AUSTRALIAN OPEN
The Australian Open quarter-finals start on Tuesday and followers are anticipated to pack Rod Laver Enviornment when 10-times champion Novak Djokovic meets Carlos Alcaraz, who’s bidding to finish a profession Grand Slam.
Girls’s high seeds Coco Gauff and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka are additionally in motion whereas males’s second seed Alexander Zverev completes the lineup on the well-known stadium.
TOP MEN’S MATCH: NOVAK DJOKOVIC V CARLOS ALCARAZ
When Djokovic was listed because the seventh seed at Melbourne Park this 12 months, he was on a collision course with Alcaraz when the draw was made and the mouth-watering conflict will come to move as they meet for the eighth time, with the Serbian main 4-3.
Alcaraz triumphed in straight units within the Wimbledon closing final 12 months however Djokovic took revenge lower than a month later when he claimed the Olympic gold medal on the Spaniard’s favorite floor at Roland Garros.
“This isn’t the appropriate participant to play in a quarter-final, I assume,” a smiling Alcaraz stated after his fourth-round match was minimize quick by Jack Draper’s damage retirement.
“He nearly broke each document in tennis. I’m attempting not to consider that after I’m within the match. I’m simply attempting (to assume) that I’m capable of beat him.
“I do know my weapons, I do know that I’m capable of play good tennis in opposition to him.”
Djokovic’s aura of invincibility on the Australian Open has seen cracks with the 37-year-old dropping two units within the early rounds whereas Alcaraz has come by way of largely unscathed in shorter matches, dropping only one set.
For Djokovic, Alcaraz is a youthful model of his long-time Spanish rival Rafa Nadal, who he beat within the marathon 2012 closing lasting 5 hours and 53 minutes — the longest on document on the Melbourne slam.
“(He) jogs my memory of my match-ups versus Nadal by way of the depth and the vitality on the court docket,” Djokovic stated.
“He’s very dynamic, explosive participant. Extremely gifted, charismatic participant. Nice to observe, not that nice to play in opposition to. I look ahead to it.”
TOP WOMEN’S MATCH: COCO GAUFF V PAULA BADOSA
One other participant hoping to actual revenge is eleventh seed Badosa after the Spaniard was overwhelmed in final 12 months’s Beijing semi-final when Gauff made a stirring comeback to win in three units en path to the title.
The top-to-head document is cut up with every participant profitable 3 times however Badosa has not overwhelmed Gauff for the reason that 2023 Madrid Open.
“I hope I can have my revenge right here. It’s a particular match, quarter-finals, centre court docket, in opposition to her. I’ll prepare for that battle once more,” Badosa stated.
Like Gauff, Badosa has dropped just one set and the American stated she vividly remembers the match in Beijing, highlighting her opponent’s physicality and aggressive play as her strongest traits.
“I actually don’t know the way I received out of that match. She was taking part in nice tennis,” she stated.
“She’s a troublesome opponent. Each time I play her, you already know it’s going to be a troublesome match. She’s a fantastic participant coming off some nice momentum.”
AUSTRALIAN OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON TUESDAY
Right here is the order of play on the primary showcourts on the tenth day of the Australian Open (prefix quantity denotes seeding):
ROD LAVER ARENA
Day session (0030 GMT/1130 AEDT)
3-Coco Gauff (U.S.) v 11-Paula Badosa (Spain)
12-Tommy Paul (U.S.) v 2-Alexander Zverev (Germany)
Night time session (0800 GMT/1900 AEDT)
1-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) v 27-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia)
7-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) v 3-Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
