Novak Djokovic and Ben Shelton are one round away from a highly-anticipated showdown at the Australian Open. They first have to get past fellow seeds Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Adrian Mannarino, respectively, on Friday.
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (30) Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Nothing has been easy for Djokovic so far at the Australian Open. The top-ranked Serb needed four sets to get past qualifier Dino Prizmic and did the same against Alexei Popyrin on Wednesday night, escaping with a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 victory. If two previous head-to-head meetings with Etcheverry are any indication (both last year), Friday’s third-round contest could be more routine. Djokovic cruised 7-6(5), 6-2 on the red clay of Rome and 6-3, 6-2 on the indoor hard courts of the Paris Masters.
That being said, Etcheverry recently surged into relevance on the ATP Tour and is only getting better and better. The 32nd-ranked Argentine’s 2023 breakthrough included a French Open quarterfinal run and he is once again stepping up to the plate at a Grand Slam. In the first two rounds Etcheverry did not drop a single set against veterans Andy Murray and Gael Monfils, powering his way to respective wins of 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 and 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Based on form at this tournament, Etcheverry has a real chance to take a set if not even two. However, at some point you have to think Djokovic will wake up and conserve energy in the later rounds with a more efficient performance.
Pick: Djokovic in 3
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(20) Adrian Mannarino vs. (16) Ben Shelton
It be an all-lefty affair when Shelton and Mannarino square off for the second time. Their only previous encounter came last spring at the Miami Masters, where Mannarino prevailed 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. The rematch promises to be a much different story. Although Shelton had already reached the Australian Open quarterfinals at the time they met last year, he was in the middle of a six-month slump and is an entirely different player now–more powerful and more consistent. Also a U.S. Open semifinalist, the 16th-ranked American is once again playing well on the big stage with Melbourne victories over Roberto Bautista Agut (in straight sets) and Christopher O’Connell (in a fourth-set tiebreaker).
Mannarino is also coming off the best season of his career–a much longer one than Shelton’s at 35 years old. The 19th-ranked Frenchman went 1-3 at the United Cup, but he has advanced this fortnight by beating both Stan Wawrinka and Jaume Munar in five sets. Playing 10 sets through two rounds is far from ideal, especially for a 35-year-old. Moreover, this is actually a bad matchup for Mannarino. His sliding lefty serve plays to Shelton’s strength, which is the forehand; Shelton’s out-wide serve and cross-court forehand play to Mannarino’s weakness–the forehand. Shelton lost focus a little bit when he was on the brink of a straight-set victory over O’Connell. If he can fix that on Friday, this should be a beatdown.
Pick: Shelton in 3
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