Jannik Sinner looks closer to defending his Australian Open title when he faces countryman Luciano Darderi on Monday. Fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti will also be playing with Taylor Fritz.
(2) Jannik Sinner vs. (22) Luciano Darderi
Normally there is little doubt about the outcome of Jannik Sinner’s fourth round play in the big game. World number 2 simply cannot lose early. Or, to put a fine point on it, he lost to none other than Carlos Alcaraz in the finals. However, this time there is some doubt. This is because in his third round match against Eliot Spizzirri, Sinner was maybe two minutes away from retirement. He was not feeling well because of the intense heat on Saturday and his whole body began to feel suffocated. He was saved from an unexpected exit by the overheating policy, which came into effect at the most important time of the game. So the question for Monday is: how will you recover?
Luciano Darderi scored a structured victory over Karen Khachanov in the third round. He’s playing well, but Sinner is the type of opponent that will find ways to win even if he’s not at 100%.
Cheryl choose: Sinner at 4
Ricky: Sinner in 3
(5) Lorenzo Musetti vs. (9) Taylor Fritz
This could be the best of a strong list of round of 16 games. In fact, if you’re going to watch, you’re going to want to settle in for the ride – because this is going to be a real battle. They are tied 3-3 in the head-to-head series, but Fritz has won both of their meetings on hard courts. Musetti’s form so far in Melbourne has had a better impact than Fritz’s, but that may be because the Italian had to perform well to get past Tomas Machac in the third round.
Fritz’s game is better suited to hard courts, while Musetti’s is more of a tactical touch. The Italian’s one-handed backhand, while lovely to watch, can be a weakness for a player like Fritz who has monster groundstrokes. I give the American a slight edge, but Musetti’s win would not surprise us.
Cheryl picks: Fritz at 5
Ricky pick: Musetti at 5
