Australian Open to start with 2016 finals rematches

In two rematches of the 2016 Australian Open finals, Gordon Reid will play against Joachim Gerard in the men’s singles, and Dutch player Jiske Griffioen will face teammate Aniek van Koot in the women’s singles, when the 16th edition of the first Grand Slam of the year gets underway on 25 January.

Great Britain’s Rio 2016 champion will need to be at his best to overtake Belgium’s world No.3 Gerard, who won his last title in December 2016 when he lifted the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters trophy.

The winner of the match-up between Reid and Gerard will play either France’s world No.5 Nicolas Peifer or 2012 Australian Open champion Maikel Scheffers.

The Dutch had a late-call up to be part of the men’s field following Sweden’s world No. 7 and 2016 Wimbledon finalist Stefan Olsson withdrawal after becoming a father for the first time.

Frenchman Stephane Houdet seeks to win his first Australian Open after finishing as runner-up in four previous occasions. But the world No.2 will have to be in top form to defeat Great Britain’s Rio 2016 silver medallist Alfie Hewett

Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez is fresh from taking the singles and doubles titles at last week’s Melbourne Open and is hoping to extend his winning streak when he faces Australia’s Ben Weekes, who received a wild card to compete.

World No.1 and double Rio 2016 gold medallist Griffioen against world No.3 and 2013 Australian Open champion van Koot is arguably the most eye-catching match of the women’s singles first round, with the former hoping to defend the title from last year.

Germany’s Sabine Ellerbrock, the only non-Dutch female champion of the Australian Open in 2014, seeks to cause another upset at this year’s edition. The Netherlands’ Marjolein Buis and Diede de Groot, and Japan’s world No.2 Yui Kamiji are others to look out for.

Houdet and Peifer will be the top seeded pair in the men’s double, same as Griffioen and van Koot in the women’s equivalent.

Home crowd favourite Dylan Alcott will begin his bid for a third successive Australian Open quad singles title against compatriot Heath Davidson.

They will both also face Great Britain’s Andy Lapthorne and USA’s David Wagner in a round-robin, with the top two players playing against each other again in the final.

Rio 2016 gold medallists Alcott and Davidson will then team-up to go for the quads doubles title versus two-time Australian Open champions Lapthorne and Wagner.

The Australian Open will take place in Melbourne, from 25-28 January.

Full draws are available on the International Tennis Federation’s website.