After per 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 — establishing an thrilling slate of Spherical of 8 ties.
Right here, we rank the 4 quarterfinals by way of 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 and 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 important 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 received their solely encounter on onerous 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 received 18 consecutive hard-court major matches, courting again to final yr’s Australian Open and U.S. Open. As such, he is the overwhelming favourite to repeat at Melbourne Park. Standing in his method 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 may have the group behind him at Rod Laver Enviornment, it is onerous 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 in opposition to Sinner is the undisclosed illness that almost value him within the fourth spherical.
No.2
Second-seeded Alexander Zverev versus Twelfth-seeded Tommy Paul
Recent off a profession yr (69-21), Zverev is primed to end his near-decade-long look forward to a serious title. Precisely a yr in the past, he choked within the fifth set in opposition to Medvedev to be denied his first Australian Open finals look. He would comply with 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 would not must deal with Fritz this time, one other American, World No. 12 Paul, stands in his method. Paul owns a 2-0 career head-to-head report 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 an in depth affair.
No. 1
Third-seeded Carlos Alcaraz versus seventh-seeded Novak Djokovic
This was a straightforward alternative. After shedding in back-to-back Wimbledon finals to Alcaraz, Djokovic bought some revenge of their gold-medal match finally yr’s Paris Olympics. The Serb owns a 2-0 report of their solely two hardcourt matchups and a 4-3 advantage total. It is price noting that every 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 sometimes happen deeper within the draw; Djokovic’s choice 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 report for many Australian Open titles with 10.
