But he missed the first one — the Australian Open — by the proverbial whisker, having lost to Roger Federer in a five-set thriller in the final. After two barren years in terms of Grand Slam titles, plagued by injuries, Rafael had managed to claw back right to the top . Nadal, who has won a Grand Slam title 16 times, has been the least successful in Melbourne. With only one Australian Open title in his kitty, that he won way back in 2009, Nadal had made it to the final thrice since then. Nevertheless, Halep comes into the Australian Open fresh from the victory in Shenzhen Open, and with no Serena in the draw, she will be looking to capitalise on the benefits her No.

Source: The Telegraph January 14, 2018 21:22 UTC