The final two men’s quarterfinal matches at the Australian Open will be settled on Wednesday. As always, we here at LWOT will share our thoughts on the matches. Who do you think will win? Predicting these matches are Jack Edward, Damian Kust, Yesh Ginsburg, and Shane Black.
Australian Open Men’s Quarterfinal Predictions
Tommy Paul vs Ben Shelton
Jack:
What an intriguing quarterfinal. It’s hard to root against Ben Shelton. He’s a winning machine at the moment (20 wins in his last 22 matches) with his style of play difficult for anyone to do anything against. In his last three matches, he’s been broken just once.
For all of the players that Shelton’s defeated, however, Tommy Paul is undoubtedly his toughest test yet. Paul is playing with unwavering confidence and will almost certainly make Shelton play a few more balls than he’s used to on serve. We’ll probably see Shelton break the top 30 within the year but, right now, it’s the older American’s time to shine.
Prediction: Paul in 4
Damian:
What a run Ben Shelton is having. After saving a match point against Zhizhen Zhang in the opening round, he’s done amazing to prove himself on the big stage. With his energy on the court and crowd interaction, he’ll probably be loved at every court on the planet. Paul’s quarterfinal has been achieved in a different manner, but very much something the American has gotten us used to – a little under the radar, no huge wins, but with flashes of real quality. Shelton’s got the higher upside, but we once again have to wonder whether he won’t crack at some point. So far, he’s been far from that.
Prediction: Shelton in 5
Yesh:
The Ben Shelton serve is just monstrous right now. There’s a lot to love about Tommy Paul’s game, and maybe he can follow J.J. Wolf’s footsteps and win tiebreaks against the NCAA champion. But Paul’s not getting that Shelton serve back enough to break his compatriot, so Shelton has a clear advantage here.
Prediction: Shelton in 4
Shane:
Two improbable Australian Open runs come to a head as Americans Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton square off. Despite this being both players’ first Slam quarterfinal, I do not believe nerves will play a factor. These are two guys playing with a lot of confidence and trust in their respective games. Shelton’s serve has been his x-factor in Melbourne. The 20-year-old has been broken just once in his last three matches. However, I believe Paul can put enough pressure on the Shelton serve and force him to crack.
Prediction: Paul in 4
Novak Djokovic vs Andrey Rublev
Jack:
Let’s take a look at the overwhelming array of statistics:
1. Novak Djokovic has won the Australian Open nine times.
2. Andrey Rublev is 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinals.
3. Novak Djokovic is on a 38-match win-streak in Australia.
4. Andrey Rublev is 0-6 against former Grand Slam champions in Grand Slams.
5. Djokovic is 2-1 in their head-to-head but 2-0 on hard courts, losing five games in both matches.
Djokovic has the match-up edge, the mental edge at this stage of a Slam and the home-court advantage. With the Serb unhampered by his injury in the previous round and with all the pressure on Rublev to go one further at a major, the Russian’s one-dimensionality will be exposed.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Damian:
If the hamstring concerns are gone, then we’re back to Djokovic being so much better than the rest of the field. That includes Rublev, who’s been doing fine in this event, surviving two match points against Rune in the previous round. Usually in this matchup, everything looks the same. The Russian’s backhand holds up for a few games until it doesn’t. It’s going to be very hard for him to break out of these unfavorable patterns against Djokovic, especially if the Serbian is playing like on Monday against de Minaur.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Yesh:
Djokovic is a better player, likes these courts better, and usually dominates Rublev when they meet. It’s hard to see this being close.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Shane:
Despite an injury to his left quad, Novak Djokovic has looked nearly unbeatable in Melbourne. He has dropped just one set and is playing with free-flowing aggression that is tough to combat. The odds are stacked against Andrey Rublev. He is 1-2 against Djokovic and holds a 0-6 record in Slam quarterfinals. Rublev should be able to move the Serb around, but Djokovic will be able to target the Rublev backhand successfully.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Main Photo from Getty.
