Day eight at the Australian Open will see the bottom half of the men\u2019s draw battle for a place in the quarterfinals, with four of the world\u2019s top ten in action. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, with our panel of Jim Smith, Harsh Bhoot and Damian Kust making their picks. But who will reach the last eight?<\/p>\n
Jim: Casper Ruud has enjoyed a fine week in Melbourne, one that should stand him in good stead for the rest of the season. But it is hard to see him getting the better of Andrey Rublev. The Russian is in superb form and should be able to hit through Ruud from the baseline, despite the 22-year-old\u2019s fine court coverage.<\/p>\n
Prediction: Rublev in 3<\/em><\/p>\n Damian: Is Rublev ready to contend for a Grand Slam title?<\/a> It might be too early to tell but in the form, that he\u2019s in, anything is possible. Ruud has been improving his hard-court game and this fourth-round berth is a nice reward. But taking out Rublev would be a completely different story and his chances against the in-form Russian look very slim.<\/p>\n Prediction: Rublev in 3<\/em><\/p>\n Harsh: Rublev is in the form of his life and at the moment nothing seems like anything can stop him. He’s been playing the game the way he wants and that’s not good news for the rest of the field. The Russian can’t seem to lose and while Ruud is a great prospect, the Norwegian isn’t getting past the red-hot Russian.<\/p>\n Prediction: Rublev in 3
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