By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, January 24, 2016
Stan Wawrinka is 4-0 lifetime against Australian Open fourth-round opponent Milos Raonic.
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Each day we'll preview and predict results for several must-see Melbourne matches.
Monday's Order of Play is here.
Video: Roger Federer Goes Nuts Watching Maria Sharapova
Our Day 8 picks and previews are here.
Johanna Konta vs. (21) Ekaterina Makarova
Margaret Court Arena (Last match)
Head-to-head: Konta leads 1-0
An opportunity match for both women: Sydney-born Briton Konta is playing for her first Grand Slam quarterfinal; 2015 semifinalist Makarova is bidding for her fourth Australian Open quarterfinal.
The left-handed Russian loves Oz, she's beaten Serena Williams here, advanced to the 2014 doubles final and can use her curling serve to open the court for flat strikes. Makarova swept ninth-seeded Karolina Pliskova in the third round; Konta conquered eighth-seeded Venus Williams in the first round.
In their only prior meeting, Konta beat Makarova, 6-2, 6-4, on the grass of Eastbourne last summer.
"When you play players like (Makarova), it's not so much a forehand or backhand or a serve. They can hit all of it and they can hit all of it extremely well," Konta said. "I think it's just about being there, fighting hard, and trying to capitalize on the small chances you do get."
Makarova is solid in all areas of the game, but Konta is playing with confidence, she should have the crowd behind her and if she can play with the aggression she showed against Venus, she can prevail.
The Pick: Konta in three sets
(13) Milos Raonic vs. (4) Stan Wawrinka
Rod Laver Arena (Third match)
Head-to-head: Wawrinka leads 4-0
A clash of power players riding seven-match winning streaks who can both bruise the back wall with destructive serves.
Raonic leads the tournament in first-serve points won (85) percent and has been oppressive on serve. He hasn't dropped a set and has been broken just once in the tournament; Raonic has also faced tougher competition through three rounds.
Since dropping the first set to Raonic in the 2012 Cincinnati quarterfinals, Wawrinka has reeled off eight straight sets against the 25-year-old Canadian. Stan opened the season defending his Chennai title and he's spent the first week in Melbourne attacking the ball. The 2014 champion has not dropped a set, surrendering serve just twice.
Raonic showed a willingness to play all-court tennis defeating defending champion Roger Federer in the Brisbane final earlier this month. The world No. 14 has improved his backhand—he's more comfortable shifting spins between his two-hander and slice and he's driving it down the line with more confidence—but Wawrinka's sweeping one-hander is one of the most lethal strokes in the game.
Five of their nine sets have been decided in tie breaks; this may well be a tie break test. Wawrinka is a bit more versatile, he's thumping the ball with conviction and looks eager to reach his seventh straight Grand Slam quarterfinal.
The Pick: Wawrinka in five sets
(10) John Isner vs. (8) David Ferrer
Hisense Arena (Last match)
Head-to-head: Ferrer leads 6-1
A classic contrast between the big-serving Georgia bulldog and the unrelenting return of the Spanish pit bull.
Tournament ace leader Isner has blasted 101 aces through three matches; Ferrer has broken serve 14 times in three matches.
Defiance and anticipation enable Ferrer to defy physics. How else do you explain the 5-foot-9 Spaniard's ability to fend off the 6-foot-10 Isner's colossal kick serve that seems capable of leaping over the top of a telephone pole?
A sniper on return, Ferrer used his inside-out forehand to target the backhand of American Steve Johnson in a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 dress down. He will vary the depth and height of his inside-out forehand to torment Isner's weaker backhand wing. Ferrer drained Isner's legs and tied his stomach in knots in their last meeting.
It's vital for Isner to stay aggressive and not cede court positioning to Ferrer, whose footwork is so precise it looks choreographed. If Isner can sustain his tournament-best 76 percent first-serve percentage and attack enough to deny Ferrer rhythm, he's got a good shot to beat Ferrer for the first time since the 2011 Paris Indoors.
The best-of-five-set format favors the ultra-consistent Spaniard, Ferrer has breezed through three rounds without losing a set, he's been able to decode Long John's serve before and should advance to his sixth Oz Open quarterfinal.
The Pick: Ferrer in four sets