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By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday January 16, 2024

 
Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic will face his toughest test yet on Saturday in Rod Laver Arena, in talented Czech Tomas Machac.

Photo Source: Mark Peterson/ Corleve

Day 6 of the Australian Open will feature third-round matchups for the top half on the women’s side and the bottom half on the men’s side.

Tennis Express

Here’s the schedule for the big showcourts:


And the full order of play is here:

Here’s what we’ll be keeping close tabs on…

Nole’s Biggest Test?

After moving through his first two rounds in four sets over Grand Slam debutants, 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic’s competition takes a step up on Day 6. The Grand Slam king will face 26th-seeded Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic, a rising talent that actually defeated Djokovic in their last meeting (on clay, in Geneva last May).




Djokovic will need a step up in quality in this night session tilt, as Machac has been in solid form in 2025, kicking off his season at United Cup, where he went 2-2 with wins over Flavio Cobolli and Hubert Hurkacz. The Serb has not been perfect in his first two matches, wins over Nishesh Basavareddy and Jaime Faria, but he has been good when he has needed to be.

Osaka and Bencic

For the first time since both talents became moms, Naomi Osaka and Belinda Bencic will meet for a spot in the round of 16 in Melbourne. There’s history here. It was Bencic who stopped Osaka in her first title defense at the US Open in 2019, in the fourth round. That was Bencic’s third consecutive win over Osaka, but the Japanese star improved to 2-3 against the Swiss in their last meeting, in the semifinals at Miami in 2022.




Their sixth meeting will be a great test for both. Osaka, in the second year of her comeback from maternity leave, owns the better Australian Open resume. She’s a two-time champion in Melbourne, while Bencic, who gave birth to her daughter last April, has been to the fourth round twice at the Happy Slam, but never beyond.

Gauff, Fernandez Meet Again

They locked horns at United Cup two weeks ago, and now the onus is on Leylah Fernandez to figure out how she can put up more resistance against red-hot Coco Gauff on Day 6 in the night session on Margaret Court Arena. The American has won 19 of her last 21 matches, dating back to her run to the Beijing title last year, and that includes her 6-3, 6-3 takedown of Fernandez during Team USA’s victory over Canada at United Cup.

30th-seeded Fernandez is bidding for her first Top-10 win at a major since she earned three on her way to the 2021 US Open final (over Naomi Osaka, Elina Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka), but red-hot Gauff will be tough to slow down – she appears to be an even better player than she was when she won her maiden major title at the US Open in 2023.

Other Notable Day 6 Clashes

19-year-old Jakub Mensik will bid for his first trip to the round of 16 at a major against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Kia Arena… Aryna Sabalenka will clash with Dane Clara Tauson in a match that will kick off the Rod Laver day session and feature jaw-dropping power… 36-year-old Laura Siegemund is the oldest player in the women’s draw. She shook up the draw by defeating 5th-seeded Zheng Qinwen on Day 4 and will set her sights on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Day 6… Ugo Humbert and Arthur Fils will contest what should be a thrilling all-French derby (last match on John Cain).

 

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