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.
If there’s a must-see third-rounder, it’s the first meeting between a 26-year-old star of today and an 18-year-old who might just be a star of tomorrow. The media has certainly made Osaka, the daughter of a Japanese mother and Haitian father, the talk of this tournament so far. And rightfully so: She hits with very mature power; she dominated the 18th seed, Elina Svitolina, on Thursday; and she was called “dangerous” by her idol, Serena Williams—that’s a compliment. Still, we won't know if she's the real deal until she faces a woman who has proven herself worthy of that phrase.
Winner: Azarenka
I realize it’s sacrilege to include an Isner match in a list of viewing recommendations, but (a) there’s not much else to choose from tonight, and (b) this one could get epic. Isner and Lopez have split their six previous matches 3-3, and not surprisingly, a lot of the sets have been razor-close as well. Both of these over-30-year-olds serve first and ask questions later, and both have had their ups and downs. Lopez may techinically be the favorite based on his all-around game, but right now Isner, who won their last match, seems to be on an upswing.
Winner: Isner
The wary prognosticator can only take a wait-and-see approach to this match. Keys and Ivanovic have both been known to veer between the brilliant and the unwatchable, sometimes over the course of a single match. Ivanovic, a finalist in Oz in 2008, won their only meeting, on clay in Madrid, two year ago. But Keys has come a long way since then, she has (mostly) looked good in her return from injury this week, and if she’s on, she has a bigger game than Ivanovic’s. But if she's not on...
Winner: Ivanovic