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Roger Federer: Tim Henman’s pick for 2018 Australian Open

By Harry Floyd

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 16: Roger Federer of Switzerland plays a forehand in his Singles match against Marin Cilic of Croatia during day five of the Nitto ATP World Tour Finals at O2 Arena on November 16, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 16: Roger Federer of Switzerland plays a forehand in his Singles match against Marin Cilic of Croatia during day five of the Nitto ATP World Tour Finals at O2 Arena on November 16, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /
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Roger Federer is retired tennis player Tim Henman’s pick for the 2018 Australian Open. Henman sees Federer as the favorite over Rafael Nadal.

Roger Federer may have an edge over world No. 1 Rafael Nadal heading into 2018.

With play at the Australian Open right around the corner, media and fans alike are chiming in with their early picks. Retired British tennis player Tim Henman weighed in on the debate, telling Express Sport that the Swiss great has looked good against Nadal on hard courts recently.

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On the 2017 ATP World Tour, Federer went undefeated against Nadal. Despite Nadal’s career head-to-head advantage over him, Federer has been in control in recent years. Last year, the two squared off in the finals at the Australian Open.

Roger Federer will attempt to earn a sixth Australian Open title in 2018.

Henman, who reached as high as the world No. 4 ranking in men’s singles tennis, sees Federer’s strategic play against Nadal in 2017 as telling for the upcoming tour. The Swiss tennis player peaked during points of the year that catered toward his skillsets.

While Federer may have the edge as of right now, the health of several top players will likely determine who stands out at Melbourne Park. Nadal cut his ATP Finals short, withdrawing due to injury. Henman notes that returning players such as Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will also be interesting to watch. Both former world No. 1’s are returning from seasons cut short due to injury. Djokovic, who is a six-time winner at the Australian Open, could be a surprise pick to win if he is healthy enough to compete at the top level.

Next: Top 10: Men's Singles Tennis

The 2017 ATP World Tour saw the resurgence of two of the sport’s greatest players. Now, Roger Federer will look to add to his impressive career resume next month at the Australian Open. Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, and other veterans must also consider the rising generation of young stars in men’s singles tennis. ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov and Next Generation ATP star Alexander Zverev could make deep tournament runs at the upcoming major tournament. Look for Federer to be the standout player amongst the talented field. He will, however, need to be at his best if he hopes to add yet another Grand Slam singles title next month. Stay tuned to see how the Swiss great and others fare at Melbourne Park.

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