2016 Australian Open: What to watch on Day 7

The action at the 2016 Australian Open gets heated up as we enter the second week of the season’s first Slam. The fourth round throws up some highly entertaining match-ups that can see a few upsets happening.Which are the must-watch matches on Sunday? Here’s our pick:

#4 Indian interest

Paes and Hingis won the title last year as well

Defending mixed doubles champions Leander Paes and Martina Hingis begin their campaign against the British-Russian duo of Dominic Inglot and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Sunday. Rohan Bopanna will also be in action in mixed doubles alongside Yung-Jan Chan. The third seeds face the Australian pair of John Millman and Kimberly Birrell.

In men’s doubles, fourth seeds Bopanna and Florin Mergea will look to book a berth in the quarter-finals as they take on the 14th seeds Max Mirnyi and Treat Huey.

In the juniors, India’s Mihika Yadav will meet the 15th seed Katherine Sebov in the first round. She is also in girls’ doubles with Zhuoma Ni Ma of China and they face the second seeds Anna Kalinskaya and Tereza Mihalikova.

#3 (7) Kei Nishikori vs (9) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

7th seed Kei Nishikori leads rival Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in their past record

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won their most recent showdown at the 2015 French Open in five sets. But it is the seventh-seeded Kei Nishikori who leads the head-to-head record 4-2 and has won their last two hardcourt meetings.

Most importantly, the Japanese emerged victorious in their only Australian Open clash four years back which happened to be in the same round. And that was a five-setter as well.

When they face off on Sunday, it is logical to expect another long, gruelling match, full of brilliant shotmaking. For Nishikori, the Australian Open has been his most consistent Major for the last four years where he hasn’t lost before the fourth round since 2012. Tsonga too can call this Slam his most favourite after his runner-up finish in 2008, followed by a semi-final and two quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.

This is tough to call. Nishikori did not look as sharp as he did last year when he succumbed to Bernard Tomic at the Brisbane quarter-finals just two weeks back. It will be interesting to see how he responds under pressure this time.

#2 (10) Carla Suarez Navarro vs Daria Gavrilova

Australia's Daria Gavrilova has been on a giant-killing spree this Open

Despite being the higher-ranked player, Carla Suarez Navarro’s fans will be outnumbered and quite possibly, drowned by the Aussie deluge as they will turn up in large numbers to back the home hero, Daria Gavrilova.

The Russian-turned-Australian typically thrives on the vociferous support as she showed in her past three matches at the 2016 Australian Open. She has been a sensation this year and has knocked out the two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova and the 28th seed Kristina Mladenovic, the latter being in a marathon.

The 10th seeded Suarez Navarro has had a pretty decent draw so far and except the young Maria Sakkari in the second round, nobody has been able to test her. Gavrilova, on the other hand, is battle-hardened and will be tough to put away.

Is an upset on the cards here?

#1 (5) Maria Sharapova vs (12) Belinda Bencic

They have never met before and, as Maria Sharapova promised, she will surely meet the talented Belinda Bencic many times over in the future. And that can become quite a fascinating rivalry, with Sharapova’s power game clashing against Bencic’s variety.

The first glimpse of that rivalry will be on display at the Rod Laver Arena on Sunday where both the players have even chances to win the match. Bencic is growing in confidence with every victory and at 18, is very much a force to reckon with.

Mentored by Martina Hingis’ mother, Melanie Molitor, the young Swiss already has two WTA titles under her belt and has shown tremendous maturity. Will it be enough to defuse the fire of the former champion Sharapova, who already counts 600 career wins on her resume?