By Tony Fairbairn
- Carlos Alcaraz [2] v Alexander Zverev [6]
- Qinwen Zheng [12] v Anna Kalinskaya
- Daniil Medvedev [3] v Hubert Hurkacz [9]
- Linda Noskova v Dayana Yastremska [Q]
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev look to continue their bid for a maiden Australian Open title as they take on tough quarter-final tests on day eleven in Melbourne.
Carlos Alcaraz [2] v Alexander Zverev [6] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Carlos Alcaraz [2] v Alexander Zverev [6] | H2H: Zverev leads 4-3 |
| Australian Open 2024 | Melbourne, Australia |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $600,000 |
| Fourth on Rod Laver Arena (09:45 GMT) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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Carlos Alcaraz is into his first Australian Open quarter-final after continuing his dominant form by only dropping eight games against Miomir Kecmanovic. The Spaniard has played some scintillating tennis as he looks to capture his third Grand Slam title in Melbourne. There is a similarity with his run at Wimbledon which saw him win the title which is, Alcaraz is under the radar in Melbourne as Novak Djokovic is firm favourite here in Melbourne which could motivate the Spaniard to elevate his game. Now Alcaraz looks to reach the semi-finals as he continues his path to greatness.
Before thinking about the final, Alcaraz will need to overcome one of the players he has struggled to beat at Grand Slams in the form of Alexander Zverev. Another five set epic for Zverev as he defeated an aggressive Cameron Norrie in a fifth set tiebreak to reach another Grand Slam quarter-final. The German always manages to find a way to win at Grand Slams with a mixture of power and depth seeing him become the middle ground between passive and aggressive. However getting to Grand Slam semi-finals has always been a struggle for Zverev as a big victory in Melbourne would see him participate in a seventh Grand Slam semi-final and a second in Melbourne.
Alcaraz will aim to be proactive on serve as he looks to be aggressive on the forehand and use the drop shots to make Zverev run. Meanwhile Zverev will look to use depth as he hopes to make this match a war of attrition. This will be a match between two confident players at this stage of a Grand Slam and two players who are at the top of their game. However Alcaraz’s depth in quality, power and precision should be too much for Zverev with the German being too error-prone at times throughout this tournament.
Prediction: Alcaraz in four sets.
Qinwen Zheng [12] v Anna Kalinskaya H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Qinwen Zheng [12] v Anna Kalinskaya | H2H: Kalinskaya leads 1-0 |
| Australian Open 2024 | Melbourne, Australia |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $600,000 |
| Third on Rod Laver Arena (Not before 08:15 GMT) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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Qinwen Zheng’s hard work is finally paying off as she is now the favourite to reach her first Grand Slam final. The 12th seed had a tremendous end to the year last year having won the Asian Games as well as Zhengzhou and now the 21 year-old is living up to her potential. An athletic game mixed with raw power from the baseline, Zheng has given multiple top players a tough time over the last few years and is now looking to carry that form into the latter stages of a Grand Slam. However Zheng now has to deal with a different pressure as she is expected to get to the final, how will she deal with the nerves?
Next for Zheng is Anna Kalinskaya who has continued her form from the Challenger events into the Australian Open. Heading into Melbourne, Kalinskaya had never gone beyond the second round at a Grand Slam but now finds herself into a quarter-final having produced consistent yet effective power from the baseline. Having beaten former Grand Slam champion Sloane Stephens earlier in the tournament, Kalinskaya’s game has continued to grow in confidence as she now looks to achieve another big milestone in Melbourne.
Zheng will look to use the angles as well as a variety of paces and lengths of shot to force errors from Kalinskaya’s game. Meanwhile Kalinskaya will look to turn defence into attack from the baseline as she looks to open up space in the court with the backhand and hit easy winners. This will be a tough test for Zheng as this match will test her character and mental strength. However the 12th seed has the quality and determination to overcome a big test and reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.
Prediction: Zheng in three sets.
 |
Daniil Medvedev [3] v Hubert Hurkacz [9] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Daniil Medvedev [3] v Hubert Hurkacz [9] | H2H: Hurkacz leads 3-2 |
| Australian Open 2024 | Melbourne, Australia |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $600,000 |
| Second on Rod Laver Arena (Not before 02:30 GMT) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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A lapse of concentration in the third set couldn’t slow Daniil Medvedev down as the former finalist was too strong for Nuno Borges. That means that Medvedev is into a ninth Grand Slam quarter-final as he sets his sights on a maiden Australian Open title. Medvedev is another player that is going under the radar, which can prove to be a dangerous thing for the rest of the field as the US Open proved. Now Medvedev will look to back up his claims of being a ‘hard court specialist’ as he searches for a third semi-final in Melbourne.
Tougher tests await in the quarter-finals for Medvedev as the third seed takes on Hubert Hurkacz. After a tough five set contest against Jakub Mensik, Hurkacz has turned on the style as his clutch serving was too good for Arthur Cazaux in the fourth round. The ninth seed is one of the toughest players to play as he serves consistently to a high level as he always tests the world’s best players at the Grand Slams. Now Hurkacz will look to beat Medvedev for a second time at a Grand Slam as he aims to be in his first semi-final at the Australian Open.
Medvedev will look to maintain depth from the baseline as he looks for forehand power to prevent Hurkacz from implementing his power game at the net. Meanwhile Hurkacz will look to rush Medvedev with consistent serving as he looks to use angles to force Medvedev out of the court and then approaching the net to finish points off efficiently. This will be a tough match with another five set contest expected between too consistent players. In the end return will beat serve as Medvedev’s Australian Open dream will continue.
Prediction: Medvedev in five sets.
Linda Noskova v Dayana Yastremska [Q] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Linda Noskova v Dayana Yastremska [Q] | H2H: First Meeting |
| Australian Open 2024 | Melbourne, Australia |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $600,000 |
| First on Rod Laver Arena (01:00 GMT) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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The conveyer belt of Czech Republican talent continues to expand and Linda Noskova is edging towards the top of that talent. The world number 50 made her breakthrough in Australia last year when she reached the Adelaide final and now a year later is into her first Grand Slam quarter-final at the age of 19. Now Noskova will believe she can go all the way as her baseline power has seen her knock out world number one Iga Swiatek as well as compatriot Marie Bouzkova as she searches for more history in Melbourne.
Standing in Noskova’s way of the semi-final is qualifier Dayana Yastremska after the Ukrainian stunned former champion Victoria Azarenka. After serving a provisional suspension in 2021, Yastremska has struggled to recover he ranking with the Ukrainian having to battle her way through the lower ranks of the tour. However Yastremska has done just that with great character and now finds herself in a first Grand Slam quarter-final as she looks to climb the WTA rankings.
Noskova will look to wait for opportunities to arrive as she will aim to hit deep shots to force Yastremska into errors and also creating short balls in order for Yastremska to over-commit, allowing Noskova to turn defence into attack. Meanwhile Yastremska will look to be consistent on serve as she aims to be consistent on serve and return, giving Noskova no easy opportunities. This is a huge opportunity for both players and a chance to see who can handle their nerves better. In the end Noskova’s tactical quality should prevail in a very tense quarter-final match.
Prediction: Noskova in three sets.
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