New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS): Former India tennis player Somdev Devvarman believes the return of top-ranked men's singles player Novak Djokovic to the 2023 Australian Open has led to huge excitement among tennis fans in the country as well as in the world.
Djokovic's quest for a tenth Australian Open title will start by playing against Roberto Carballes Baena in the first round of the tournament and could possibly meet Nick Kyrgios in the last-eight stage.
But there is an injury cloud hanging over Djokovic's participation after tweaking his hamstring on the way to winning the season-opening Adelaide International last week.
Djokovic, 35, was ejected from Australia on the eve of the 2022 Australian Open over his Covid-19 vaccination stance after a legal battle and would go on to miss the U.S. Open for similar reasons.
"Novak's return to Australian Open has got tennis fans around the world excited, including here in India. I am looking forward to seeing what's in store because there's plenty of good storylines to follow."
"While the greats attract the attention they deserve, this year will mark the dawn of a new era with young players like Iga Swiatek, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev, Coco Gauff, and Nick Kyrgios coming into focus who will move on to be included in the greats of tennis in the coming years as Grand Slam champions," Devvarman was quoted as saying by Sony Sports Network in an official release.
Devvarman, a gold medallist in men's singles at 2the 010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, will be a part of the panel by the Sony Sports Network for their coverage of Australian Open 2023 alongside former tennis player Gaurav Natekar and Davis Cup player Purav Raja. Natekar will also provide Hindi commentary for the tournament alongside Manish Batavia and Atish Thukral.
Apart from Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas will all be part of the men's singles draw. In the women's singles, World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will enter the tournament as a favourite but will face stiff competition from the likes of Ons Jabeur, Jessica Pegula and Caroline Garcia.
Young men's players like Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Holger Rune, among others, will also look to make their mark on the court. However, the cynosure of all eyes will be India's very own Sania Mirza, who will team up with Anna Danilina in the women's doubles event, in her final appearance at the Australian Open before retiring from the game.
The Australian Open will be live telecast from January 16-29, 2023 on Sony Sports Ten 5 & Sony Sports Ten 2 channels with English commentary and Sony Sports Ten 3 channels with Hindi commentary. The Grand Slam will also be available to Livestream on SonyLIV.