MATCHES TO WATCH ON DAY TEN OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN
*9-Rafael Nadal (ESP) v 3-Milos Raonic (CAN)
Just three of the men’s top 10 seeds are left in the Open and two of them meet in this marquee match-up. Nadal leads their meetings 6-2 but lost the most recent clash in three tight sets at the Brisbane International. The 2009 Open champion looked strong on Monday night against Gael Monfils, and Raonic looked less sure with his four-set defeat of Roberto Bautista Agut. The Canadian will need his serve in tip-top form to return to the last four at Melbourne Park.
*5-Karolina Pliskova (CZE) v Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO)
A first meeting between the pair at opposite ends of their tennis career, but not on different trajectories. Lucic-Baroni’s star is on the rise once more after a determined run at Melbourne Park – some 19 years since her last match win here. But it’s fifth seed Pliskova that has the potential to be a household name based on her performances this week. Barring a third-round aberration against Jelena Ostapenko, won 10-8 in the third set, Pliskova has been a wrecking ball and rightly a favourite to win the tournament.
*11-David Goffin (BEL) v 15-Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)
No player has more rankings points in the bag this year than Dimitrov, who has backed up his Brisbane win with super form at Melbourne Park. His late-night dismissal of Richard Gasquet was the pick of his wins so far, and the Bulgarian must be confident of a first slam semi final since Wimbledon 2014 when he faces Goffin. The Belgian isn’t without a chance – as his defeat of eighth seed Dominic Thiem showed – but has an 0-4 record against Dimitrov.
*9-Johanna Konta (GBR) v 2-Serena Williams (USA)
What potential this quarter-final has: the tour’s in-form player against arguably the best ever. It was here last year that Konta first burst on the scene, with a run to the semi-finals that preceded her best season on tour. Now her all-round game and gritty determination has many backing her for a maiden major. But only a fool writes off Williams, who hasn’t dropped a set this week and has avoided the fate that’s struck the rest of the big seeds.
