On Friday in Melbourne, third round singles action begins, as seeds run into each other in the draws for the first time.
Reigning Wimbledon Champion Elena Rybakina takes on 2022 Australian Open Runner-up Danielle Collins. Two-time Australian Open Champion Victoria Azarenka faces 2017 US Open Runner-up Madison Keys. In a battle of 2022 US Open semifinalists, Frances Tiafoe goes up against Karen Khachanov. And 2021 US Open Champion Daniil Medvedev plays promising American Sebastian Korda.
And all that doesn’t even include a matchup of top 20 seeds and two Major semifinalists, as Hubert Hurkacz battles Denis Shapovalov. Plus Iga Swiatek, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, and many more stars are in third round action on Friday.
Each day this preview will highlight the four most intriguing matchups, while outlining the other notable matches on the schedule. Friday’s play will begin at 11:00am local time.
Elena Rybakina (22) vs. Danielle Collins (13) – Not Before 2:00pm on Kia Arena
With her knee wrapped up, Collins has already survived two grueling three-hour encounters this week. On Monday afternoon, she overcame Anna Kalinskaya 6-4 in the third. Late on Wednesday night, and actually into Thursday morning, she outlasted Karolina Muchova in a final-set tiebreak.
Rybakina has remained as off the radar as you’ll ever see a reigning Wimbledon champion at a Major. And her disrespectful scheduling continues, as she’s out on the tournament’s fourth largest court while playing last year’s runner-up. But Elena has quietly yet decisively advanced without dropping a set.
Collins and Rybakina just played two weeks ago in Adelaide, with Elena prevailing in three sets. But Danielle claimed their other previous meeting, two years ago in San Jose. In the rubber match, Rybakina will definitively be the fresher player, which gives her a considerable edge.
Madison Keys (10) vs. Victoria Azarenka (24) – 7:00pm on Rod Laver Arena
Keys’ best Major result may have been in New York, but she’s a two-time semifinalist in Melbourne. And she now has more wins at the Australian Open than any other Slam. The Aussie heat and fast-playing hard courts feel like home to the hard-hitting Floridian. Madison collected 11 wins in Australia last January, and is now an undefeated 7-0 down under to start this season.
However, she is 0-3 against Azarenka. That includes a three-setter just a few months ago on a hard court in Guadalajara. But while Vika advanced to the second week of this event for eight straight years between 2009 and 2016, she’s only done so once since, reaching the fourth round a year ago. She was absent from this tournament in three recent years, and lost in the first round in two others.
Friday’s weather is forecasted to be rather mild in Melbourne, which favors Azarenka. And based on their history, it makes sense to favor Vika to go 4-0 against Keys, especially after Azarenka dropped only one game in her second round victory. But coming off the Unites States’ title run at the United Cup, which Keys described as the best two weeks of her career due to the fun team atmosphere, I’m picking a confident and rejuvenated Madison to earn her first win over Azarenka.
Karen Khachanov (18) vs. Frances Tiafoe (16) – Not Before 7:00pm on John Cain Arena
At the last Major, both men achieved their first Slam semifinal. Tiafoe defeated three top 16 seeds in New York, most notably taking out Rafael Nadal in an exhilarating fourth round contest. And Frances pushed eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz to five sets in the semifinals. Khachanov won consecutive five-setters over Pablo Carreno Busta and Kick Kyrgios to make the semis, where he lost to Casper Ruud in four.
These two players also had nearly identical record last season: Tiafoe was 35-25, while Khachanov was 36-25. Frances is now an undefeated 7-0 to start this season, coming off his title run in the United Cup with Team USA. Khachanov is 5-2 on the year, having reached two quarterfinals in back-to-back tournaments in Adelaide.
Karen is 2-0 against Frances, with both their matches taking place in the third round of another Major: The Championships. In 2018, Khachanov won in five. In 2021, Khachanov won in straights. But in 2023 on a hard court, and with American men having a great tournament thus far, I like Tiafoe’s chances to prevail on Friday.
Sebastian Korda (29) vs. Daniil Medvedev (7) – Last on Rod Laver Arena
Medvedev has not dropped a set to this stage, and is now 5-1 on the year. Two weeks ago in Adelaide, he lost to Novak Djokovic in a straight-set semifinal. Daniil has been a finalist at this event in both of the last two years.
Korda make his breakthrough in 2021, going from 119th to 39th in the rankings, winning 36 matches and his first ATP title. In 2022, he suffered a bit of a sophomore slump for much of the year, but ended the season reaching back-to-back hard court finals in Gijon and Antwerp. And to start 2023, he advanced to a final in Adelaide, where he even held match point against Djokovic, before succumbing in three sets.
Their only prior meeting took place two years ago in Bercy, where Medvedev prevailed in three. I like Korda to have a very strong 2023, and he could easily push Daniil in this matchup. But despite Medvedev’s struggles since his heartbreaking loss in last year’s final to Nadal, Daniil still has to be favored on a hard court.
Other Notable Matches on Friday:
Stefanos Tsitsipas (3) vs. Tallon Griekspoor – Tsitsipas is now 6-0 this season, and has not dropped a set this week. But Griekspoor is also 6-0, coming off a title run in Pune, and is also yet to lose a set this week.
Jessica Pegula (3) vs. Anhelina Kalinina – Pegula has been a quarterfinalist in both of the last two years in Melbourne. Kalinina beat Petra Kvitova in straight sets on Wednesday to achieve her first third-round appearance at a Slam. Pegula went 3-0 last year against Kalinina, which includes a three-set victory at this event.
Mackie McDonald vs. Yoshihito Nishioka – Can McDonald follow-up on his upset of Rafael Nadal? These are two of the ATP’s speediest players. Mackie has twice before reached the fourth round at Majors. He’s 1-3 against Nishioka, which includes a straight-set loss just two weeks ago in Adelaide. But Yoshi has never advanced beyond the third round at a Slam.
Bernarda Pera vs. Coco Gauff (7) – Gauff defeated Emma Raducanu in two tightly-contested sets on Wednesday night, and is now 7-0 on the year. Pera is a fellow American who upset Qinwen Zheng in the last round.
Iga Swiatek (1) vs. Cristina Bucsa (Q) – Swiatek is vying to reach the second week at eight of the last nine Majors. Bucsa is a 25-year-old qualifier who took out Bianca Andreescu in the last round.
Hubert Hurkacz (10) vs. Denis Shapovalov (20) – Hurkacz survived a five-setter on Wednesday against Lorenzo Sonego. Shapovalov reached the quarters here a year ago, but hasn’t been to the second week of a Slam since. Hubi is 3-1 against Denis, with all four matches occurring on hard courts.
Friday’s full Order of Play is here.
