The first week of the New Year tour has begun, with Medvedev leading the Brisbane draw!

As the New Year starts, the world of tennis is already bustling with events. Besides the ongoing United Cup team competition, the Brisbane International tournament is also set to take place this week. The men's singles draw has been released, so let's take a look at the participating players.

Medvedev, who recently cut his hair and looks much younger, will headline the event. After a lackluster first half of last season, he only began to revive towards the end of the year, finally breaking his long title drought in lower-level tournaments. His rejuvenated performances in Vienna and the Shanghai Masters have raised hopes for his form this season.

Just after the New Year, the three-time Australian Open finalist, who shaved his head to show determination, will start his warm-up for the Australian Open early. His first-round opponent is strong, the Hungarian star and former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Fucsovics. Also in the same quarter is the Brazilian fan favorite Fonseca, who earned his first career title last season and secured a Grand Slam seed; he will face the American giant Opelka in the opening round. Additionally, the fallen-ranked Tiafoe will clash with local wildcard Wukich in the first round.

The second quarter is led by defending champion Lehecka, who will face his compatriot and last season’s first-time title winner Mahachi in the opening round. Also in this section is another first-time champion from last season, Lenny Chen. The American had a strong Australian Open run last year, defeating Medvedev, the runner-up from two years ago. It will be interesting to see how he performs this Australian season. Meanwhile, the newly crowned Shanghai Masters champion Vachero will meet Korda in the first round, with Michelson also placed in this quarter.

The third quarter is headed by Paire, who has not appeared much lately but still holds a decent ranking. He will face the French power hitter Pericard in the first round. The seventh seed Norrie will also have a first-round showdown with French number one Humbert, whose left hand makes the match a highlight. However, the most watched player in this section is probably the local bad boy Kyrgios, making his comeback debut against Kovacevic in round one.

The final quarter is led by Fokina. Last season, the blond Spaniard was runner-up three times, which was quite unfortunate. Choosing to break through with a title in lower-tier events was undoubtedly a wise move. However, this tourney is full of strong contenders, so winning the title will not be easy. He will face a tough first-round opponent in Brandon Nakashima, who is closely matched in ability.

Also in this quarter are other notable players including the fifth seed Shapovalov, as well as two former Masters winners Dimitrov and Poplin, both of whom have seen their rankings drop significantly.

Who will rise above the rest to claim the opening victory? Let’s wait and see!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Cheng Qiye)