After every week of grueling motion, the lads’s quarterfinals are set on the 2025 Australian Open.
The primary week noticed top-ranked gamers akin to World. No. 4 Taylor Fritz, No. 5 Daniil Medvedev and No. 6 Casper Ruud undergo upset losses. Nonetheless, the top-three seeds and 10-time winner Novak Djokovic got here away unscathed — organising an thrilling slate of Spherical of 8 ties.
Right here, we rank the 4 quarterfinals when it comes to pleasure, stakes and up to date head-to-head information.
No. 4
Unseeded Lorenzo Sonego versus Twenty first-seeded Ben Shelton
The veteran Italian was the dream crusher of the primary week as he ousted Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien — a pair of promising teenagers — to clinch his first-ever main quarterfinal. Sonego will try to crush the goals of one other aspiring teen, Shelton, who’s a win away from his maiden Australian Open semifinal. The 22-year-old American hasn’t had an excellent run at slams since his 2023 U.S. Open final-four end. A win right here will do wonders for him to get his new season off in a blaze. The 2 males are 1-1 in career head-to-head however Shelton gained their solely encounter on laborious courts — on the 2022 Cincinnati Masters. Shelton is the favourite however Sonego appears to be a person on a mission.
No.3
Prime-seeded Jannik Sinner versus eighth-seeded Alex de Minaur
Sinner has gained 18 consecutive hard-court major matches, relationship again to final 12 months’s Australian Open and U.S. Open. As such, he is the overwhelming favourite to repeat at Melbourne Park. Standing in his approach is Australia’s De Minaur, one of many fastest-rising gamers on the Tour who made three consecutive QF appearances on the final three majors of 2024. Whereas De Minaur can have the gang behind him at Rod Laver Area, it is laborious to foresee him unseating Sinner, who owns a 9-0 head-to-head record. Of their newest clashes on the Davis Cup and ATP Finals, Sinner crushed the Aussie in straight units. The one factor working towards Sinner is the undisclosed illness that almost price him within the fourth spherical.
No.2
Second-seeded Alexander Zverev versus Twelfth-seeded Tommy Paul
Recent off a profession 12 months (69-21), Zverev is primed to end his near-decade-long anticipate a significant title. Precisely a 12 months in the past, he choked within the fifth set towards Medvedev to be denied his first Australian Open finals look. He would observe up that efficiency with a finals loss at Roland Garros and back-to-back losses to Fritz at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Whereas he does not need to cope with Fritz this time, one other American, World No. 12 Paul, stands in his approach. Paul owns a 2-0 career head-to-head file however each his wins got here earlier than the 2022 season. Zverev is a much-improved participant together with his decrease defensive stance and newfound aggression in volleys. This guarantees to be a detailed affair.
No. 1
Third-seeded Carlos Alcaraz versus seventh-seeded Novak Djokovic
This was a simple alternative. After dropping in back-to-back Wimbledon finals to Alcaraz, Djokovic obtained some revenge of their gold-medal match ultimately 12 months’s Paris Olympics. The Serb owns a 2-0 file of their solely two hardcourt matchups and a 4-3 advantage general. It is value noting that each one three of Alcaraz’s wins got here on both grass or clay, making Djokovic the favourite regardless of being the decrease seed. A match of this magnitude would usually happen deeper within the draw; Djokovic’s resolution to skip several year-ending occasions in 2024 dropped him to World No. 7. Alcaraz enters because the slight favourite, per ESPNBet, however this author is predicting a Djokovic victory. The Serb owns the file for many Australian Open titles with 10.
