Neither one of the top-eight seeds advanced to the quarterfinals in the first section of the Australian Open draw, but a familiar face will be there on Tuesday. Roger Federer is set to face Mischa Zverev, who upset Andy Murray in round four.
When the Australian Open draw was revealed, it looked as though Roger Federer would have to beat Tomas Berdych, Kei Nishikori, and Andy Murray just to reach the semifinals. Federer successfully went through Berdych and Nishikori, but it’s not Murray who awaits on Tuesday.
Instead, Federer and Mischa Zverev will be squaring off for the third time in their careers when quarterfinal action begins on Tuesday in Melbourne. Federer leads the head-to-head series 2-0, but the good news for Zverev is that mathematically it cannot get any worse. The German lost their most recent meeting 6-0, 6-0 on the grass courts of Halle in 2013, a result that was preceded by a 7-6(3), 6-2 win for Federer on the red clay of Rome in 2009.
Zverev could get triple-bageled in this one and it would still go down as the best tournament of his injury-plagued career. The 29-year-old used a rare clean bill of health last season to qualify for tournament after tournament and it is only full steam ahead for him in 2017. Zverev began his fortnight with defeats of Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, John Isner (came back from two sets down and saved two match points), and Malek Jaziri before stunning world No. 1 Andy Murray 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 on Sunday.
Federer also had to survive one five-setter on his way to the last eight, which he successfully did against Kei Nishikori in the fourth round. The 35-year-old Swiss also boasts more routine victories over Jurgen Melzer, Noah Rubin, and Berdych. Thus it has been an encouraging comeback in 2017 for Federer, who warmed up for the season’s first Grand Slam by going 2-1 in singles at the Hopman Cup–losing only to the younger Zverev brother, Alexander, in a third-set tiebreaker.
“Playing Roger will be like a dream to me,” the older Zverev said in his on-court interview after upsetting Murray. “Growing up I was inspired (by) him. He’s my favorite player.”
It is the world No. 50’s favorite player who will likely end his incredible run in Melbourne. Federer was dominant in their previous encounters–albeit several years ago–and is no stranger to facing left-handers, having gone up against Rafael Nadal 34 times in his career. Like his countryman Stan Wawrinka, Federer consistently gets better in better with each passing round at slams. Zverev, on the other hand, may have used up all reserves in both the physical and mental tanks.
Pick: Federer in 3
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