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World No. 1 Nadal, the reigning French and U.S.
Open champion, has not lifted the trophy at Melbourne since his
first triumph at the hardcourt competition in 2009, but the
33-year-old is fresh and injury-free for the first time in many
months.
There will be freshness in the air over Melbourne Park too with
Monday's heavy rain likely to further improve conditions for
players after qualifying matches were affected by choking smoke
from Australia's bushfires.
However, organizers were left with a different headache as the
incessant downpour forced the cancellation of various opening
round matches on outer courts. They were set to be completed on
Tuesday with better weather forecast.
In other men's matches on Tuesday, U.S. Open runner-up Daniil
Medvedev of Russia will take on unseeded American Frances Tiafoe,
while Germany's Alexander Zverev meets Italy's Marco Cecchinato
and local hope Nick Kyrgios plays another Italian in Lorenzo
Sonego.
Among the women, second seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech
Republic is in action against France's Kristina Mladenovic while
Romania's Simona Halep meets American Jennifer Brady.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew
Cawthorne)
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