Before each day of play at the Australian Open, we'll preview and predict three must-see matches. For full coverage of the season's first Slam, go to our tournament page.
The son must eventually conquer the father, right? That’s the question I asked when the draw came out and this third-round match between Federer (“Fed”) and Dimitrov (the former “Baby Fed”) became a possibility. Now we’ll get another chance to find out. The two have faced each other four times in the last three years, but it wasn’t until two weeks ago in Brisbane that the younger man won a set. Federer has let it be known that he feels better than he did at that event, and the courts, which are playing a little quicker in the heat this year, should help him. But Dimitrov has a new coach (Juan Martin del Potro’s ex, Franco Davin) and seemingly a more positive outlook than he did last season. This could be a good one, but for today I think the original will still be one step ahead of his carbon copy.
Winner: Federer
Berdych has yet to have the unique, um, pleasure, of taking on the (newest) bad boy of Australian tennis. Now he gets to do it in front of an all-Aussie crowd in a night match in Rod Laver Arena—the tournament schedulers even exiled world No. 1 Novak Djokovic to Margaret Court Arena so Nick could put on his act in the big house. They know that Kyrgios likes a stage, and if he’s ever going to play his best tennis, it’s going to be in a setting like this one. The question is: How will Berdych react? He’s much more experienced, and the fact that he’s one of the few active players to make the semis at all four majors might lead you to believe he’s a big-match kind of guy, too. But sometimes he isn’t.
Winner: Kyrgios
The women’s draw has been turned on its head by upsets; as of the third round, only 14 of 32 seeds remain. That means once-in-a-lifetime opportunities abound for the survivors. Mladenovic and Gavrilova, ranked No. 30 and 39, respectively, each has the opportunity to come out of what was Petra Kvitova’s section, and possibly play Agnieszka Radwanska for a spot in the semifinals. The Frenchwoman and the Russian-turned-Aussie have never faced each other, but they should make for an intriguing matchup. Mladenovic is the long of it; Gavrilova the short. Mladenovic will have the serve and the power, Gavrilova the speed, the energy, and the night-session audience.
Winner: Mladenovic