The round of 16 begins on Sunday in Melbourne in the men’s and women’s singles draws. Australia’s Ash Barty will face the player who upset Naomi Osaka in third-set tiebreak, Amanda Anisimova. Sascha Zverev takes on a player who has claimed two of their last three meetings, Denis Shapovalov. And in a meeting of Major champions, reigning Roland Garros champ (in both singles and doubles) Barbora Krejcikova will do battle with Victoria Azarenka, who was the victor here in 2012 and 2013.
Each day, this preview will highlight the most intriguing matchups, while outlining the other notable matches on the schedule. Sunday’s play will begin at 11:00am local time.
Paula Badosa (8) vs. Madison Keys – 11:00am on Rod Laver Arena
These are two of the hottest players in the sport. Badosa has won 16 of her last 19 matches, and has started the year 8-0. Keys is on an eight-match win streak of her own, a stark turnaround coming off a disappointing season where she went only 11-15. During her press conference on Friday, Madison said “I think for me it’s so easy to get suckered into just trying to hit hard.” She also described how adding more shape to her shots and looking to come forward has improved her game in 2022. Both players came through grueling matches on Friday. Badosa looked completely spent after overcoming Marta Kostyuk 6-4 in the third, while Keys survived a third-set tiebreak against Qiang Wang. In their first career meeting, Badosa is the favorite considering her recent form and more all-around game, though Madison is an extremely dangerous opponent when she is striking the ball with confidence as she is now.
Barbora Krejcikova (4) vs. Victoria Azarenka (24) – Second on Rod Laver Arena
Their only previous encounter took place in October of 2020 in Ostrava, with Azarenka prevailing in three. But 15 months later, Krejickova is an entirely different player. Her previous success had come in doubles, though that changed last season when she accumulate 45 match wins and three titles, including her first Major singles title in Paris. This is only her eighth main draw appearance at a Slam, and she’s now reached the fourth round or better on five occasions. Krejickova came back from a set down on Friday to defeat another French Open champion, Jelena Ostapenko. However, no player has been more impressive through three rounds than Azarenka. Her set scores so far are the following: 6-3, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0, 6-2. She completely dominated Elina Svitolina in the last round. Vika’s current form, and her previous success at hard court Majors such as this, make her the favorite to advance.
Sascha Zverev (3) vs. Denis Shapovalov (14) – Not Before 3:00pm on Margaret Court Arena
Overall Zverev leads their head-to-head 3-2. The German claimed their first two meetings, before losing the next two. And most recently, at last February’s ATP Cup, Zverev was victorious in third-set tiebreak after nearly three hours. The 2021 ATP Finals champion is yet to drop a set, while Shapovalov has played 13 sets through three rounds, and spent over four more hours on court. I expect Denis to play freely against a higher-seeded player, and to be the first man to take a set off Zverev this fortnight. But over the course of five sets, Zverev’s serving prowess and consistent groundstrokes should allow him to reach the quarterfinals for the third consecutive year.
Ash Barty (1) vs. Amanda Anisimova – 7:00pm on Rod Laver Arena
Barty has been an elite player for several years now, but she may currently be at her highest level yet. The World No.1 has now held her serve in 58 straight service games. Much like Azarenka, she’s yet to be tested at this event. But that may change on Sunday, as Anisimova is also playing the best tennis of her career. And also like Barty, she’s undefeated in 2022. Working with Australia’s own Darren Cahill this month has paid immediate dividends. The 20-year-old American saved two match points in defeating Osaka, the defending champion, in a high-quality affair. Defeating another multi-time Slam champ just two days later is a tall task. And it was Ash who ended Amanda’s last great run at a Major, winning in three sets during the 2019 Roland Garros semifinals. Barty should be favored to advance to the Australian Open quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive year.
Matteo Berrettini (7) vs. Pablo Carreno Busta (19) – Last on Rod Laver Arena
What condition will Berrettini be in following an over four-hour epic against Carlos Alcaraz? Not only did that match go all the way to a fifth-set tiebreak, but Matteo also rolled his ankle during the fifth set. None of the Italian’s matches this week have been straightforward, as he was pushed to four sets in his first two rounds. The good news for Berrettini is Carreno Busta has also contested some grueling matches, playing nine sets across the last two rounds. And last year, Matteo didn’t lose at a Major to any player not named Djokovic. Surprisingly, this will be their first career meeting. Keeping in mind what Matteo has already endured at this event, and how his body has often broken down in the past, this is a great opportunity for Pablo to move beyond the fourth round of this tournament for the first time.
Other Notable Matches on Sunday:
Maria Sakkari (5) vs. Jessica Pegula (21) – Sakkari is 2-0 against Pegula, which includes a victory last March in Miami decided by a third-set tiebreak. The American was a surprise quarterfinalist here a year ago, while the Greek achieved two Major semifinals last season.
Rafael Nadal (6) vs. Adrian Mannarino – In his 13th appearance, Mannarino has reached the round of 16 at this event for the first time. He did so through impressive wins over Hubi Hurkacz and Aslan Karatsev. But he is 0-2 against Nadal, who is only 12 sets away from winning a record-breaking 21st Major.
Gael Monfils (17) vs. Miomir Kecmanovic – Like Berrettini, Monfils suffered an ankle scare on Friday, but seemed to be unaffected. And he’s been on fire to start 2022, winning a title in Adelaide, and claiming nine straight sets this week. Kecmanovic was drawn to face fellow countryman Novak Djokovic in the first round, but in Novak’s absence, has made Serbia proud with his deepest run at a Major to date. Just two months ago in Bercy, Monfils defeated Kecmanovic 6-3 in the third.
Sunday’s full Order of Play is here.
