Sunday at the Australian Open is headlined by a highly anticipated showdown between Daniil Medvedev and Learner Tien. The winner will go up against either Alexander Zverev or Francisco Cerundolo in the quarterfinals.
(11) Daniil Medvedev vs. (25) Learner Tien
The rematch is on, as Medvedev and Tien will square off for a second consecutive year at the Australian Open — this time in the fourth round on Sunday. They faced each other in round two 12 months ago, when Tien pulled off a 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-7(8), 1-6, 7-6(10-7) upset in an instant classic. They met two more times last season, with Tien advancing via a third-set retirement in the Beijing semifinals before Medvedev prevailed 7-6(4), 6-7(1), 6-4 at the Shanghai Masters.
The 29-year-old Russian has given himself a chance for Aussie Open revenge, but it wasn’t easy. After making mostly quick work of Jesper de Jong and Quentin Halys, Medvedev trailed Fabian Marozsan by two sets and a break in the third on Friday. However, the three-time runner-up in Melbourne stormed back for a 6-7(5), 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, 6-3 victory. Tien needed five sets in his opening contest against Marcos Giron but picked up the pace to beat Alexander Shevchenko and Nuno Borges with ease. With both guys playing well, another five-set marathon could be in the cards. This time it may be Medvedev who has the edge, as the former world No. 1’s confidence has been restored and he can win more free points with his serve than Tien can in the pressure-packed moments.
Pick: Medvedev in 5
(3) Alexander Zverev vs. (18) Francsico Cerudolo
Zverev and Cerundolo are also familiar foes. Sunday marks their sixth meeting — four of which have taken place in the last 11 months. Cerundolo once led the head-to-head series 3-0, but the tide has turned. Zverev, whose losses have only come on clay, held a 6-4, 1-0 advantage when Cerundolo retired at the Toronto Masters and the German won 6-4, 7-6(3) at the Davis Cup Finals.
A hard court should once again favor Zverev, especially in Melbourne. The world No. 3 is 34-10 lifetime at this tournament with one runner-up result (last year), two semifinal showings, and one quarterfinal effort. So far this week he has dismissed Gabriel Diallo, Alexandre Muller, and Cameron Norrie all in four sets. Cerundolo has advanced with straight-set routs of Zhizhen Zhang, Damir Dzumhur, and Andrey Rublev. The 21st-ranked Argentine is always dangerous because he wields one of the biggest forehands on tour, but at Grand Slams he rarely manages to get over the hump against much higher-ranked opponents.
Pick: Zverev in 4