Australian Open Tennis 2016 Preview Week 2, Order of Play Schedule, Latest News: Defending Champs Remain Favorites
The Australian Open was rocked by gambling and match-fixing issues early on, but it looks like a good game of tennis will never be overshadowed by any kind of disturbing allegation. The tournament is currently in Week 2, and the drama and excitement are beginning to pile up. Is there going to be more upsets this week or will the favorites disappoint the underdogs once again?
The world No. 1 in men and women are ripping through competition like they're not humans. Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams will have their own "scary" moments, but they just end up beating their opponents the way they're expected to. The Serbian Djokovic is plotting the road to the finals, but he will eventually be facing the toughest opponent in the semifinals in the person of third seed Roger Federer. Now that's a matchup to look forward to!
For Williams, she'll eventually meet up with Maria Sharapova if everything goes as planned. While this matchup looks pretty competitive in paper, Williams actually has dominated the Russian beauty in majority of their previous matchups, so it's difficult to bet against her at this point.
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Meanwhile, Andy Murray is seeded second in this tournament, but his chances of winning it all are awkwardly put at risk, should his pregnant wife go into labor. That's because he previously stated he'll pull out once that happens in the middle of the tournament. The thing is he is the one most certain to reach the final since the other slot will be contested by Djokovic and Federer.
As for Williams' finals opponent (provided she gets through Sharapova), the likeliest and safest bet here is 14th seeded Victoria Azarenka. Unlike many seeded players, she had a lighter path heading into the next rounds. Her most formidable opponents in her bracket are gone, including third-seeded Garbine Muguruza and No. 2 Simona Halep. The only one she needs to take care is Madison Keys, who is seeded 15th in this tournament.
So, are we going to see upsets and surprises this week? Obviously, that's a yes. But there's no telling who's in and who's out until the week's done.
Here are the key matches for today (AusOpen.com)
Women's Singles - Round 4
Angelique Kerber (GER) [7] defeats Annika Beck (GER) 6-4 6-0
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [14] defeats Barbora Strycova (CZE) 6-2 6-4
Madison Keys (USA) [15] vs. Shuai Zhang (CHN)
Men's Singles - Round 4
Milos Raonic (CAN) [13] defeats Stan Wawrinka (SUI) [4] 6-4 6-3 5-7 4-6 6-3
