As the fourth round gets underway, we’re approaching the business end of the Australian Open and every player left in the draw will surely be dreaming of Grand Slam glory. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including the men’s singles action, but who will book their spot in the quarterfinals?
Australian Open Day 8 Predictions
Aryna Sabalenka vs Amanda Anisimova
Jack: If you don’t bring weapons to a battle with Aryna Sabalenka at the Aussie Open, you’ll get crushed (see Sabalenka’s last match against Lesia Tsurenko). Fortunately, Amanda Anisimova packs heaps of power, especially in her fantastic return timing. I still think Sabalenka will be up to the task, however. The world #2 should get enough looks on return to see herself through given how well she’s seeing the ball at the moment.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Jordan: Sabalenka usually dominates her early round matches at Grand Slams, but her 6-0 6-0 demolition of Lesia Tsurenko was a shock even by her standards. Anisimova has already had an amazing tournament on her comeback to tennis, and has nothing to lose here. The American’s flat hitting should make this more competitive than Sabalenka’s last match, but the defending champion will still prevail in straight sets.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Damian: Sabalenka trails the head-to-head 1-4 which is a surprising, but they haven’t played since the world #2 became a truly elite player. Anisimova is just coming back to the tour and while she lost to Marie Bouzkova winning just one game in the warm-up swing, here she’s firing on all cylinders. Toughest test yet for Sabalenka at the Australian Open, but is her opponent really prepared for a win like that?
Prediction: Sabalenka in 3
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Barbora Krejcikova vs Mirra Andreeva
Jack: Barbora Krejcikova’s done well to get to the fourth round because there are still cracks in her game that weren’t there at the start of 2023. She’ll have plenty of ways of moving Mirra Andreeva around the court but the 16-year-old won’t be disrupted. If there’s any lack of confidence, the prodigy will dig into that.
Prediction: Andreeva in 2
Jordan: Andreeva’s comeback from 5-1 and match point down in the last round against Diane Parry was another incredible moment in this year’s Australian Open. Krejcikova also came back from a set down in impressive style against Storm Hunter and a vocal home crowd. The 16-year-old beat the 2021 French Open champion for the loss of just four games in Beijing last year. Yet, my instinct is telling me that the experience and craftiness of Krejcikova might edge this. Refocusing after her last match is another test for the teenage sensation Andreeva.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 3
Damian: Andreeva defeated Krejcikova 6-2 6-2 in Beijing last year and seems to have a pretty solid matchup against her with how complete her skillset is. After demolishing Ons Jabeur, she had to display a lot of mental fortitude to come through Diane Parry. She’s just 16 and still learning how to play this sport at the pro level, but she’s already better than Krejcikova right now.
Prediction: Andreeva in 3
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Coco Gauff vs Magdalena Frech
Jack: This is a bit of a dream fourth round for Coco Gauff. She does everything Magdalena Frech can do but better and she hasn’t missed a beat since the start of the tournament. The Pole has had a great run but last year’s US Open champion marches on.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Jordan: It has already been a great run for Frech. She beat Daria Saville, Caroline Garcia and had a great comeback against Anastasia Zakharova. But the Pole is unlikely to majorly trouble the US Open champion. Gauff has looked strong in her opening three matches, and does all parts of the game better than Frech.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Damian: Frech did okay against Garcia with all the reactive play and how she was able to move the Frenchwoman whenever an opportunity presented itself. However, this is a very different matchup. Her game is still very basic and when she has to create play herself, the strokes just don’t hold up. I don’t really know what the path to victory would be for her.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
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Marta Kostyuk vs Maria Timofeeva
Jack: The draw has opened up and Marta Kostyuk has taken advantage so far. She’s always had the talent to make it deep in tournaments but the self belief just hasn’t shown in the biggest moments. I think she’ll genuinely believe this is her moment against Maria Timofeeva. It’ll be close in class Kostyuk style but the Ukrainian will step up.
Prediction: Kostyuk in 3
Jordan: Kostyuk came back impressively against Elina Avanesyan. The Ukrainian is a great competitor, but I am going with Timofeeva’s dream run to continue. She came through qualifying, but has now beaten Caroline Wozniacki and Beatriz Haddad Maia in the last two rounds. How strong she stayed in the big points against a player as mentally tough as Haddad Maia was particularly impressive. Timofeeva to do that again here.
Prediction: Timofeeva in 2
Damian: This isn’t going to be a tie heavily promoted by the tournament or the media, but it should be a lot of fun. Timofeeva recapturing the magic from Budapest last year and showing she’s a proper prospect too, while Kostyuk has a perfect opportunity to reach a milestone here and make the quarterfinals of a Slam after many third-round (one fourth-round) exits over the years. Let’s side with the more experienced player.
Prediction: Kostyuk in 3
Main photo credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
