Australian Open 2016: Saturday Schedule, Matchups Predictions for Bracket
After two relatively easy matches in the first two rounds of the Australian Open, Andy Murray figures to get much more of a test as he moves into the third round against Joao Sousa on Saturday.
Murray, the No. 2 seed in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year behind Novak Djokovic, not only won both of his first two matches in straight sets, he has not been pushed in either one of them. He defeated Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 and hard-serving Sam Groth 6-0, 6-4, 6-1.
The Scot should be fresh when he heads to the Margaret Court Arena to take on the 32nd-seeded Sousa.
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The Portuguese challenger has never been past the third round in any of the Grand Slam tournaments. Murray has reached the championship round in four of the last six Australian Opens, but he has finished as the runner-up each time.
Here's the viewing schedule, matchups and predictions for Day 6's bracket:
| Friday, Jan. 22-Saturday, Jan. 23 | ||
| Friday, 7-9 p.m. | Third | Tennis Channel (Live) |
| Friday 9 p.m.-Saturday 7 a.m. | Third | ESPN2 (Live) |
| Saturday, 7-9 a.m. | Third | Tennis Channel (Replay) |
| Saturday, 9 a.m.-12 noon | Third | ESPN2 (Replay) |
| Men's Singles | (18) Feliciano Lopez vs. (10) John Isner | Isner |
| Men's Singles | (23) Gael Monfils vs. Stephane Robert | Monfils |
| Men's Singles | (13) Milos Raonic vs. Tim Smyczek | Raonic |
| Men's Singles | (4) Stan Wawrinka vs. Lukas Rosol | Wawrinka |
| Men's Singles | (16) Bernard Tomic vs. John Millman | Tomic |
| Men's Singles | (8) David Ferrer vs. (31) Steve Johnson | Ferrer |
| Men's Singles | Dudi Sela vs. Andrey Kuznetsov | Kuznetsov |
| Men's Singles | (2) Andy Murray vs. (32) Joao Sousa | Murray |
| Women's Singles | (7) Angelique Kerber vs. Madison Brengle | Kerber |
| Women's Singles | Varvara Lepchenko vs. Zhang Shuai | Lepchenko |
| Women's Singles | (14) Victoria Azarenka vs. Naomi Osaka | Azarenka |
| Women's Singles | (15) Madison Keys vs. (20) Ana Ivanovic | Ivanovic |
Note: A complete schedule can be found at AUSOpen.com. For live streams of specific matches, check out WatchESPN.
Top Matchups to Watch on Saturday
No. 2 Andy Murray vs. No. 32 Joao Sousa
One thing Murray won't have to worry about when facing Sousa is an overpowering serve. Sousa is much more of a baseline player who likes to wear his opponent down than a big server who is going to throw a lot of aces.
That means the Scot is going to have to be secure in his groundstrokes if he is going to survive and advance.
Murray respects Sousa's athleticism and his ability to move well on the court.
“He's a very good mover," Murray told Tennis.com. "He knows how to win matches. He understands the game well and he gets the most out of his game. So, you know, if I play well, I have a good chance obviously. But he's the sort of player that if your level's not quite there, he'll make it very tough for you."
Sousa is a patient player who is going to try to wear down any opponent he plays. That will be difficult against Murray, who also knows how to wait for his openings before attacking his opponent with power.
Additionally, Murray has the kind of serve that should allow him to take charge in this match. But the 28-year-old may have a difficult time unleashing his lob shots, which often separate him from other opponents. Since Sousa likes to stay near the baseline, lobs don't have the kind of impact they do against a player who charges the net.
Prediction: Murray wins in four sets.
No. 4 Stan Wawrinka vs. Lukas Rosol
Stan Wawrinka made his name in the sport when he won the French Open last year, but the Swiss star has not done a lot since then.
He would like to turn that around in Melbourne, and he has performed well in his first two matches. Wawrinka pounded Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-3, 6-4. The Swiss had his way with Stepanek in the first two sets, but he was challenged throughout the third set before seizing control and putting the match away.
Lukas Rosol upset ailing Jack Sock 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 in the second round. The 30-year-old was much more athletic and moved around the court far better than Sock, who was on the court despite an ankle problem.
It will be a much more difficult task to beat a healthy Wawrinka. Rosol brings a 101-125 lifetime record into this match, and he has never been past the third round of any Grand Slam tournament.
Prediction: Wawrinka wins in three sets
No. 3 Garbine Muguruza vs. Barbora Strycova
The 22-year-old Garbine Muguruza is one of the rising stars in women's tennis, and after making it to the Wimbledon Finals in 2015, she is expecting more success in 2016.
Muguruza used her quickness, athleticism and solid groundstrokes to win her first two matches. She has rolled to easy wins in both, pounding Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens 6-4, 6-2 in the second round
The 29-year-old Barbora Strycova is a hard-working player, but she has never made a splash in any of the Grand Slam tournaments. Her best showing was a quarterfinal appearance in the 2014 Wimbledon tournament, but she has not been past the third round in any of her other Grand Slam appearances.
Prediction: Muguruza wins in three sets
All stats courtesy of AUSOpen.com unless otherwise noted.
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