Australian Open 2014: Experts' picks for the men's draw

The tennis experts of Sportskeeda look ahead at the 2014 Australian Open by making picks for the men’s draw in four categories: dark horse, early exit, dangerous floater, and champion.

1. Dark horse

Stanislas Wawrinka

Abhishek Desikan: Juan Martin del Potro had a strong and consistent season last year, and is fully recovered from his wrist injury. The Argentine certainly has what it takes to challenge the best at their best, so I’d watch out for him.

Adnan Akhtar: After a career-best 2013 and a title in Chennai last week, Stanislas Wawrinka would be my pick as the dark horse at the Australian Open. A rematch with Djokovic is on the cards if the draw pans out as expected. But two-time lucky Djokovic may not have a third-time escape against the already growing-in-confidence Swiss player.

Avantika Tikmany: The 8th-seeded Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka had a terrific season in 2013 and is in red-hot form. If he manages to put up a splendid show against Djokovic yet again this year, a spot in the final isn’t out of his reach.

BallnRacquet: Stanislas Wawrinka, fresh from winning a title at Chennai and a career best season, is surely a dark horse at this year’s Australian Open. He almost upset Djokovic in a midnight thriller last year. He is drawn to face the Serb once again this year – at the quarterfinals stage, a round better than last year’s. Though not a certainty, he could stretch the Serb like he did last year, or he could also do better.

Musab Abid: Last year at the Australian Open, Jerzy Janowicz produced a meltdown for the ages in his match against Somdev Devvarman. I’m guessing he’ll be eager to replace that memory with a more positive, winning one. And he’s in David Ferrer‘s quarter, so watch out.

Roh: After having hired a new coach – in a surprising move – and having changed his racquet to a bigger frame, Roger Federer made it to the Brisbane finals. Though he has a difficult draw, Federer still remains a dark horse to possibly win his fifth Australian Open singles title.

Varun Jog: There’s a big question on everyone’s mind: will Stanislas Wawrinka build on his career year last year, or will he find it too difficult to produce the same kind of consistency this year? I’m leaning towards the former, especially if his Chennai Open performance is anything to go by. Wawrinka has a decent draw till the quarters, where he will probably face Djokovic. We all know what happened last year, and if Wawrinka can produce the same level of play and perhaps be a bit tougher mentally, who knows what could happen.

2. Early exit

Tomas Berdych

Abhishek Desikan: Tomas Berdych has been in a bit of a rough patch, having failed to win a single title last year. And that drought could continue Down Under.

Adnan Akhtar: Richard Gasquet has had a subdued start to his season and would be my choice to be knocked out early.

Avantika Tikmany: A tough draw and a history of injuries make Rafael Nadal a contender for a possible early exit.

BallnRacquet: This is a tough call to make given that the season is still in its nascent stages. Going by the form so far and his overall record, Tomas Berdych seems to be headed for an early exit at this year’s Australian Open. He could face either of the Croatians, Ivan Dodig or Ivo Karlovic, in the third round. He earlier lost his season opener to Karlovic in Doha.

Musab Abid: What is Andy Murray‘s sate of mind right now? He lost the second match of his comeback from surgery in Doha last week, and more significantly, his play there didn’t really inspire much confidence. Murray will get back to his Slam-winning ways eventually, but the 2014 Australian Open may be too soon for that.

Roh: Despite having telling talent, Grigor Dimitrov has failed to make it count in the Majors, a trend that can be expected to continue Down Under in the 2014 season as well.

Varun Jog: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is coming off a long injury layoff and though he has always performed well at Melbourne Park, he may find it hard to do that so soon after his comeback. He is seeded 10th and finds himself in a tricky section of the draw with a potential third-round matchup against Croat Marin Cilic. Cilic is rejuvenated and raring to go, and I could definitely see him sending Tsonga out early.

3. Dangerous floater

Lleyton Hewitt

Abhishek Desikan: Ernests Gulbis‘s punishing forehands and rocket serves are a threat to any opponent. Though he lacks consistency, he has the mettle to play debilitating tennis on his day.

Adnan Akhtar: Lleyton Hewitt would be the one opponent every player would want to avoid this year. After beating Federer in Brisbane, Hewitt looks inspired to pull off one last stunt at his home Slam. The Aussie has a tricky first-round opponent in the form of Italian Andreas Seppi and could well be on course for a clash with Rafael Nadal later on. And that’s not very good news for Rafa fans.

Avantika Tikmany: Home favourite and former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt has already defeated Roger Federer to claim the Brisbane title this year, and is undoubtedly a dangerous floater in the draw.

BallnRacquet: Year after year, Lleyton Hewitt comes to Melbourne riding on the support of the fans at home. At 32, he can still pose serious challenges to the top players – he has proved this time and again. Also adding to his confidence will be the win over Roger Federer in the finals of the Brisbane ATP event. He will open his campaign against Italian Andreas Seppi and could meet Kei Nishikori in the third round, in a repeat of their recent face-off at Brisbane in which the gritty Australian emerged victorious.

Musab Abid: It’s difficult to predict what Marin Cilic will come up with not just from one match to the next, but also from one moment to the next. But through all the unpredictability and the inconsistency, the raw power remains just as potent as it was when he made the semifinals in 2010. He is unseeded at this year’s edition of the Open, and I can totally see him spoiling the party for a seeded opponent or two that come in his path.

Roh: When in control of his emotions, Benoit Paire can do some serious damage, making him the perfect contender for this slot.

Varun Jog: Aussie sport is on a much-needed high after the Ashes whitewash and Lleyton Hewitt’s win over Federer in Brisbane last week. ‘Rusty’ just never seems to give up, does he? Time after time, he is written off, with retirement eulogies in place, but he keeps fighting, keeps trying and persevering. Hewitt knows that this is probably one of his last few chances to win his home Major and he will be go all out again, backed by his adoring fans. A potential fourth round matchup against Nadal could be the most interesting battle during the first week of the tournament.

4. Champion

Novak Djokovic

Abhishek Desikan: It will take some doing to defeat Novak Djokovic at the Open. But Rafael Nadal is the man who can, and will, achieve that feat.

Adnan Akhtar: The way Rafael Nadal performed on the hard courts in 2013, he would be my choice for lifting the trophy at the Rod Laver Arena. A tough draw might be the only deterrent, but I think Nadal has it in him to get past the other members of the “Big Four” and win the title.

Avantika Tikmany: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic heads into the Grand Slam tournament Down Under on the back of the greatest run in Australian Open history. Champion for the last three years in succession, and presented with an almost perfect draw at this year’s edition, Novak is a clear favourite for the title.

BallnRacquet: Novak Djokovic seems to be the best bet to lift the trophy. He has done it the past three years, and winning another title does not seem to be a difficult task for him at the moment. Andy Murray, who he ran into during two of his previous finals here, seems to be unstable after his surgery. Further boosting his chances will be his recent victories over nemesis Rafael Nadal.

Musab Abid: Novak Djokovic hasn’t lost in Melbourne since 2010. And he hasn’t lost a match anywhere since the US Open last year. Rafael Nadal will be a threat, as always, and if the two do reach the final then it will be difficult to proclaim a definitive favourite for the match. But the Serb has a point to prove this year, and that makes him just a tad more dangerous.

Roh: An overall 39-5 win-loss record at the Australian Open and a 22-0 win-loss record on hard courts since his defeat to Rafael Nadal at the USO last season are enough to make Novak Djokovic the favourite.

Varun Jog: Rafa or Djoko? Rafa or Djoko? It’s almost a rock-paper-scissors like situation for me, but I’d give the slight edge to Rafael Nadal. He’s been in good form this year, starting the year with a win in Doha – something he had previously never managed to do. Also, he knows history beckons with the double Grand Slam record and all that, and he normally lifts his game to match the occasion. He also seems to have the mental edge over Djokovic when it comes to Grand Slams at least, having defeated him in their last three Grand Slam meetings now. Besides, Djokovic has to lose sometime at the Aussie Open, right? Right?