Australian Open 2015 Bracket: Latest Results, Projections for Top Favorites
The action is slowly beginning to heat up in Melbourne as the second round gets underway on Day 3 of the Australian Open.
Myriad upsets have already taken place, but many of the biggest stars are still in the running. Between the No. 2 and No. 3 players and young stars who emerged in 2014, such as Nick Kyrgios and Eugenie Bouchard, Day 3 will provide their first decent tests.
With some of the seeded players out of the way on the women's side, quite a few top favorites also have an easier path. For the men, getting past one of the Big Four will be a difficult feat in order to pull out a win like Stan Wawrinka did last year.
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Before Day 3 gets underway, here's a look at the latest results and projections for the top players in the bracket.
| No. 1 Novak Djokovic def. Aljaz Bedene | 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 |
| No. 4 Stan Wawrinka def. Marsel Ilhan | 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 |
| No. 5 Kei Nishikori def. Nicolas Almagro | 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-2 |
| No. 8 Mios Raonic def. Ilya Marchenko | 7-6(3), 7-6(3), 6-3 |
| No. 9 David Ferrer def. Thomaz Bellucci | 6-7(2), 6-2, 6-0, 6-3 |
| No. 12 Feliciano Lopez def. Denis Kudla | 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 10-8 |
| No. 13 Roberto Bautista Agut def. Dominic Thiem | 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-6(5) |
| Alejandro Gonzalez def. No. 16 Fabio Fognini | 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 |
| No. 17 Gael Monfils def. Lucas Pouille | 6-7(3), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 |
| No. 19 John Isner def. Jimmy Wang | 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-4 |
| No. 1 Serena Williams def. Alison Van Uytvanck | 6-0, 6-4 |
| No. 4 Petra Kvitova def. Richel Hogenkamp | 6-1, 6-4 |
| No. 8 Caroline Wozniacki def. Taylor Townsend | 7-6(1), 6-2 |
| No. 6 Agnieszka Radwanska def. Kurumi Nara | 6-3, 6-0 |
| No. 11 Dominika Cibulkova def. Kirsten Flipkens | 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 |
| Madison Brengle def. No. 13 Andrea Petkovic | 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3 |
| Timea Bacsinszky def. No. 15 Jelena Jankovic | 6-1, 6-4 |
| No. 18 Venus Williams def. Maria Torro-Flor | 6-2, 6-2 |
| Victoria Azarenka def. Sloane Stephens | 6-3, 6-2 |
No. 1 Serena Williams
After a disappointing 2014 season through the first three majors, Serena Williams proved why she's still the No. 1 women's player. Her emphatic end in the U.S. Open helped her retain that ranking and gave her a decent draw in Melbourne.
Though she's been on this stage several times throughout her career, Williams still gets jitters before Grand Slams. She spoke about that earlier in the tourney, via the Aussie Open's official Twitter account:
Her win in the first round might have looked easy, but the road ahead is not quite as favorable. Williams might face her first seeded player in the third round in No. 26 Elina Svitolina and should see No. 8 Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals.
While Wozniacki fell short against Williams in the U.S. Open, she has played some of her best tennis in the last two majors. Williams hasn't made it to the semifinals in Melbourne since winning it all in 2010, but her recent streak should have her at least playing for a chance at the final.
No. 2 Roger Federer
His best years might be behind him, but Roger Federer is still one of the best players in any bracket. The Swiss player came up just short in last year's Aussie Open in the semifinals but is on course for another late run.
Miguel Morales of Forbes offered his take on the 17-time Grand Slam champion:
"While he’ll never dominate the tour the way he did from 2004-7, he remains a contender for every Slam he plays outside of the French. His serve, always underappreciated, is one of tennis’ best shots and sets up his fluid forehand beautifully. If he can avoid Nadal in the semifinals and conserve his energy in the early rounds, he is favored to reach the title match in Melbourne. A potential quarterfinal against Murray or Dimitrov promises fireworks.
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Following Tommy Robredo's shocking first-round loss, Federer's path got that much easier. The first true test will likely come against either Andy Murray or Grigor Dimitrov, which won't come until the quarterfinals.
In order to make the final, Federer will likely need to defeat Rafael Nadal, who ousted him in the semis in 2014. But if the Spaniard experiences a hiccup along the way, look for Federer to potentially challenge Novak Djokovic in the final.
No. 3 Rafael Nadal
Speaking of Nadal, he comes in with the most question marks surrounding his play. The 28-year-old missed out on the U.S. Open but has already won his first match in Melbourne.
The Aussie Open hasn't always been his strongest Grand Slam, but Nadal reached the final last year. In order to prove he's back for real, the Spaniard will look to match that success this season.
Expect Nadal to at least make an appearance in the semifinals, with Tomas Berdych likely not presenting a huge challenge in the quarterfinals. However, he will have to get past Federer to potentially take his place against the Djoker.
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