Angelique Kerber has won 20 of her last 24 matches. Anett Kontaveit has claimed 16 of her last 17, which includes two titles. Paula Badosa is 38-15 on the year, and 8-3 against the top 20. Ons Jabeur is on the cusp of becoming the first Arab player to reach the top 10. Which two of these four impressive performers will reach Friday’s semifinals?
Also on Wednesday, the first two men’s singles quarterfinals will be contested, with significant implications as to who will qualify for next month’s ATP Finals. And in the doubles, the final two men’s quarterfinals will be played, alongside the women’s semifinals.
Each day, this preview will analyze the two most intriguing matchups, while highlighting other notable matches on the schedule. Thursday’s play gets underway at 11:00am local time.
Ons Jabeur (12) vs. Anett Kontaveit (18) – Not Before 3:00pm on Stadium 1
A win today would guarantee Jabeur’s top 10 debut next week. But that will be a tough ask against the WTA’s hottest player of the last two months. Since adding Dmitry Tursonov as her coach, who previously guided Aryna Sabalenka during her rise to the top of the sport, Kontaveit has been on fire. She was the champion in both Cleveland and Ostrava, with her only loss coming at the US Open against another of 2021’s best players, Iga Swiatek. Anett has not dropped a set through three rounds, though Jabeur has been dominant as well, allowing her last two opponents only eight games across four sets. Ons has taken both of their previous tour-level encounters, and she’s the last person not named Iga to defeat Kontaveit. Two months ago in Cincinnati, she outlasted Anett 7-5 in the third. But based on Kontaveit’s current level of confidence, I give her the slight edge to advance after what I expect to be a tenacious battle with some grueling rallies on these slow-playing courts.
Angelique Kerber (10) vs. Paula Badosa (21) – Not Before 6:00pm on Stadium 1
This will be the first career meeting between the three-time Major champ and the 23-year-old Spaniard, who has had a tremendous year despite a terrible start. Upon arriving in Melbourne, Badosa tested positive for COVID, which forced her to spend three weeks in full quarantine. But she’s now vying for her fifth semifinal of the season, and her first since May. Kerber had a pretty miserable season until June, and even pondered retiring from the sport. However, she has been an entirely different player since the grass court season. Her only losses since mid-June have come against world No.1 Ash Barty, or fellow lefties (Leylah Fernandez, Jil Teichmann). But these court speeds are not conducive to Angie’s game. They are playing more at the speed of a clay court, and that’s never been her best surface. By contrast, Badosa thrives on clay, compiling a record of 17-3 this year. In the last round, Paula defeated Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets, and Krejickova has been one of 2021’s toughest outs. I like Badosa’s chance of achieving her fifth semifinal of the season.
Other Notable Matches on Thursday:
Diego Schwartzman (11) vs. Cameron Norrie (21) – Schwartzman easily dispatched of Casper Ruud on Wednesday. Norrie has won three consecutive three-setters this fortnight. Cam leads their head-to-head 2-1, which includes a four-hour, five-set victory at last year’s US Open.
Hubert Hurkacz (8) vs. Grigor Dimitrov (23) – Hurkacz was a semifinalist here in 2019. Dimitrov pulled off an incredible comeback on Wednesday, after falling behind a set and two breaks against top-seeded Daniil Medvedev.
Su-Wei Hsieh and Elise Mertens (2) vs. Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara (3) – When these two teams met in the Wimbledon semifinals, Hsieh and Mertens prevailed 6-3 in the third.
Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov vs. Aslan Karatsev and Andrey Rublev – This quarterfinal features three players in the top 15 of the Race to Turin singles rankings. The last time Karatsev and Rublev teamed up, this past March in Qatar, they won the title.
Thursday’s full Order of Play is here.
