After an epic five-setter, Stan Wawrinka will next face Taylor Fritz at the last Australian Open in Switzerland. Lorenzo Musetti will face tough Czech opponent 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 confrontation (2-1 in favor of Wawrinka) means little for the prediction. Wawrinka will play his final Australian Open, with the Swiss veteran retiring at the end of the 2026 season. He is ranked 139th in the world and has been plagued by knee and foot injuries. But never forget that he is a three-time Grand Slam champion at three different majors (French Open, US Open and Australian Open) during the Big 3 era.
Fritz will almost certainly win this match – in fact, he could do so with ease as Wawrinka comes off a five-set marathon. But the story here is all about the 40-year-old. And rightly so.
Cheryl’s pick: Fritz in 4
Ricky choice: Fritz in 3
(5) Lorenzo Musetti vs. Tomas Machac
If you have tickets for this match, you are probably in for some pure entertainment. There is not a piece of paper between these two players. Musetti is much higher in the rankings, but Machac recorded five solid wins in Adelaide last week to take the title. Musetti, for his part, made it to the final in Hong Kong, but ran into Alexander Bublik, the most popular player on tour at the moment. This would be a completely worthy quarter-final; to make it in the third round is a treat for everyone except Musetti and Machac.
I’m giving Musetti a slight edge, especially since Machac had to work extremely hard in his second round match against Stefanos Tsistipas. I just think the Italian will be a bit fresher for what promises to be a five-set thriller.
Cheryl’s pick: Musetti in 5
Ricky choice: Machac in 4
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