The quarterfinals conclude on Wednesday in Melbourne.
The top seeds have all advanced to the quarterfinals in the bottom halves of the singles draws, making for a quartet of highly-anticipated matchups on Wednesday. Combined, they own 35 Major singles titles, and some of them share a dramatic history with their quarterfinal opponent.
Here’s a rundown of the most notable matches on Day 11 (in chronological order, all times local):
Elena Rybaina (5) vs. Iga Swiatek (2) – 11:30am on Rod Laver Arena
Both players easily claimed their fourth round contests, and should be fully fresh for this quarterfinal. Swiatek holds a slight 6-5 edge in their head-to-head, and has taken four of those last five encounters. However, their most recent encounter went to Rybakina, who at the WTA Finals in November, came from a set down to thump Swiatek in the last two sets by scores of 6-1 and 6-0. Elena also won their only previous meeting at this event, back in 2023. Since the fall, Rybakina has been the better performer of the two, so I give her the slight edge on Wednesday.
Jessica Pegula (6) vs. Amanda Anisimova (4) – Not Before 1:00pm on Rod Laver Arena
Neither of these Americans have dropped a set through four rounds. Pegula is 3-0 against Anisimova, though all three matches have been tight, and they haven’t met since mid-2024. 18 months later, Anisimova is a much-improved player, and she’ll be the more powerful woman on the court. But Pegula is the more composed and consistent performer, so this should be a fascinating quarterfinal. With Coco Gauff’s loss on Tuesday evening, Anisimova is positioned to become the new No.1 American, unless Pegula can win this match and go on to win the title.
Lorenzo Musetti (5) vs. Novak Djokovic (4) – Not Before 2:30pm on Rod Laver Arena
These men have contested some theatrical contests in the past, including a pair of five-setters in recent years at Roland Garros, with Djokovic coming from behind in both cases to prevail in five. Overall Novak is 9-1 against Lorenzo, with Musetti’s only victory taking place three years ago on clay. Just two months ago in the final of Athens on a hard court, Djokovic outlasted Musetti in a three-hour three-setter. Novak received a walkover in the last round from an injured Jakub Mensik, meaning he had three days off, which can often disrupt a player’s rhythm. By contrast, Lorenzo is coming off an impressive straight-set win over Taylor Fritz on Monday. And with Djokovic at less than 100% physically, this is a big opportunity for Musetti to notch just his second win over the all-time great, and reach his third Major semifinal. However, despite his advanced tennis age, overcoming Novak Djokovic at the Australian remains one of the sport’s most daunting tasks.
Ben Shelton (8) vs. Jannik Sinner (2) – Not Before 7:00pm on Rod Laver Arena
This is a rematch from last year’s semifinals, when Sinner was victorious in straights. Shelton won their first matchup in a final-set tiebreak, three years ago in Shanghai, but the Italian has now won their last eight. Jannik has also procured 19 consecutive sets against Ben, which includes seven tiebreaks. The American’s less-versatile game just doesn’t match up well against the two-time defending champion. With this match scheduled in the evening, and temperatures forecasted to remain much cooler on Wednesday, Sinner will not have to worry about struggling in the heat, making him a huge favorite to advance to his sixth straight Major semifinal.
Wednesday’s full Order of Play is here.
