Kiwis find out their Australian Open opponents
There will be at least one New Zealander in the second round of the men’s doubles at the Australian Open.
The draw released this afternoon has pitted Marcus Daniell and his Danish partner Freddie Nielsen against Artem Sitak and his Russian partner Aslan Karatsev. The winners of the first-round encounter could face the second seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in the second round.
New Zealand’s top ranked doubles player Michael Venus and his German partner Tim Puetz are the 6th seeds. They have been drawn against American’s Nick Monroe and Frances Tiafoe.
Erin Routliffe playing in her first Australian Open and partnering young Canadian star Leylah Fernandez, the US Open runner up will play Australian wildcards Lizette Cabrera and Priscilla Hon with a second-round meeting likely against the second seeded Japanese pair of Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara.
The doubles is expected to get underway on Thursday.
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