Australian Open expert picks continue with Day 5, when Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer continue their campaigns. The Grandstand’s Ricky Dimon and Cheryl Murray preview the action and make their predictions.
(27) Alex De Minaur vs. (2) Rafael Nadal
Ricky: Nadal arrived in Melbourne with a ton of question marks, especially on hard courts. De Minaur went into the season’s first slam on the strength of a Sydney title. Fast forward through two rounds, however, and everything has changed. Nadal showed no signs of injury issues in two mostly dominant performances, while de Minaur is coming off an energy-sapping five-setter against Henri Laaksonen. It’s been another great Australian summer for the 19-year-old Aussie, but it will come to an end in a big way on Friday. Nadal in 3: 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Cheryl: When the draw was first revealed, I thought this match might be Nadal’s first challenge of the fortnight. However, de Minaur’s struggle against world No. 166 Henri Laaksonen has left me in some doubt of de Minaur’s ability to stick with the heavy physicality of Nadal’s game. The Spanish world No. 2 has had an ideal first week, with routine straight-set wins over his first two opponents. This should be a straight-forward affair for the Spaniard. Nadal in 3: 6-4, 6-2, 6-1.
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Taylor Fritz vs. (3) Roger Federer
Ricky: Wednesday was an absolute banner day for young Americans Fritz (ousted Gael Monfils in a four-set thriller) and Frances Tiafoe (upset Kevin Anderson in four). Tiafoe’s reward is a favorable draw against Andreas Seppi, whereas Fritz has to face Federer. This won’t put any damper on Fritz’s overall tournament, but Friday is not going to end well for him. The youngster has to be low on energy; Federer–the two-time defending AO champion, has cruised through two rounds. Federer in 3: 6-2, 7-5, 6-4.
Cheryl: Federer is the odds makers’ second favorite to take the Aussie Open title. The Swiss has taken care of business fairly efficiently during the first week of play, despite a more-competitive-than-expected outing against bad boy Briton Daniel Evans, who pushed Federer to two tiebreak sets. As this is the first time Fritz has ever advanced past the first round in Melbourne, it would not be unexpected if the moment–playing on the big stage against the tour’s most popular player–got the better of him. Federer in 3: 6-1, 6-3, 6-4.
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(6) Marin Cilic vs. (26) Fernando Verdasco
Ricky: Cilic has already passed two tests in impressive fashion, disposing of Bernard Tomic in easy straights and holding off tough customer Mackenzie McDonald in four. Verdasco has capitalized on a routine draw, but this is where the favorable road ends. The veteran Spaniard has lost four in a row to Cilic, is 1-7 in their last eight overall, and has dropped six consecutive sets. Moreover, the Croat finished runner-up Down Under last year. This has all the makings of one-way traffic. Cilic in 3: 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3.
Cheryl: Cilic and Verdasco are no strangers to each other. This will be the 15th meeting between the two tour veterans. The bad news for the Spaniard is that Cilic not only holds a 9-5 advantage over the Spaniard, he has won their last four meetings, two of which came in 2018. Cilic is younger, with a bigger serve and heavier groundstrokes. Unless the Croat has a really off night, this will be the end of Verdasco’s 2019 Australian Open campaign. Cilic in 3: 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.
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Frances Tiafoe vs. Andreas Seppi
Ricky: It has to be said that Seppi in the third round of a Grand Slam is an amazing draw. At the same time, though, Seppi is also just so, so tough–especially in Melbourne. The veteran Italian has reached the fourth round four times and stunned Federer in 2015. In fine form at 34 years old and 35th in the rankings, Seppi finished runner-up in Sydney and has replenished his reserves by making quick work of Steve Johnson and Jordan Thompson. Seppi in 4: 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
Cheryl: Tiafoe and Seppi is one of the more intriguing matches on a day already filled with good matchups. America’s Tiafoe has what is likely the upset of the tournament so far, with a shocker 2nd round victory over the No. 5 seed Kevin Anderson. The American had a dreadful fall swing, with a series of first round defeats, though he seems to have righted the ship during the off season. Seppi, the veteran Italian, took out Tiafoe’s countryman Steve Johnson in the first round. The Italian is playing well this week and has far more experience in big match play than his opponent. Seppi in 4: 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
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