We have arrived at Week 2 of the Australian Open, which gets underway on Sunday. Among those looking for spots in the quarterfinals are Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Tommy Paul.
Here are my previews and picks for Day 8 of the season’s first Grand Slam.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. (12) Tommy Paul
To say that it was a dramatic run to the second week for Davidovich Fokina would be a gross understatement. The 66th-ranked Spaniard won back-to-back five-set matches and did so from two sets down on both occasions. He beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in four hours and 51 minutes and then stunned Jakub Mensik after Mensik served for the match and led 6-5, 30-0 in the third set.
It doesn’t get any easier for ADF since he has to face Paul on Sunday. Paul has won all three of their previous meetings, two of which have been extremely convincing. The American has looked great since struggling against Christopher O’Connell in the opening round, as he raised his level to trounce Kei Nishikori and Roberto Carballes Baena in the next two matches. Paul should be able to continue his momentum at the expense of a fatigued opponent.
Pick: Paul in 4
(14) Ugo Humbert vs. (2) Alexander Zverev
Zverev and Humbert will be squaring off for the third time in their careers on Sunday. The head-to-head series stands at 2-1 in favor of Zverev after he destroyed Humbert 6-2, 6-2 in the Paris Masters final this past fall. They had split their two previous encounters; Humbert got the job done 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3 at the 2021 Halle event before Zverev prevailed 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-6(5) in another Paris contest two years ago.
An upper hand clearly goes to Zverev in this one, and it could be as lopsided as their recent Paris encounter. That’s just how well Zverev is still playing; the German hasn’t come close to dropping a set so far this fortnight. Moreover, Humbert took a medical timeout for a shoulder issue in his third-round match against fellow Frenchman Arthur Fils (Fils eventually retired in the fourth set). Count on Zverev rolling into the quarterfinals.
Pick: Zverev in 3
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.
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