Australian Open 2015: Predictions for Top Stars in Day 6 Singles Draw

The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam of the year, but tennis fans weren’t ready for the madness that has taken place at the 2015 edition of the event thus far.

With Andreas Seppi upsetting Roger Federer and Yanina Wickmayer taking down Sara Errani, there have been several major upsets so far in the tournament and there is no sign of the drama slowing down.

Add in the fact that Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and others will be in action on Day 6, and the events on the courts of Melbourne Park will exceed all expectations.

Here are the predictions for the top stars in action on Day 6.

No. 1 Serena Williams vs. No. 26 Elina Svitolina

Vincent Thian/Associated Press

There are few tennis players with as much expectation on their shoulders as American star and women’s No. 1 player Serena Williams. As the top seed in the tournament, most fans expect her to cruise to another Grand Slam title.

Williams dominated in the first round against Alison Van Uytvanck, winning 6-0, 6-4, and went on to play former world’s No. 2 player Vera Zvonareva in the second round. After struggling in the opening set, Williams was able to cruise to straight-set victory, 7-5, 6-0.

When asked about overcoming a slow start against Zvonareva, Williams told CNN.com, “Things really clicked. I had no other option but for things to click. I just had to start playing better.”

While she has cruised through the first two rounds, Williams will face a tough test in the third round against No. 26 seeded Elina Svitolina. The 20-year-old Ukrainian managed to beat Yulia Putintseva in the first round and Nicole Gibbs in the second round.

As well as Svitolina has played through the first two rounds, she lacks the power and experience that her challenger possesses. With a dominant serve, speed along the baseline and unparalleled court vision, Williams should be able to secure the victory.

Predicted Winner: Williams def. Svitolina, 6-4, 6-1

No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 31 Fernando Verdasco

Vincent Thian/Associated Press

The top men’s tennis player in the world today is Novak Djokovic, and many fans have picked him as the favorite to win the 2015 Australian Open. Djokovic must worry about his third-round opponent first, though.

No. 31 seed Fernando Verdasco lost the first set to James Ward in the opening round, but he bounced back to win three straight sets. He kept the momentum rolling in the second round against Go Soeda, and won in convincing fashion.

Djokovic must take his challenger seriously, but with momentum of his own after back-to-back victories against Aljaz Bedene and Andrey Kuznetsov (first and second round respectively), he should be able to cruise to another win.

The official Twitter account of Adidas shared a great image from Djokovic’s second-round victory:

What makes Verdasco so dangerous is his size and power. Djokovic is usually the bigger player, but with both men standing at 6’2”, the playing field has been leveled. Add in the Spaniard’s strength and Djokovic will have to be at his best.

There are few players with as much reach as Djokovic, and he should be able to dominate his challenger on the rally. While contending with Verdasco’s serve will be tough all day, the world’s No. 1 should be able to separate himself on the return with his accuracy and precision.

Predicted Winner: Djokovic def. Verdasco. 6-2, 6-4, 6-3

Stats and information via AusOpen.com.