Six titles offer no protection. Defending Champions were not given any favours in this year's draw: With six titles apiece, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic are the most prolific Australian Open champions of the current era. But neither player was given any favours in this year's draw.

Novak Djokovic : The path might be even tougher for Djokovic, who opens his 13th Melbourne Park campaign against Fernando Verdasco. The Serb leads the pair's head-to-head record 9-4, but Djokovic needed to save five match points as he battled past the 33-year-old in their Doha semifinals two weeks ago. Adding to Djokovic's challenge is that Melbourne is a favourite stop for Verdasco, a semifinalist in 2009 and an upset winner over Rafael Nadal in the first round last year.
Serena Williams : Serena's first-round match pits her against 19-year-old Swiss Belinda Bencic, who upset the world No.2 as she surged to her biggest career title at the Canadian Open in 2015. Lucie Safarova, runner-up at the French Open in 2015, could be next for Serena, and former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki sits in the same quarter

Men's Singles: Murray, Federer Drawn In Same Quarter

Murray-Wawrinka, Raonic-Djokovic are potential semi-final matches.
Novak Djokovic
This time last year, it was unthinkable that the Serb would not begin 2017 as the world No1. But after completing the career slam with victory in the French Openin June, a shock early defeat at Wimbledon shook Djokovic to the core. His mood darkened, his form nosedived, there were allusions to problems away from the court and Murray overtook him. But Djokovic, who parted company with Boris Becker at the end of the season, looked close to his best again during his recent victory against Murray in Doha and the defending champion's history in Melbourne means he is the slight favourite to win a record seventh Australian Open title. since 2008 the Serb has made Melbourne Park his personal fiefdom, amassing a 54-3 record over the past eight years. He has never lost a semifinal or a final here, and while he returns this year as the world No.2, Djokovic remains the man to beat.
Andy Murray:
He featured in three major finals in 2016, losing to Djokovic in both Melbourne and Paris before winning a second Wimbledon title against Milos Raonic, sparking a six-month surge that brought him a second Olympic gold medal in August and the No.1 ranking in November. The three-time major champion received a knighthood from the Queen in the New Year's honours for his services to the sport at the age of 29, making him the first 'Sir' in tennis
At the other end of the draw, Murray, top seed at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career, shares a stacked quarter with No.5 seed Kei Nishikori and four-time former Australian Open champion Roger Federer. The recently knighted Scot opens against Ukraine's Illya Marchenko and could face No.31 seed Sam Querrey in the third round, with memories of the American's shock upset of Djokovic at Wimbledon fresh in everyone's mind.

Road to Final for these champions:

Murray was drawn in the same quarter as Roger Federer - meaning the pair could face each other in the last eight. If Murray can safely find a way through his first week as a top seed at a Grand Slam, then he may have the chance to avenge last year's US Open quarter-final defeat by Kei Nishikori. The 29-year-old Scot is chasing a fourth Grand Slam title and his first in Melbourne, where he has reached the final five times.
Defending men's champion Novak Djokovic will be aiming for a record seventh Australian Open title with a first-round match against Fernando Verdasco. Spaniard Verdasco knocked his compatriot Rafael Nadal out in the opening round last year, but lost to Serb Djokovic in their recent meeting at the Qatar Open despite having five match points during a second-set tie-break.
Andy Murray could have a tricky path to becoming the last man standing in Melbourne, while Novak Djokovic has an equally treacherous road in pursuit of a seventh Australian Open crown.

Records on the line at Melbourne Park

There are a number of intriguing potential record-breakers at Australian Open 2017. Streaks, milestones, records: call them what you will - sports fans love them, and players love chasing them. Here are a few to look out for at Australian Open 2017.

Magnificent seven?

Novak Djokovic secured his sixth Australian Open title in scintillating style in 2016, producing breath-taking displays against Roger Federer and Andy Murray that confirmed his status as the world's pre-eminent player. Victory drew him level with Australia's Roy Emerson as the most decorated men's singles champion in tournament history - and in 2017, he goes in search of a seventh triumph. Since 2008 the Serb has made Melbourne Park his personal fiefdom, amassing a 54-3 record over the past eight years. He has never lost a semifinal or a final here, and while he returns this year as the world No.2, Djokovic remains the man to beat.

Kerber and Sir Andy: AO's fresh hits at No.1

The duo responsible for unseating Williams and Djokovic at the top of the rankings in 2016 arrive in Melbourne as Grand Slam top seeds for the first time. For Kerber, there is the added responsibility of defending a Grand Slam title after her breakthrough triumph at last year's Australian Open. Now a two-time major champion after winning the US Open in September, a run that confirmed her status as the new world No.1, the German has reached three of the last four Grand Slam finals. Murray also featured in three major finals in 2016, losing to Djokovic in both Melbourne and Paris before winning a second Wimbledon title against Milos Raonic, sparking a six-month surge that brought him a second Olympic gold medal in August and the No.1 ranking in November. The three-time major champion received a knighthood from the Queen in the New Year's honours for his services to the sport at the age of 29, making him the first 'Sir' in tennis.

Chasing Australia's Margaret Court: Serena's quest for title No.23

Serena Williams versus history has been a leading storyline at the majors since 2012 - and while it's a match the American is winning, the battle is only getting tougher. The 35-year-old lost back-to-back Grand Slam finals for the first time in her career at the 2016 Australian and French Opens, beaten by first-time champions Angelique Kerber and Garbine Muguruza. But she bounced back in brilliant fashion, claim her seventh Wimbledon title to take her career Grand Slam tally to 22, tying Steffi Graf's Open-era trophy haul.
Only one player in history has won more Grand Slam singles titles: Australia's Margaret Court, whose 24 major victories bridged the sport's amateur and Open eras. Already the most decorated Australian Open champion in the Open era, Williams can move clear of Graf with a seventh victory at Melbourne Park, matching her tally of Wimbledon triumphs, and set off in pursuit of Court's all-time record.