Three to See, Day 3: Federer-Evans, Khachanov-Nishioka, Bertens-Pavs

Before each day's play at the Australian Open, we'll preview three must-see matches.

Federer and Evans have been on tour together for the better part of a decade, but they’ve faced each other just once, at Wimbledon in 2016. You probably have a pretty good idea how that one turned out: Federer won in straight sets. At 29, Evans has been in and out of the game for years, while only sporadically fulfilling his potential. A month after reaching his career-high ranking of No. 41 in 2017, he tested positive for cocaine and was suspended for a year. But he’s never lacked potential; at his best, the Brit has a smoothly appealing all-court game, one that he used to very nearly beat Stan Wawrinka at the US Open in 2016. But does he believe he can beat Federer, in Rod Laver Arena? That’s doubtful. Federer, who cruised past a potentially dangerous opponent, Denis Istomin, on Monday, probably doesn’t believe it, either.

Winner: Federer

The 23-year-old Russian and the 22-year-old Japanese are two of the more entertaining members of the Next Gen set. Khachanov is a baseline bludgeoner of the highest order; he finished 2018 by beating Novak Djokovic in the final of the Paris Masters and nearly cracking the Top 10. Many, including myself, are expecting at least one deep run at a major from him this season. So far Nishikoka is a step behind Khachanov, development-wise—he’s ranked just No. 75—but he’s a speedy, left-handed, undersized, exciting shot-maker, and he’s coming off a quarterfinal run in Sydney, where he beat Andrey Rublev and pushed Diego Schwartzman to a third-set tiebreaker. This one should be fun.

Winner: Khachanov

The expectations have been raised for Bertens in 2019, after she made a sudden and semi-meteoric ascension into the Top 10 at age 27 last year. So far, the Dutchwoman seems ready to meet them; after losing early in Brisbane, she made the semifinals in Sydney last week, before narrowly losing to Ashleigh Barty. Is a second-week run manageable in Melbourne for Bertens? She’s in Sloane Stephens section of the draw. But first she’ll have to find her way past world No. 42 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, which is hardly a sure thing. The 27-year-old Russian is notoriously erratic, but she has won 12 titles, and has been ranked as high as No. 13. She also won her last meeting with Bertens, in Wuhan last fall, in straight sets.

Winner: Bertens

Kickoff each day of the 2019 Australian Open with Tennis Channel Live, reviewing the day's most important news and previewing the day's biggest matches. Watch LIVE at 6 p.m. ET.

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