Nick Kyrgios has copped a nightmare Australian Open draw, punished for being unseeded at a grand slam event for the first time in more than three years.
Kyrgios, down to No.50 in the rankings will play former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic in an explosive first round at Melbourne Park.
If he gets past the 16th seed, he could face 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka, another dangerous floater in this year’s devilish draw, with world No.4 Alexander Zverev Kyrgios’s projected last-16 opponent.
Australian men’s No.1 Alex de Minaur looks to have a much smoother path to the second round, the 27th seed opening against Portugal’s Pedro Sousa.
But de Minaur could run into world No.2 Rafael Nadal as early as round three.
Nadal opens his bid for an 18th major title against Australian wildcard playoff winner James Duckworth.
Like Kyrgios, Bernard Tomic also has a brutal opener against last year’s runner-up, Croatian sixth seed Marin Cilic.
John Millman plays Argentine Federico Delbonis.
Defending champion Roger Federer has drawn Uzbeki Denis Istomin, while world No.1 Novak Djokovic, like the Swiss great also chasing a record seventh men’s singles crown, will play a qualifier first.
Australia’s in-form women’s No.1 Ashleigh Barty launches her title quest against Thai Luksika Kumkhum, with the 15th seed’s first big test likely to come in the fourth round against Danish defending champion Caroline Wozniacki.
Daria Gavrilova starts against Slovenian Tamara Zidansek, Ajla Tomljanovic faces Britain’s 2017 semi-finalist Johanna Konta and veteran Samantha Stosur meets Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska first-up.