Australian Open 2015: Predictions for Top Stars in Day 8 Singles Draw
No one round of a Grand Slam is ever easy, but the 2015 Australian Open is getting impossibly difficult to advance through as Day 8 looms.
It's no longer a formality that the legends of the sport will even make it this far, as evidenced by No. 2 Roger Federer's surprising second-round exit and a number of women's high seeds falling early on in Melbourne. But even tougher than making it past those players looking for upsets is getting ready for the uptick in competition that follows.
Half of the quarterfinal tickets have already been punched, while the remainder will be filled in throughout Day 8 of action. And with the star-studded matchups on tap, the possibilities are endless.
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No. 1 Serena Williams (vs. No. 24 Garbine Muguruza)
Serena Williams has trudged along into the second week in Melbourne but is playing far from her best through three rounds. That might have to change if she wants to make it through Garbine Muguruza.
Williams showed a few signs of struggles alongside her typical fire and energy to start out play in Melbourne. She dropped her opening set against Elina Svitolina in Round 3 but pulled out the win.
She left no doubt in her post-match interview that while she's happy to be moving on, improvements must be made:
Doing so against Muguruza could prove to be tough, especially if the Spaniard gets off to a blistering start. That was the case in last year's French Open, when Muguruza throttled Williams in the round of 64 in two quick sets.
However, where Serena was then versus now is night and day. 2014 was her worst performance in years through three Slam events, not making it past the fourth round in any of them before taking the U.S. Open.
Williams may not have rekindled her top form as of yet, but her willingness to fight for every point has never been stronger. When that's the case, she's unbeatable to almost everybody in the field.
Prediction: Williams wins in straight sets
No. 4 Stan Wawrinka (vs. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez)
Serena won't be the only heavy favorite Monday having to go up against the one who ended his or her French Open run a year ago.
Joining her is fourth-seeded Stan Wawrinka, who alarmingly enough has been cruising under the radar despite winning last year's Australian Open. He faces a test from Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in Round 4 that is a rematch of Wawrinka's opening-round defeat at Roland Garros last year.
Considering the level Wawrinka is playing at in the first week of play, however, it's becoming increasingly hard to bet against the defending champion after he dismantled Jarkko Nieminen in Round 3 (even if he's not the focus of other favorites).
"For sure I'm not the focus," Wawrinka told the tournament's official site. "For me doesn't matter. I'm feeling good. I'm feeling great. I'm happy the way I'm playing. To get to the second week again, it's great. So far everything is good for me.”
While Garcia-Lopez might have Wawrinka's number as of late, that victory came on the clay courts. When they face off at this level, Wawrinka has a close edge, which Chris Oddo of Tennis Now uncovered:
Garcia-Lopez's most recent victory over the Swiss star closely followed Wawrinka's first Slam title, with a short hangover all but expected. This time around, Wawrinka has been building his form for weeks and is intent on defending his crown.
The Spaniard got the best of Wawrinka the last time out and has been playing awfully well in Melbourne, but the defending champ will bring his best from the opening serve and put Garcia-Lopez away in four hard-earned sets.
Prediction: Wawrinka wins in four sets
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