Australian Open 2016: Schedule, Predictions for Wednesday Melbourne Bracket
The most intriguing match on tap for Wednesday at the 2016 Australian Open is the quarterfinal matchup between No. 23 seed Gael Monfils and No. 13 Milos Raonic. The red-hot Raonic won the Brisbane International and reached the final of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship earlier in the month, and he has stayed on a roll in Melbourne.
He knocked off No. 4 seed Stan Wawrinka in a five-set classic on Monday (6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-3). Prior to that match, he hadn't dropped a set en route to the fourth round. The 25-year-old Canadian looks poised for a huge year. Damien Cox of the Toronto Star believes the victory could be "career-altering" for Raonic:
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Monfils has also sliced through the competition on his way to the quarterfinals. He's lost just one set in Melbourne, and that came in his four-set victory over Andrey Kuznetsov (7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 [7-4]) in the fourth round.
This is a tough match to predict because Monfils has won both of the previous meetings with Raonic, but they took place in 2011 and 2013. Clearly, Raonic is a different player now than he was in the previous matches. Monfils' loose, daring and athletic style is often difficult for opponents to handle.
However, when an up-and-coming player like Raonic gets on a roll such as the one he's enjoying presently, it's foolish to bet against him. Prior to the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, Raonic had never beaten Wawrinka.
In a span of three weeks, he's defeated him twice. Expect Raonic to grab his first victory over Monfils on Wednesday. Here's a look at the entire singles schedule for Wednesday, along with predictions.
You can view the entire schedule at AusOpen.com.
| Wednesday at 11 a.m. locally; Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET | No. 7 Angelique Kerber vs. No. 14 Victoria Azarenka | Azarenka |
| Not before Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. locally; Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET | Johanna Konta vs. Shuai Zhang | Zhang |
| Not before Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. locally; Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. ET | No. 8 David Ferrer vs. No. 2 Andy Murray | Murray |
| Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. locally; Wednesday at 3:30 a.m. ET | No. 23 Gael Monfils vs. No. 13 Milos Raonic | Raonic |
Vika Will Keep Rolling
No. 14 seed Victoria Azarenka has been mowing down competition in Melbourne. She appears to be on a collision course with top-seeded Serena Williams for the finals. Both women still have some work to do, as Williams must knock off No. 4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska in Thursday's semifinal.
Azarenka will face No. 7 seed Angelique Kerber on Wednesday. If she wins, she'll play on Friday against the winner of the Johanna Konta versus Shuai Zhang match that takes place later that day. Azarenka will do her part to reach the final.
Azarenka and Kerber have played six times in their careers, and Vika has won all of the matches. This is the furthest Kerber has ever made it in any of her previous appearances at the Australian Open, so she's already reached a milestone of sorts.
Vika won the tournament in 2012 and 2013. She looks to be in top form again and should produce another victory over Kerber.
Andy Murray, Too
After passing a significant test against No. 16 seed Bernard Tomic in the fourth round (6-4, 6-4, 7-6 [7-4]), No. 2 seed Andy Murray looks like a strong candidate to reach the finals. Here he speaks at the post-match press conference after his win over Tomic:
Murray faces aging battler and No. 8 seed David Ferrer in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Ever the competitor, Ferrer always gives a great effort, but he rarely knocks off the elite players. Murray has won 12 of the 18 meetings between he and the Spaniard, and that includes a victory in the last five matches.
Ferrer will be 34 in April, and his legitimate runs at Grand Slams might be over. Murray will put the latest one to rest on Wednesday in straight sets.
All stats per Wettpoint.
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