Story highlights Djokovic plays Fernando VerdascoVerdasco squandered five match points when they played last weekWilliams plays former top-10 Swiss Belinda BencicRoger Federer in Andy Murray's halfMelbourne (CNN) Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, the most successful players at the Australian Open in the Open Era with six titles apiece, were handed difficult starts in Melbourne this year. Djokovic will play Fernando Verdasco -- who let slip five match points against the Serb in the Doha semifinals last week -- while fellow world No. Just this week, she was forced to retire in a match at the Sydney International because of a cracked toenail. The two tantalizing first-round encounters overshadowed the fate of Roger Federer in Friday's draw. Federer, competing in a grand slam for the first time since July, has a seemingly simpler task to begin with since he netted a qualifier.

Source: CNN January 13, 2017 04:34 UTC