The Grandstand weighs in with its picks for the best Thursday matchups at the Australian Open.
(2) Roger Federer vs. Nikolay Davydenko
Ricky: How many times do Federer-Davydenko matchups need to be
over-hyped before we realize that they all end the same way? Well, all
but two to be exact. Federer has won 17 of their 19 previous
encounters, including both at the Australian Open in four sets.
Davydenko toppled the Swiss twice in a three-month span in 2009 and
2010, but–unlike his opponent–the Russian is a shadow of his former
self. He played well en route to the Doha final two weeks ago, but
that is an aberration rather than a rule. Federer was on top of his
game against Benoit Paire and he should remain in cruise control
through this one. Federer 6-1, 7-5, 6-2.
Rachel (@TheSportBird): There’s no doubt about it: Roger owns Davydenko. Their H2H is incredibly slanted. Davydenko has had a solid opening to the year with a final appearance in Doha, so he’s on a roll. But all good things must come to an end. I’ve seen video of Federer doing mundane things around Melbourne—picking up his credentials, practicing, having a relaxed ESPN interview…and it’s like he owns the place. He’s the King, the uber-talented Mr. Congeniality of the ATP. who will whip Davydenko in an hour and 45 minutes and graciously shake his hand at the net. Federer 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
Ricky: Quality-wise, this could be one of the best matches of Week 1.
Both men are playing some of the best tennis of their careers. Tomic
beat Novak Djokovic at the Hopman Cup, won his first career ATP title
in Sydney, then crushed Leonardo Mayer on Tuesday night. Brands
captured a Challenger title late last fall, qualified for Doha and
reached the semis, qualified for the Australian Open, then ousted No.
27 seed Martin Klizan in round one. The German has a bigger serve than
Tomic, but the Australian has far more craftiness and guile from the
back of the court. Unless Brands has an other-worldly serving day, the
home crowd will likely leave happy–albeit not without some suspense.
Tomic 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Rachel: Yes, the top-ranked Australian, our dear Bernie, is playing great tennis. But his attitude is crap. I just can’t believe he has the mental stability to keep this run going. He’s young, brash, and a bit of an idiot…so I’m on a crash-and-burn watch. It’s not going to happenthis early in the tournament, though. Brands won’t roll over and die, but he doesn’t have the experience to take Tomic, especially if he’s booked on Rod Laver. Tomic 6-3, 6-7(9), 6-4, 6-2.
Ricky: Unless Rosol morphs into fellow big-hitting Czech Tomas
Berdych, Raonic is going to move through into the third round. That
being said, it will be competitive. Raonic lost his 2013 opener to
Grigor Dimitrov in Brisbane and he dropped a set to Jan Hajek on
Tuesday. A set is just a set, but Jan Hajek is also Jan Hajek. Rosol
has been teetering on the edge of terrible since his Wimbledon shocker
against Rafael Nadal, but he beat Jamie Baker in straight sets in
round one. Service breaks will be few and far between in this one, so
expect a fair share of tiebreakers. Raonic 7-6(5), 7-6(6), 6-3.
Rachel: After what happened with Nadal last year, I think we all can
suspend reality when it comes to Rosol. Sure, he hasn’t given us much
since that epic match, but the greatness is in there! It must be
dormant, like mononucleosis. Maybe Day 4 will be Rosol on Hards: The
Sequel. But probably not, ay? Raonic, on the other hand, has a solid
all-around game with a wicked serve. Yet, I haven’t been exactly
pleased with what I’ve seen from him this year. Time to step it up,
Milos (and I think he will). Raonic 7-5, 6-4, 6-3.
Ricky: Berankis won the U.S. Open junior title in 2007. More than five
years later, we’re still waiting for him to stay healthy and emerge as
a legitimate force at the next level. The 22-year-old Lithuanian has
been 100 percent since last summer and it may be paying off now. He
qualified for the main draw, then–to the delight of many–took care
of Sergiy Stakhovsky in straight sets. Mayer, on the other hand,
played a grueling five-setter against American wild card Rhyne
Williams. The German saved two match points in a 14-12 fourth-set
tiebreaker before pulling away in five. Ricky vs. Funky Flo has upset
city written all over it. Berankis 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Rachel: I agree. Mayer’s first-round win doesn’t instill much confidence. Spending over three hours in the heat to beat a wild card? Yikes.
These two have met twice before—2011 and 2012—and earned a match
apiece. But it really doesn’t tell us much. The fact is, Berankis has
all the momentum going into this meeting when it comes to both rest
and hunger. It’s time for him to shine, and to send the 25th-ranked
player packing. For true tennis enthusiasts, this match will be a
treat. Berankis 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
No disrespect to Ricky but I’m with Rachel all the way on these picks!