Ash Barty and Alex de Minaur will have no Aussies rooting them on from the stands, as fans will not be allowed inside Melbourne Park for at least the next five days.
In action between top 20 seeds, two of the sport’s biggest young ball strikers, Matteo Berrettini and Karen Khachanov, collide in what should be a crackling third round clash. Men’s title contenders Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, and Andrey Rublev will also play on Saturday. On the women’s side, Karolina Pliskova faces a fellow countrywoman who upset her 13-11 in the third at Wimbledon two years ago. And in another matchup featuring top 20 players, Belinda Bencic takes on Elise Mertens, who has won 10 of her last 11 matches.
Each day during this fortnight, this preview will analyze the day’s most prominent matches, and note the other intriguing matchups on the schedule. Saturday’s play will begin at 11:00am local time.
Ash Barty (1) vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova (29) – Not Before 7:00pm on MCA
While Barty didn’t play for nearly a full year prior to last week, she’s now prevailed in 17 of her last 19 matches. This will be her first encounter with Alexandrova, a 26-year-old Russian who won her first WTA title last year on a hard court. But Ekaterina has never been beyond the third round of a Major, and doesn’t possess the firepower or guile to threaten Barty when Ash is at her best. However, Barty wasn’t at her best on Thursday despite winning in straight sets. She became quite frustrated on court, and was visibly hampered by a left leg injury. Ash pulled out of her scheduled doubles match yesterday. So Alexandrova could be a good litmus test for just how healthy the world No.1 truly is.
Matteo Berrettini (9) vs. Karen Khachanov (19) – Not Before 5:00pm on JCA
They played three times in 2019, with the Italian victorious on all three occasions. Berrettini won twice in straight sets on grass, though they went to a decider in their own hard court meeting. Khachanov was the first of these two 24-year-olds to breakthrough on tour, reaching the second week at five Slams between 2017 and 2020, and winning the 2018 Paris Masters. He’s 5-1 this month in Melbourne, though he lost his only match against a player ranked inside the top 70. Berrettini was ranked outside the top 50 until 2019, when he won two ATP titles and reached the US Open semifinals. He’s also 5-1 over the last few weeks, but owns victories over three top 15 players. These fast-playing courts in Melbourne should favor Matteo, as Karen likes having more time to set up his groundies. Berrettini will likely extend his record to 4-0 against Khachanov.
Karolina Pliskova (6) vs. Karolina Muchova (25) – First on RLA
In the fourth round of the 2019 Wimbledon, these two Karolinas played for three hours and eighteen minutes, with Muchova outlasting Pliskova to reach her first Slam quarterfinal. Their only other previous matchup was two years ago at this event, with Pliskova winning in straight sets. Neither woman has dropped a set through two rounds. Pliskova will of course have the power advantage, while Muchova possesses many more options in her eclectic game. With new coach Sascha Bajin on her team, I expect Pliskova to come out with a good mindset today, and a better plan on how to overcome her talented countrywoman.
Belinda Bencic (11) vs. Elise Mertens (18) – Third on RLA
Expect a lot of dynamic, prolonged rallies in the first career meeting between these two players with well-rounded skillsets. After an excellent 2019 in which she won nearly 50 matches and returned to the top 10, Bencic went just 8-8 last year, and missed some play due to injury. Unfortunately, that’s just the latest of many injury layoffs throughout the young career of the 23-year-old. Meanwhile, Mertens has reached the quarterfinals or better at seven of her last eight events. And the 25-year-old won the Gippsland Trophy just last week. Benic required three sets in both of her first two rounds, while Mertens won both in straights. All evidence supports a Mertens victory on Saturday.
Fabio Fognini (16) vs. Alex de Minaur (21) – Last on MCA
What will Fognini have left after a dramatic four-hour affair just 48 hours ago? He saved match points and prevailed in a fifth set tiebreak against Salvatore Caruso. Fabio then exchanged some heated words with his countryman after the match, with the Italians having to be physically separated. De Minaur was heartbroken to miss last year’s Australian Open after suffering an injury at the ATP Cup, so the 21-year-old will be extra motivated to reach the round of 16 at his home Slam for the first time. And he’ll certainly be the fresher man today, as he’s advanced without losing a set. In another first career meeting, De Minaur should be favored despite the lack of an Aussie crowd.
Other Notable Matches on Day 6:
20-time Major champion Rafael Nadal (2) vs. Cameron Norrie, a fellow lefty who has never advanced farther than this round at a Slam.
2018 WTA Finals champion Elina Svitolina (5) vs. Yulia Putintseva (26). Putintseva won their first match back in 2012, but Svitolina has claimed their last five.
2019 ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas (5) vs. Mikael Ymer, a 22-year-old from Sweden who is into the third round of a Major for the first time.
2020 ATP Finals champion Daniil Medvedev (4) vs. Filip Krajinovic (28). Their only previous meeting went to Krajinovic in straight sets, two years ago at Indian Wells. Medvedev is on a 16-match winning streak.
Andrey Rublev (7) vs. Feliciano Lopez. Rublev has taken 27 of his last 31 matches. 39-year-old Lopez hasn’t reached the fourth round at a Major since 2015.
Saturday’s full order of play is here.
