Photo from KIA shows (left to right) Craig Tiley, chairman of the 2014 Australian Open Tennis Championships, tennis star Rafael Nadal of Spain and Tony Barlow, head of Kia Motors Corp.'s Australian branch posing during a promo ceremony in Melbourne on Thursday. Kia is a major official sponsor of the event set for Jan. 13-26. - EPS
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - World number one Rafa Nadal will battle the bad boy of Australian tennis Bernard Tomic and a partisan crowd in the first round at Melbourne Park as he bids for a 14th grand slam title.
The Spaniard dumped a teenaged Tomic from the 2011 tournament but will be wary of the former Wimbledon quarter-finalist who raises his game in front of home fans and has returned to form by making the semi-finals in this week's Sydney International warmup.
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