Roger Federer begins Australian Open title defence against Aljaz Bedene

Roger Federer will begin his Australian Open title defence against Aljaz Bedene while No14 seed and six-time champion Novak Djokovic landed a first-round draw with Donald Young in Melbourne on Thursday.

Djokovic, who missed the end of last season with an elbow injury, will take on the American left-hander with the possibility of a tie against Stan Wawrinka or Alexander Zverev in the quarter-final.

Rafael Nadal, the world No1 will play the Dominican Republic’s Víctor Estrella Burgos in the top half of the draw. The men’s third seed, Grigor Dimitrov, will face a qualifier with Zverev, ranked fourth, playing Italian Thomas Fabbiano but with 2014 champion Wawrinka, returning after a spell sidelines after surgery, in his section of the draw.

Elsewhere, Briton Kyle Edmund will take on big-serving US Open finalist Kevin Anderson while Juan Martín del Potro has a tough task to come through his opener against American Frances Tiafoe.

(GUARDIAN)