Australian Open draw: Alex de Minaur in same quarter as Jannik Sinner

To reach an Australian Open semi-final, Alex de Minaur will need to conquer a rival he has never beaten before.

Alex de Minaur is on a collision course with reigning champion Jannik Sinner after his name was called in the same quarter of the Australian Open draw.

To reach a grand slam semi-final for the first time, Australia’s world No.8 will need to get past an opponent he has never beaten in nine previous attempts.

The pair met most recently at the ATP Tour Finals in Turin late last year when Sinner beat the underdone Aussie star 6-3, 6-4.

De Minaur, 25, secured a valuable top-eight seeding after rival Andrey Rublev slid down the rankings to No.9 following a shock first-round defeat at the Hong Kong Open last week.

The seeding meant de Minaur was assured of not facing a higher-ranked opponent until at least the quarter-finals, but Sinner lies in his path after potential clashes against 31st seed Francicsco Cerundolo in the third round and either 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or 19th seed Karen Khachanov in the fourth round.

Alex de Minaur will face Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in the first round at the Australian Open. Picture: Graham Denholm / Getty Images

De Minaur’s first-round opponent, Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, is a dangerous player in his own right and left commentators stunned when he ousted Carlos Alcaraz from the second round of the US Open last year.

Alcaraz lies in the path of Australia’s No.27 seed Jordan Thompson should he advance to the fourth round.

Nick Kyrgios was handed Britain’s Jacob Fearnley as his first-round opponent before a potential second-round clash against No.28 seed Sebastien Baez.

If the firebrand Australian is able to get his body through the first two rounds, he could set up a blockbuster third-round clash with No.2 seed Alexander Zverev.

Alexei Popyrin (25th seed) could meet compatriot Rinky Hijikata in the second round if he wins his first match.

Australian 16-year-old prodigy Emerson Jones faces a baptism of fire in her first senior grand slam after being drawn to face No.6 seed Elena Rybakina.

Teenage star Emerson Jones could’ve hardly received a tougher first-round opponent in her senior grand slam debut, drawing world No.6 Elena Rybakina. Picture: Mark Brake / Getty Images

Jones, who turned heads with a straight-sets demolition of world No.37 Xinyu Wang in her WTA tour debut in Adelaide this week, will need to bring down the 2022 Wimbledon champion to win on her Australian Open debut.

Rybakina was not the only tough first-round opponent handed to an Australian, with fellow wildcard Maya Joint drawn against No.7 seed Jessica Pegula.

Daria Saville was also set for a difficult encounter against unseeded Russian Anna Blinkova, who made it to the third round at Melbourne Park last year.

Olivia Gadecki, who was the only Australian woman to automatically qualify for the main draw, was handed world No.77 Veronika Kudermetova in the first round but faced a crowded section of the draw, with a potential second-round clash to follow against British star Katie Boulter.

Talia Gibson was drawn to face Turkish 22-year-old Zeynep Sonmez.

WHO THE AUSSIES PLAY IN THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN FIRST ROUND

Men’s singles:

8-Alex de Minaur v Botic van de Zandschulp (NED)

25-Alexei Popyrin v Corentin Moutet (FRA)

27-Jordan Thompson v qualifier

Chris O’Connell v 12-Tommy Paul (USA)

Aleksandar Vukic v Damir Dzhumhur (BOS)

Thanasi Kokkinakis v Roman Safiullan (RUS)

Adam Walton v Quentin Halys (FRA)

Rinky Hijikata v qualifier

James Duckworth v Dominic Stricker (SUI)

Tristan Schoolkate v Taro Daniel (JPN)

Li Tu v Jiri Lehecka (CZE)

Omar Jasika v Hugo Gaston (FRA)

James McCabe v qualifier

Nick Kyrgios v Jacob Fearnley (GBR)

Women’s singles:

Olivia Gadecki v Veronika Kudermetova (RUS)

Ajla Tomljanovic v Ashlyn Krueger (USA)

Daria Saville v Anna Blinkova (RUS)

Maya Joint v 7-Jessica Pegula (USA)

Talia Gibson v Zeynep Sonmez (TUR)

Emerson Jones v 6-Elena Rybakina (KAZ)