MELBOURNE, Australia -- As three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic held the Australian Open trophy in a photo shoot before Fridays draw, he joked that having his fingerprints on it may in some way help him win the title for a fourth consecutive year. Kellen Winslow Womens Jersey . The draw certainly didnt dent Djokovics chances, with top-seeded Rafael Nadal, No. 4 Andy Murray, No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro and No. 6 Roger Federer all stacked in the opposite half. Djokovics new coach, six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker, attended the draw and duly noted that Nadal, Federer and co were in "a loaded half, thats for sure." Djokovic, who is on a 24-match winning streak, opens against No. 90-ranked Lukas Lacko and potentially has a quarterfinal against Stanislas Wawrinka, who took him to 12-10 in the fifth set at the Australian Open last year. The bottom half of the draw also contains No. 3 David Ferrer, who lost in a semifinal upset at Auckland on Friday, and No. 7 Tomas Berdych. Djokovic conceded it was an advantage to avoid the other tournament favourites early but said: "Regardless of the draw, the potential opponents that I have in later rounds, I need to direct my attention to my next opponent. There are plenty of players who are able to win the Australian Open this year or any other Grand Slam title." On the womens side, top-ranked Serena Williams opens against Australian teenager Ashleigh Barty and has 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur and two-time finalist Li Na in her half. Two-time defending Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova are in the opposite half, meaning they could only meet Serena Williams in the final. The top half of the mens draw was the talking point, starting with Nadals first-round match against Australian Bernard Tomic. "I think thatll be a night match, for sure," Becker quipped. "But a tough, tricky one for both players. Tomic will certainly have the home support." Nadal missed last years Australian Open with a left knee injury during a seven-month absence from the tour. He returned to win 10 titles in 2013 and regain the No. 1 ranking, overhauling Djokovic in October. Tomic reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2011 and has been ranked as high as No. 27. His only previous meeting with Nadal resulted in a straight-sets defeat in the third round of the 2011 Australian Open. Nadal also has No. 25 Gael Monfils, former No. 1-ranked Lleyton Hewitt and 16th-seeded Kei Nishikori in his section. Federer opens against Australian wildcard entry James Duckworth and Murray takes on Go Soeda of Japan. Likely quarterfinals on that half would feature Nadal against del Potro and Federer against Murray. Del Potro was due to play the final of the Sydney International against Tomic on Saturday. In the bottom half of the womens draw, Azarenka faces Johanna Larsson of Sweden in the first round, while Sharapova takes on American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and could face former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic in the quarterfinals and Azarenka in the semis. Stosur, Australias only seeded player at No. 17, opens against Czech Klara Zakopalova. On Friday, Zakopalova beat Stosur 6-3, 6-2 in the Hobart International semifinals. King Dunlap Chargers Jersey . And he thinks its "irresponsible" for the Buffalo Sabres to suggest otherwise. The NHLs new sheriff reacted strongly to complaints from the Sabres on Monday after he elected not to suspend Bruins forward Milan Lucic for his collision with Buffalos Ryan Miller. Branden Oliver Blue Jersey . The Missouri Tigers Defensive End and SEC Defensive player of the year is eligible for the upcoming NFL draft in May. WINNIPEG -- The Canadian womens soccer team will get another chance this year to try and beat the United States when the rivals meet May 8 in Winnipeg. Canadian midfielder and Winnipeg native Desiree Scott is thrilled the team will play in her hometown for the first time since 1990. "Im beyond excited," she said. "Ive been waiting for this day to come." Canada lost to the No. 1-ranked Americans 1-0 in Texas on Friday and hasnt managed to beat them since 2001. "Obviously we didnt play our best match but we had our opportunities in that game and I think were inching ... closer to the Americans," said Scott, a member of the 2012 bronze-medal Olympic team. Winnipeg has already been named as one of the six host cities for FIFA Womens World Cup in 2015, but fans in the Manitoba capital wont see the home squad in that competition. Canadian head coach John Herdman was also on hand for Mondays announcement and said the team has been in a talent development and refocusing phase since the Olympics, which is starting to show results. "Last year was a huge learning curve for the team and we did all right but this years about stepping forward and I hope when we play the big teams we can get a (win) and that should put us in a good place heading into 2015," he said. "The opportunity to beat a team that hasnt been beaten in 12 years by Canada? Man, the scripts already been written I think. Ladarius Green Womens Jersey. ." The Canadian team, which is ranked seventh in the world, is announcing its friendly schedule piecemeal and will make a stop in Edmonton on Tuesday. Scott said shes anxious to play in front of friends and didnt shy away from trying to twist a few arms to ensure a good crowd at Investors Group Field, the home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. "Its going to be a great game and I hope all of Winnipeg comes out," she said. "You really have no excuse not to be there." Scott currently plays for FC Kansas City as part of the new National Womens Soccer League. Meanwhile, a new study predicts womens World Cup soccer events this year and next in Canada will create about $337 million in overall economic activity. Six provinces will get a share, ranging from a high of $80 million in Alberta to a low of about $26 million in Manitoba. Tournament games will also be played Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and New Brunswick. Most of that $337 million will be generated by Womens World Cup, with about $70 million coming this year from the under-20 womens World Cup. Winnipeg wont see any under-20 action this year. The preliminary report prepared by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance looks at out of town visitors, capital construction costs and the costs of hosting competitions. It said the net economic activity for Canada would run about $169 million. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' '
