Australian Open 2015: Predictions for Top Stars in Day 4 Singles Draw
Most of the big names survived Day 3 of the Australian Open, but many of them ran into plenty of trouble.
Maria Sharapova needed three sets to get past Alexandra Panova. Rafael Nadal also was taken to the final set before defeating American Tim Smyczek in five. Even Roger Federer dropped a set against Simone Bolelli.
While these stars all made it through to the third round, some other top seeds might not be as lucky on Day 4. We have already seen a massive amount of seeded players be eliminated in the opening rounds at Melbourne and it's clear no one is completely safe.
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Here is a look at some matches fans should watch for Thursday with a breakdown of the biggest names in action.
| Rod Laver Arena | Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [6] vs. Johanna Larsson (SWE) | Women's |
| Rod Laver Arena | Serena Williams (USA) [1] vs. Vera Zvonareva (RUS) | Women's |
| Rod Laver Arena | Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] vs. Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) | Men's |
| Rod Laver Arena | Samantha Stosur (AUS) [20] vs. Coco Vandeweghe (USA) | Women's |
| Margaret Court Arena | Lauren Davis (USA) vs. Venus Williams (USA) [18] | Women's |
| Margaret Court Arena | Stan Wawrinka (SUI) [4] vs. Marius Copil (ROU) | Men's |
| Margaret Court Arena | Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [8] | Women's |
| Margaret Court Arena | Donald Young (USA) vs. Milos Raonic (CAN) [8] | Men's |
| Hisense Arena | Ivan Dodig (CRO) vs. Kei Nishikori (JPN) [5] | Men's |
| Hisense Arena | Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) [11] vs. Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) | Women's |
| Hisense Arena | Petra Kvitova (CZE) [4] vs. Mona Barthel (GER) | Women's |
| Show Court 2 | John Isner (USA) [19] vs. Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) | Men's |
| Show Court 2 | David Ferrer (ESP) [9] vs. Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) | Men's |
| Show Court 3 | Feliciano Lopez (ESP) [12] vs. Adrian Mannarino (FRA) | Men's |
Full schedule available at AusOpen.com.
No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. Andrey Kuznetsov
Although Novak Djokovic was able to earn a straight-set win in the first round over Aljaz Bedene, the No. 1 seed has felt far from confident so far at Melbourne.
The Serbian star has been dealing with an illness to start his 2015 season and it certainly slowed him down at Doha. While he is apparently better now, it is still affecting his play.
Djokovic explained the situation after his latest match, via ATPWorldTour.com:
"It hasn't been an ideal couple of weeks in terms of health and preparation. But I fought my way through. Now it's behind me. I'm only looking forward. I think I did well in terms of responding to the slow start today, feeling a little bit rusty on the court. So hopefully the next one will be even better.
"
A quick turnaround is certain to make things even more difficult. With Andrey Kuznetsov showing his ability to gut out points with his second serve in the last round, this match could be closer than some think.
Still, Djokovic has won this event four times in his career and is a top contender to win it once again. He will probably have some sloppy moments, but he is clearly the better player and he should be able to avoid the upset.
Prediction: Djokovic wins 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1
No. 1 Serena Williams vs. Vera Zvonareva
Alison Van Uytvanck probably was pretty disappointed when the draws were announced and she had to face Serena Williams in Round 1. In the end, the top seed was able to do exactly what she needed, as noted by Ben Rothenberg of The New York Times:
There has been a lot of easy wins for Williams over the past couple of years as she continues her incredible dominance:
However, she does have to be alert to the fact this has been her worst Grand Slam event recently. Since winning it all in 2010, Williams has reached the quarterfinals only once and hasn't advanced beyond that point.
The good news is she will not get a whole lot of problems from Vera Zvonareva. The Russian plays a very conservative style to avoid mistakes, but Williams will be able to find space to crush winners and pull away for a second-round win.
Prediction: Williams wins 6-2, 6-1
No. 8 Caroline Wozniacki vs. Victoria Azarenka
It's always nice to see an unknown player go through a difficult draw as an unseeded competitor. After beating Sloane Stephens, the young Victoria Azarenka might finally start climbing up the rankings.
Well, that's not exactly how this story unfolds as Azarenka is a former No. 1 player in the world before an injury caused a decline in the rankings. She defeated Stephens in straight sets and is now ready to turn her sights on Caroline Wozniacki, another former No. 1 player.
As Christopher Clarey of The New York Times explained, Azarenka is focused on regaining her spot at the top of the sport:
"Azarenka, ranked 44th and trying to rebound after a difficult season, clearly will not remain unseeded for long if she can reproduce the level she displayed throughout this 6-3, 6-2 victory over the 32nd-ranked Stephens.
It was a focused, impressive, all-court effort, one in which she was turning toward the ball kids as soon as rallies ended, keen to get the next point started.
"
The talented player dominated on her first serve and stayed aggressive while going 11-of-12 at the net against Stephens.
Meanwhile, Caroline Wozniacki had a tougher time against American teenager Taylor Townsend, as Sports Illustrated noted:
Azarenka will provide a much tougher challenge, especially with the serve, and Wozniacki will struggle to keep up in the return game. This will lead to an upset in one of the more highly anticipated matches of the day.
Prediction: Azarenka wins 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
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