By Tony Fairbairn
- Andrey Rublev [5] v Alex De Minaur [10]
- Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Amanda Anisimova
- Stefanos Tsitsipas [7] v Taylor Fritz [12]
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Alex De Minaur is bidding to reach his first Australian Open quarter-final when he takes on Andrey Rublev on day eight of the first Grand Slam of the season.
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Andrey Rublev [5] v Alex De Minaur [10] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Andrey Rublev [5] v Alex De Minaur [10] | H2H: De Minaur leads 3-2 |
| Australian Open 2024 | Melbourne, Australia |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $375,000 |
| Third on Rod Laver Arena (Not before 08:00 GMT) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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An impressive win for Andrey Rublev over Sebastian Korda as he sent a strong message to the rest of the field that he shouldn’t be underestimated in the second week. The fifth seed has often been criticized for his lack of emotional control which has lead to inconsistency in results at big tournaments. However Rublev seems to have found stability in the last two matches and he will be hoping he can bring his big game when it really matters with the main part of the tournament starting now.
However a tough task awaits Rublev in the form of Australian Alex De Minaur who has been in red-hot form to start the year. De Minaur has become the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt to reach the second week of the Australian Open for a third consecutive year. There are similarities between De Minaur and Hewitt’s game and personal qualities with the tenth seed proving that he has the same grit as his mentor. The 24 year-old knows he has a long way to match Hewitt’s achievements and De Minaur will hope that road to replicating Hewitt’s success starts by reaching a first Australian Open quarter-final.
Rublev will look to use his power from the baseline as he aims to dictate play and open up space on the court to hit efficient winners. Meanwhile De Minaur will look to use his athleticism to extend the rallies and force erratic errors from Rublev’s game. This is sure to be a game of attack against defence as both players will look to be aggressive on serve. It’s a tough match to call but current form gives the edge to De Minaur with the Australian’s confidence at an all-time high.
Prediction: De Minaur in five sets.
Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Amanda Anisimova H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Amanda Anisimova | H2H: Anisimova leads 4-1 |
| Australian Open 2024 | Melbourne, Australia |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $375,000 |
| Second on Margaret Court Arena (Not before 02:00 GMT) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka has cruised through the opening week with ease as this is her first experience of being a defending champion at a Grand Slam. While rivals Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula have exited the tournament early, Sabalenka has produced superior hitting to dominate her opponents. A word of warning for Sabalenka though and that’s because a lack of first week tests may be a bad thing come the latter stages of the tournaments against opponents that have already had to show their fighting qualities to prevail to this stage of the tournament.
The first real test of Sabalenka’s champion qualities may come against a player she has struggled to beat in the past in the form of Amanda Anisimova. A mental health break last year has done the American a world of good as she now enters the last 16 of the Australian Open for the third time in her career. An impressive win over Paula Badosa showed that Anisimova is well and truly back to her best with her backhand continuing to look effortless as the American now looks to reach her second Grand Slam quarter-final.
Sabalenka will look to continue her consistent aggression on serve, using the forehand to put Anisimova on the back-foot. The American will aim to be aggressive on the backhand as she looks to create angles to open up the court to hit efficient winners into. This will be a difficult match for Sabalenka who will use her experience to edge to victory. However don’t be surprised if Anisimova, who has nothing to lose, swings for the fences and causes an upset here.
Prediction: Sabalenka in three sets.
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Stefanos Tsitsipas [7] v Taylor Fritz [12] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Stefanos Tsitsipas [7] v Taylor Fritz [12] | H2H: Tsitsipas leads 3-1 |
| Australian Open 2024 | Melbourne, Australia |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $375,000 |
| Second on John Cain Arena (Not before 02:30 GMT) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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After a five set thriller against Jordan Thompson, Stefanos Tsitsipas showed his quality with a convincing victory over Luca Van Assche. Last year’s finalist has struggled with injuries and lack of confidence over the last 12 months so a deep run in Melbourne would be the boost Tsitsipas is looking for. The only doubt remains whether Tsitsipas has the mental strength and tactical awareness to remain composed when it really matters as he aims for a first Grand Slam title.
Next for Tsitsipas is American Taylor Fritz who has his own questions to answer over mental strength as he has often faltered when it really mattered at Grand Slams. However Fritz will no doubt be satisfied with his first week’s showing after overcoming a testing battle against Facundo Diaz Acosta in the opening round. Now Fritz will be hoping for a big win at a Grand Slam as he looks to show why he should be taken seriously when considering who will lift the title in Melbourne.
Tsitsipas will need to use angles and depth to throw Fritz off his game with the Greek hoping for a consistent first serve percentage. Meanwhile the American will look to force errors from Tsitsipas by targeting the seventh seed’s backhand and dictate play inside the court. This will be a tight match but Tsitsipas’ worst level is more consistent than Fritz’s at the moment.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in four sets.
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