Quarter-Final Preview

By Chris Davies
January 24 2005

With the Australian Open nearing it's conclusion and the Quarter-Finals held Tuesday and Wednesday, we preview the match ups and predict who will be the victor and advance into the Semi-Finals

(5) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) v (4) Maria Sharapova (RUS)

The Grand Slam winners of last years US Open and Wimbledon tournament meet for the first time since the WTA Tour Championships where Sharapova easily beat her compatriot. But the older Russian leads their head-to-head 2 - 1 and won their only 3 set match which could become a slight mental edge for her. This time round it's different mentally for both players, for Kuznetsova who has been dogged all week by drugs controversy and Sharapova who has been booed by the Australian crowd for her grunting and over confident behaviour on court. This match should become a classic with some brilliant winners and long hard fought battles and does count on who is up for the challenge the most and who is willing to chase down a lot of balls and also gamble.

Kuznetsova is the more powerful and strongly built than Sharapova but she makes up for it in her athlecticism and brilliant movement around the court. One huge weakness that Svetlana make use to her advantage is Sharapova is not the best at the net and does not play up the court that often, so she may bring Sharapova up court and force some errors. They both have huge serves and fantastic placement of the ball which will be tough to return and break without a bit of a gamble and stamping authority on the service games.

The Wimbledon champion has not had a brilliant season opening struggling against Lynsdey Lee-Waters in 3 sets and then Silvia Farina Elia in the last round and will need to hit top gear to oust her compatriot. The US Open champion has had a fairly easier ride beating Bartoli, Diaz-Olivia and Douchevina in straight sets.

Sharapova wins in 3 sets!


(7) Serena Williams (USA) v (2) Amelie Mauresmo (FRA)

This is a repeat of the Wimbledon and WTA Tour Championships Semi-Final but will this have the same outcome with Williams coming out on top. It's not good for the Frenchwoman has she has only beaten Williams once in their 9 meetings but came close in the last two majors where they met. Serena is the tournament favourite but not the crowd favourite in this clash especially after her huge outbust against Nadia Petrova in the last round which unsettled her for much of the match.

Eventhough Serena has slipped down the rankings her game is starting to pick up at the right time and her serve is in tremendous form sending a message to the rest of the field, and something that Mauresmo will need to be aware of. Amelie has had a quiet time in Melbourne easily overcoming the youngsters in her round with Safina taking her to 3 sets in the second round. But she did aggrevate her leg injury during her last round clash against Linetskaya.

These pair are extremely fit and athletic around the court, both with good groundstrokes and Mauresmo is superb up at the net with the finese that Williams still lacks. Mentally this is huge for both realistically has Mauresmo with no majors under her belt and Serena not winning a major since Wimbledon 2003 so depends on how much determination and motivation they have to outgun the opponent.

(1) Linsday Davenport (USA) v (10) Alicia Molik

This will hopefully be a cracking match has it has all the formulas to become one of the best clashes for a few years. Both with huge serves and both with great height advantages over their players and have great power from all over the court. Davenport will be wary of what Molik is able to do and may have watched her closely to over the last few weeks and get some preparation ready for this big occassion. Molik has had a tremendous last few months and has been catapulated into the higher list of tennis players who actually have a chance of claiming a Grand Slam title when this time last year nobody would have even put her has an outsider, but now is totally different.

The 10th seed has grown with confidence and it shows in her game but Davenport's game can knock all that confidence out if the American plays above her capability. One thing Lindsay will be aware of is that she is in Australia and playing Australia's sweetheart of the moment but everybody loves Davenport has she is such a genuine and loveable person.

Be prepared for big winners, big serves and some fierce hitting from the back of the court. Neither are the fastest on the court but Molik will be stepping up into court and play a few volleys now and then which will catch Davenport off guard. These pair are the giants of the game and will be gunning each other out from the baseline and service areas with the match being decided on shots going long or wide due to the extreme pressure they will both be under.

Molik has no experience of Grand Slam quarter-finals and nerves could just sneak in and destroy her ability to play her shots. Whereas Davenport has been there lots of times and knows how to play off the nerves and will not want a repeat of that extremely long match last year against Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Davenport in 3 tight sets!

(12) Patty Schnyder (SUI) v (19) Nathalie Dechy (FRA)

After the triumphs of these pair which coincidently stopped a possible Russian all-final sweep, with Schnyder coming back from a set and 4-0 down to beat Dementieva and Dechy crushing Myskina they both deserve to be here. Patty a semi-finalist last year will be looking at clinching another berth against an opponent who has never been to this stage in her career. Dechy who has a good all round game will need to be on top form as the Swiss has played extremely well throughout the tournament to get to this stage.

The left-hander who has beaten Fedak, Spears, Kraijeck and Dementieva should be tricky to beat and oozing with confidence but will be knowledgeable of the challenge the the Frenchwoman possesses. And will also know that they have a 2 - 2 head-to-head record and last played in the 4th round of last years Australian Open, where Schnyder won in straight sets.

History will probably repeat itself but Dechy is more than capable of claiming a semi-final berth but the nerves on her part will play a factor, how big we don't know. People will already be thinking that whoever wins the other quarter-final against Davenport and Molik will advance to the final no matter who wins this clash, but both can beat top-ranked players has already shown this week.

Schnyder in straight sets!