Australian Open 2012 TV Schedule: 4 Key Storylines to Watch on Day 9

Melbourne has been jumpin' over the past couple weeks, as the Australian Open has been in full swing.  We've now come upon the quarterfinal round.

Only eight players on each side of the competition remain, which means the attention will be locked onto every game.  What's to come of the remaining players?

Both reigning champions remain in the competition, but have rough roads ahead of them.  What's to come of top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki as she continues her quest towards her first grand slam?

Here are four things to watch as we approach Day 9 of competition.

Rafa Nadal Faces His Toughest Opponent Yet

In four matches, Rafael Nadal really hasn't faced a tough opponent. Feliciano Lopez is a decent player, but he really doesn't measure up to Nadal. 

Now Nadal will run into a guy named Tomas Berdych, who is the seventh-ranked player in the world.  Berdych has beaten some of the greats that are playing today, including Jo-Wilfred Tsonga (multiple times), Andy Murray and Roger Federer.

Nadal has yet to face a guy of this caliber, and he certainly hasn't played a guy with more power.  Berdych is one of the more seasoned veterans in the game, and I've got no doubt that he has the tools to beat Nadal.

Even so, I'll take Nadal to win.  It won't be easy—it'll be a four- or five-set match.

How Good Is Victoria Azarenka?

If you're reading the question and saying, "Dude, she's awesome!" I'm going to have to scream at you.  What proof is there of her being so great?

She's dominated this competition through four rounds: true.  No one is playing better right now: I could agree.  She's played four unranked opponents: true.

All of Victoria Azarenka's opponents have no number by their names.  She's been very impressive and simply dominant, but now she's into the quarterfinals to face eighth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska.  That's quite a large step from unranked to eighth-ranked.

It's worth noting that neither lady has won a grand slam championship.  Both are hungry for one.

We can also note that Radwanska just defeated 22nd-ranked Julia Georges, which is a far better victory in Melbourne than any of Azarenka's. 

Despite the criticism, I'm going to go with Azarenka to win in three sets.

Roger Federer Aims to Further Solidify His Legacy

Roger Federer's legendary career is well known.  I highly doubt anyone would judge him if he were to fall in his quarterfinal match against 11th-ranked Juan Martin del Potro.

However, Feder isn't going to be satisfied with that.  He's got a whopping 16 grand slam championships, and with that being said, we've all begun to wonder if Federer is winding down.  So far in the Aussie Open, that hasn't appeared to be the case.

He's yet to drop a set in Melbourne, while his opponent, del Potro, has dropped one (in the first round).  Not to say that that's a deciding factor, but it definitely is something to consider. 

Do I believe Federer's time is starting to run short?  Absolutely.  However, he's my pick to win the tournament, so I'll take him to beat del Potro in four sets.

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Kim Clijsters

This is the match I absolutely cannot wait for.  Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki will face the defending Aussie Open champion, Kim Clijsters.

There was talk prior to the tournament that injuries and wear on Clijsters' body would be her downfall in Melbourne.  This hasn't been the case at all, as we've seen Clijsters take down Daniela Hantuchova and Li Na (again, I may add).

Meanwhile, Wozniacki has been mightily impressive in her own right.  She's not dropped a set yet, and she's beaten Monica Niculescu and Jelena Jankovic.  Neither of those are pushovers in any way.

Both women appear to be at the top of their games, so this could wind up being the match of the tournament.  I've had my doubts about both women, but they appear to have the most fire.

My prediction: Wozniacki wins, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.