By Kamakshi Tandon

Maria Sharapova (RUS)[1] vs. Anna Chakvetadze (RUS)[12] Rod Laver Arena – 1st match

Less than two months separate these two Russians in age. Not counting a walkover from Sharapova in the fall, things were close the last time they played – 7-5 in the third at Los Angeles in the summer of 2005. Sharapova expects to face a different player when the two go on court this time – Chakvetadze has since improved her ranking from 31 to 13 and is also on a hot streak: 20-2 since the U.S. Open, with Lindsay Davenport accounting for one of those losses.

But Sharapova tops that with a 23-1 streak which includes her title win at the U.S. Open, and has played with increasing authority since her first-round scare. The expatriate Russian should get a test from the resident Russian, but is still the favorite to come through and stay on course for a semifinal with Kim Clijsters.

Prediction: The last all-Russian matchup for Sharapova at this event.

Kim Clijsters (BEL)[4] vs. Martina Hingis (SUI)[6] Rod Laver Arena – 2nd match

Hingis and Clijsters have been joking about their near-lockstep match to this meeting, but this will be the end of the line for one of these popular figures Down Under.

The match is a repeat of last year’s three-set quarterfinal, which seemed tangible proof of Hingis’ ability to be a contender in her first year out of retirement. This time, with Clijsters fully fit and in form, it will be a test of the Swiss’ ability to beat the very top players – an increasingly nagging question.

Clijsters won all three of their encounters last year with increasing ease, and it will take a very high-quality, confident effort from Hingis to derail the rock-solid Belgian from her semifinal showdown with Maria Sharapova.

Prediction: A warm post-match handshake.

Fernando Gonzalez (CHI)[10] vs. Rafael Nadal (ESP)[2] Rod Laver Arena – 4th match (1st night match)

Gonzalez has shown some sparkling form while defeating Lleyton Hewitt and James Blake in his last two matches, but now finds himself against a much harder obstacle. He’ll be hoping to dictate play and hit through Nadal with his forehand, but Nadal’s footspeed and left-handed, looping strokes will make doing that far harder for the Chilean than either of his last two opponents. Gonzalez will have to play close to the way he did the first two sets against Hewitt – 33 winners and 2 unforced errors – to have a good shot at the upset.

Prediction: Some outrageous down-the-line forehand exchanges.