an uncertain season finale, locker room radio speaks of an abs problem never fully resolved (“I feel vulnerable”) and the nice Sasha Zverev has already given him the funeral: “Unfortunately, Nadal will announce his retirement at Roland Garros”. Amen.

It’s 2023 and the most noble final that the first Major of the season can wish for is between champions of safe used cars: Djokovic-Nadal (71 years between two) would be the 60th meeting (30-29) of an inexhaustible rivalry, the Next Gen in perennial pursuit in the meantime is graying, the Millennials are broken (Alcaraz is out and even the girls have migraines: Badosa and Tomljanovic withdrew before the start) or they live for the day, tennis travels at three hundred per now it waits for no one and exposes everyone to dangerous drafts. Few certainties: very low odds for Djoker who wins for the tenth time (no one better than him is able to manage the thigh fatigue that popped up in training), the bookmakers put Medvedev (finalist in 2022) and Kyrgios (finalist at Wimbledon) ahead in Nadal, Taylor Fritz king of the United Cup with the USA in the best shape among the pursuers, among which stand out — three Azzurri top 20 for the first time in our history — the italian boys.

Matteo Berrettini seems to be the most trusted armed with new tattoos, the choice to start the season by accepting points and dollars from the new mixed team event wanted by Andrea Gaudenzi’s ATP paid off: thanks to the successes over two top 10 players, Ruud and Hurkacz (“I missed this type of match »), Matteo has overtaken Sinner in the standings, today he is number 14 and enjoys a health which he wishes to prolong sine die after the stumbles of last year. The elderly Murray in the first round is a noble test in view of a possible derby with Fognini.
Sinner defeated in the quarterfinals in Adelaide by Korda and weighed down by a sore hip made him fear the worst: «There was something, but nothing serious – coach Vagnozzi let us know via Sky -, we worked a lot on the serve and on physical preparation: Jannik has put on 3 kilos of muscle, he’s already very strong but he can improve in many ways» . The debut with Edmund (tonight at 1, live Eurosport) will dispel any doubts about the athleticism of the red baron.

And then Musetti (possible crossing with Sinner in the third round), a soft debut with the South African Harris (from 6) to check the state of inflammation in the shoulder, a tennis now without breaks (best wishes to those who have to redesign the Davis Cup from 2024 in a calendar with no room for manoeuvre) puts twenty-year-olds to the whip.
Sonego, the qualified Bellucci, six blue including Camila Giorgi, under investigation in Vicenza for fake vaccines, are also on the board. Not a nice passepartout.