Following an epic five-setter, Stan Wawrinka will next face Taylor Fritz in the final Australian Open in Switzerland. Lorenzo Musetti will face tough Czech Tomas Machac in the third round on Saturday.
(9) Taylor Fritz vs. (WC) Stan Wawrinka
This is one of those matches where the head to head (2-1 in favor of Wawrinka) means nothing to predict. Wawrinka is playing his final Australian Open, as the Swiss veteran will retire at the end of the 2026 season. Ranked 139th in the world, he is suffering from knee and foot injuries. But never forget that he is a three-time Grand Slam champion in three different majors (French Open, US Open, and Australian Open) during the Big 3.
Fritz will probably win this match – he may do so easily as Wawrinka is coming off a five-set run. But the story here is about a 40-year-old kid. And it should.
Cheryl chose: Fritz at 4
Ricky pick: Fritz at 3
(5) Lorenzo Musetti vs. Tomas Machac
If you have tickets for this show, you are probably in for a treat. There is no sheet of paper between these two players. Musetti is ranked highest, but Machac also hit five goals in Adelaide last week to clinch the title. On his own, Musetti reached the final in Hong Kong but ran into Alexander Bublik – the hottest player on tour right now. This would be a thoroughly deserved quarterfinal; getting it in the third round is exciting for everyone except Musetti and Machac.
I give Musetti a slight edge – mainly because Machac had to work hard in his second round match against Stefanos Tsistipas. I just think the Italian will be a bit new in what promises to be a five-set thriller.
Cheryl picks: Musetti at 5
Ricky pick: Machac at 4
