Djokovic, Nadal two hot!

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 seasonopening Grand Slam He was challenged by Austrian Dominic Thiem last year but the Serb eventually triumphed 6ndash4 4ndash6 2ndash6 6ndash3 6ndash4Rafael Nadal PicAFPEight is greatldquoDjokovic has won the title eight times including the last two So itrsquoll 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 fivesetter is a whole different challenge So for me these two are the favouritesrdquo Devvarman who is an expert panelist on the Sony Sports show Extraaa Serve told midday on FridaySomdev DevvarmanHowever there is more than enough room for surprises insisted Devvarman 35 who reached Round 2 of the Australian Open in 2013 ldquoThiem Stefano Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev have been standout performers so we can expect a few upsets I wonrsquot be surprised if someone among the lower seeds makes a breakthrough this yearrdquo added the Padma Shri awardeeWatch out for ThiemThiem 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 ldquoThe next generation players have the ability but can they do it in fivesetters Thatrsquos one of the biggest challenges for them Itrsquos hard enough to beat the big guys in a tourlevel match but when it comes to a Slam itrsquos a much tougher challenge altogether Theyrsquoll have to play the match of their lives to beat themrdquo added Devvarman a Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 and Asian Games Guangzhou 2010 gold medallistHowever before stepping onto the court the COVID19caused quarantine situation is a tough challenge said Devvarman ldquoQuarantine 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 Slamrdquo concluded Devvarman who retired from the game in 2017Injury scare for NovakAdelaide 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