Three to See, QF: Pliskova-Serena, Osaka-Svitolina, Djokovic-Nishikori

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

Pliskova said it would be nice to try to get “revenge” on Serena, for beating her at last year’s US Open. Their quarterfinal in New York had also been something of a grudge match, as Pliskova had knocked Serena out of the Open the year before. So who will have the advantage in their Grand Slam tiebreaker on Wednesday in Melbourne?

So far in 2019, the American and the Czech have probably looked the best of anyone on the WTA tour. Serena won her first three matches Down Under in straight sets, and then gritted out a three-set win over the No. 1 player in the world, Simona Halep. Pliskova, for her past, is 9-0 so far this year; she won an opening-week title in Brisbane, and she steamrolled two-time Grand Slam champ Garbiñe Muguruza, who wasn’t playing all that badly, 6-3, 6-1.

All of which means that this quarterfinal collision between two of the WTA’s best servers and most potent hitters promises to be a good one, and an unpredictable one. Each woman’s ability to serve her way out of trouble will be important, of course, but more important will be the mental tug of war. Pliskova has done a good job this year of not getting down on herself when things don’t go her way; can she continue that against Serena? We probably don’t have to ask the same question of Serena herself; she seems to believe that this tournament is hers to lose, which means it probably is.

Winner: S. Williams

They haven’t been on tour together for all that long, but Osaka and Svitolina have already faced off five times, with Svitolina winning three meetings, including the last two. In Australia, they’ve followed a similar path so far, fighting their way to three-set victories in each of their last two matches, and climbing out of significant holes to do it. Osaka trailed Su-Wei Hsieh 7-5, 4-1 in the third round, at around the same time that Svitolina had fallen behind Shuai Zhang 3-0 in the third set.

In other words, comebacks are currently a habit for these two, and no lead is likely to be safe when they face each other. When it comes to scrapping, I’d say Svitolina has the advantage, but when it comes to athleticism, shot-making ability and power, the edge goes to Osaka. Will Osaka be motivated to get a chance to play Serena again, in the semifinals, with the whole world watching? I’m guessing yes.

Winner: Osaka

What is there left to say about this matchup? If it feels as if they play at every big event, it’s because they kind of do. Djokovic and Nishikori faced off six times in 2016, and four times in 2018, including at Wimbledon and the US Open; they also played in the quarterfinals here three years ago. And if it feels as if Djokovic always wins, it’s because he kind of does. He’s 15-2 against Nishikori, and has won their last 14 meetings dating back to 2014. As for that Aussie Open quarterfinal in 2016, Djokovic won it 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Djokovic is essentially a better, bendier version of Nishikori. He attacks from the baseline with his two-handed backhand with more range than Nishikori does, and he’s a superior defender. While Djokovic has been something less than clinical at this event—he dropped sets to Denis Shapovalov and Daniil Medvedev—he’s been much more efficient than Nishikori, who has won two of his last three matches in fifth-set tiebreakers, and who needed five hours to win his fourth-rounder over Pablo Carreño Busta. That could cost him against Djokovic.

Winner: Djokovic

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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