MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Jannik Sinner will face his trickiest test yet at the Australian Open when the defending champion battles Dane Holger Rune in the fourth round on Monday, while five-times Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek will be the heavy favourite against lucky loser Eva Lys.
Frenchman Gael Monfils will look to eliminate another American after shocking U.S. Open runner-up Taylor Fritz when the 38-year-old meets 21st seed Ben Shelton, who is 16 years his junior.
Home favourite Alex de Minaur is also in action against American Alex Michelsen while Learner Tien, the youngest man to reach the round of 16 at Melbourne Park since Rafa Nadal, faces Italian Lorenzo Sonego.
TOP MEN’S MATCH: SINNER V RUNE
Italian Sinner is tied at 2-2 in head-to-head meetings with Rune but has won their last two meetings.
The top seed, who is making his fourth appearance in the round of 16 at Melbourne Park, was not at his fluent best in beating unseeded American Marcos Giron in the previous round and the 23-year-old knows he will have to be better against Rune.
“We always had tough matches in the past. He is someone who can raise the level very, very high,” Sinner told reporters.
Rune had to dig deep to overcome unseeded Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the third round and knows must be close to perfect if he is to get past the world number one and book his place in the quarters at Melbourne Park for the first time.
TOP WOMEN’S MATCH: SWIATEK V LYS
Second seed Swiatek is on the hunt for a sixth Grand Slam title but it is a free swing for German Lys.
A late tournament addition following the withdrawal of Anna Kalinskaya, Kyiv-born Lys is the first lucky loser to book a place in the women’s last 16 at Melbourne Park.
Her fellow 23-year-old Swiatek has yet to drop a set in Melbourne having impressively outgunned 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in the third round.
“I feel much more fresh than for past two years. Even though it is beginning of the season, last two years I felt much more fatigue and a bit more stress,” said Swiatek, whose best result at the Australian Open was a semi-final run in 2022.
Swiatek strolled to a 6-1 6-1 win at the Stuttgart Open in 2022 in their only previous meeting but Lys is not overawed by the challenge against the Polish world number two.
“You never know what is going to happen in the match,” she said. “I will just try to keep my streak going, try to keep my spirit going. I’m just going to go out and enjoy it.”
AUSTRALIAN OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON MONDAY
Here is the order of play on the main showcourts on the ninth day of the Australian Open (prefix number denotes seeding):
ROD LAVER ARENA
Day session (0030 GMT/1130 AEDT)
Veronika Kudermetova (Russia) v 28-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine)
1-Jannik Sinner (Italy) v 13-Holger Rune (Denmark)
Night session (0800 GMT/1900 AEDT)
Eva Lys (Germany) v 2-Iga Swiatek (Poland)
Alex Michelsen (U.S.) v 8-Alex de Minaur (Australia)
MARGARET COURT ARENA
Day session (0030 GMT/1130 AEDT)
6-Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) v 19-Madison Keys (U.S.)
Gael Monfils (France) v 21-Ben Shelton (U.S.)
JOHN CAIN ARENA
Day session (0000 GMT/1100 AEDT)
Lorenzo Sonego (Italy) v Learner Tien (U.S.)
8-Emma Navarro (U.S.) v 9-Daria Kasatkina (Russia)
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
