Roger Federer: Swiss Legend Will Advance Past Bernard Tomic at Australian Open
Bernard Tomic is one of the most talented young players in the world, but don't expect the 20-year-old phenom to upset Roger Federer in Melbourne.
The two will meet Saturday in one of the Australian Open's most intriguing third-round matchups. It's the ultimate showdown between young and old, as the 31-year-old Federer will look to prove that he is still capable of shutting down the precocious upstart.
Federer and Tomic have met three times before, with Fed-Ex coasting to victory each time. Tomic has won just one set in their career series, and it didn't come in either of his two matches against Federer in 2012.
I'm expecting another comfortable win for Federer on Saturday. Although I wouldn't be shocked if Tomic pushed him to four sets, he's still not ready to upset the Swiss Maestro.
Despite his age, Federer—a four-time Australian Open champion—is still playing some incredible tennis. He has been dominant in Melbourne thus far, winning his first two matches with little resistance.
After disposing of Benoit Paire in the first round, he took down old nemesis Nikolay Davydenko on Thursday. Federer wasn't at his best, but he was still able to beat Davydenko in less than two hours (6-3, 6-4, 6-4).
Tomic has also impressed this year, winning all 10 of his matches thus far. He took out Leonardo Mayer in straight sets, then survived a close four-set battle with Daniel Brands. His serve is looking great, and he appears to have shed some attitude problems that dogged him in the past.
However, as good as he's been, Tomic is not yet ready for a win of this magnitude. He will show flashes of brilliance on Saturday, but it will be Federer who advances to the fourth round.
