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 day session in Laver kicks off with a match that many of us have been waiting to see: The first meeting between Sharapova, a former No. 1, and Bencic, a possible future one. Neither enters this one looking her best; Sharapova lost her serve and a set to Lauren Davis in the last round, while Bencic was strictly in survival mode in her three-set win over Kateryna Bondarenko. Sharapova has the experience and the bigger game, while Bencic, as her quick loss to Venus Williams at the U.S. Open shows, can be overpowered and overwhelmed. But Bencic’s win last summer over Venus’ sister, Serena—something that Sharapova hasn’t done in more than a decade—shows that she can hold her own against the best, too. Let’s hope this one is as good as it could be.
Winner: Sharapova
While they’ve only been facing each other for four years, Jo and Kei have a history. Nishikori made his Grand Slam breakthrough by beating Tsonga in five sets at the Australian Open in 2012, and he nosed him out at the finish line, 9-7 in a third-set tiebreaker, in a mini-epic in Bercy the following year. But Tsonga got a measure of revenge in another five-setter in the French Open quarterfinals last spring. The 30-year-old Tsonga seems to be on an upswing at the moment, while Nishikori, rather than retire from yet another match, fought through a wrist issue to win a tough four-setter two days ago. It should be all systems go for both men on Sunday.
Winner: Tsonga
Bernie Tomic says that Federer is nowhere near Novak Djokovic’s level at the moment, but he didn’t say anything about the 16th-ranked Goffin. There’s a reason for that; Federer is 3-0 against the Belgian, and physically it appears to be a mismatch. But Goffin has taken sets from Federer in two of those meetings and has been steadily improving for two years now. Is the little shotmaker ready to beat the No. 2 seed in a night match in Laver? Probably not. But he should be ready to put on a crowd-pleasing baseline duel with him.
Winner: Federer