Day 8 was a shocker of a day for my predictions as Tsonga, Jankovic and Sharapova all departed this year’s Australian Open.  On a positive note, I did correctly predict that Azarenka would beat Sloane in two sets despite all the media hype around that match.  The match-ups each day are continuing to look more and more appealing and Day 9 looks great, finishing off with a Djokovic-Wawrinka clash…

Poll Results: 79% of people correctly went for Azarenka to beat Stephens, 44% had Halep defeating Jankovic and in the closest of Day 8’s polls, 53% correctly sided with Federer over Tsonga.

TFF DreamTeam Update: AO-EK remains top with lfc in 2nd place and woo in 3rd.

1. Novak Djokovic v Stanislas Wawrinka

Novak Djokovic

Most tennis fans are salivating at the prospect of an AO rematch between Novak Djokovic and Stanislas Wawrinka.  Last year, the pair fought out a truly sensational match on Rod Laver Arena, which Djokovic won, 1-6 7-5 6-4 6-7(5) 12-10 in a match that finished at 1.41am local time (see the match point below).  Wawrinka played the match of his life, arrowing backhand winners and showing a newly discovered mentality that he could belong with the best players.  Djokovic though, would not give up his title and his elastic limbs and remarkable defence saw him survive a truly epic encounter.  It is very possible that this match could be an anticlimax although their routes through the tournament have been encouraging enough to suggest this will be another great match.

Djokovic has been excellent so far this week and overcame Fabio Fognini, 6-3 6-0 6-2 in the 4th round.  Wawrinka was tested by Tommy Robredo in an entertaining fourth round match, but showed his quality in two tiebreaks and came through in straight sets, 6-3 7-6(3) 7-6(5).  Along with their AO clash last year, Djokovic and Wawrinka also played a five setter at the US Open, which Djokovic won and then back-to-back matches in Paris and at the World Tour Finals.  Djokovic won both those matches in straight sets.  In their first clash of 2014, I fancy Wawrinka to win a set; he’s played a really solid tournament so far and all the signs are there that 2013 was not a flash in the pan and he’s ready to go fishing even higher in the rankings.  Fingers crossed the pair can produce another stunner.

Prediction: Djokovic to beat Wawrinka in 4 sets

2. Ana Ivanovic v Eugenie Bouchard

Ana Ivanovic

I am still trying to process the fact that Ana Ivanovic beat Serena Williams.  Injury aside for Serena, Ivanovic showed real character to recover from losing the first set to take out the number one seed, 4-6 6-3 6-3.  This has completely opened up the top half of the draw and paved the way for a quarter-final with Eugenie Bouchard, which is a very attractive looking match-up. Bouchard reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final with a tough victory over Casey Dellacqua, 6-7(5) 6-2 6-0.  Truth be told, I thought Bouchard was poor for the first two sets and it was only her ability to dig in and stay focused that got her the win.  Her draw has been paper thin, much like Sloane’s last year, but she has beaten the players in front of her and that is all she could do.

Ivanovic and Bouchard met during last year’s Wimbledon.  Their match was moved at short notice to Centre Court when Victoria Azarenka withdrew from the tournament.  Bouchard won the match in straight sets, 6-3 6-3 showing maturity beyond her years.  It’s possible that Ivanovic could have a come down after her win against Serena, but what is certain is that there is bound to be plenty of pressure with a Grand Slam semi-final looming.  Ivanovic has knocked out the top seed and I think on paper, she is expected to win this.  Bouchard has had a fantastic tournament, better than she could have imagined and can really go out there and swing freely.  I honestly am 50-50 with this match.  I keep coming back to Bouchard’s mentality though and am going for another win to send the GenieArmy crazy!

Prediction: Bouchard to beat Ivanovic in 3 sets

3. David Ferrer v Tomas Berdych

Tomas Berdych

I lamented the quality of the third quarter before the tournament began, but the seedings have held up convincingly.  I was close to going for a quarter-final between Ivo Karlovic and Florian Mayer before common sense prevailed.  Berdych hasn’t lost a set although let’s face it, the level of his opponents hasn’t been of a particularly high quality as he has played three players outside of the top 75 and his pigeon.  Berdych extended his ridiculous head-to-head lead over Kevin Anderson to 10 wins in the last two years.  Admittedly, Anderson would have been tired after some long matches earlier in the week.  Ferrer was unspectacular in both Doha and Auckland, but here he is sitting pretty in another Grand Slam quarter-final.  He has dropped sets to Adrian Mannarino and Florian Mayer, but generally speaking, been the rock of consistency.

Ferrer leads the head-to-head by 7 wins to 4.  Berdych beat a tired Ferrer at the World Tour Finals last year, meanwhile Ferrer won a three setter the week before in Paris.  Berdych will have to play to a very high level to rival Ferrer over this, a best of five set match.  He hasn’t been challenged during the tournament unlike Ferrer, whose progression has been more defined in the sense his opponents have been tougher each round and he has improved match-by-match.  Rather surprisingly, they have never played in a Grand Slam before.  I fancy Ferrer to reach a third Australian Open semi-final because I still don’t have a great deal of belief behind Berdych in the big matches.

Prediction: Ferrer to beat Berdych in 4 sets

4. Na Li v Flavia Pennetta

Flavia Pennetta

Who would have thought it that Flavia Pennetta would start peaking for the slams?! I am really shocked to see her in the quarter-finals having retired hurt from the Hopman Cup and then withdraw from Hobart with a worrying sounding wrist complaint, an injury that kept her off the tour for some time in 2012.  She had a fabulous win over Angelique Kerber in the 4th round, 6-1 4-6 7-5.  A few people on Twitter have remarked that Pennetta played a flawless opening set.  Once again, Kerber lost out in the 4th round of a Slam and was unable to come through one of these tough matches.  Pennetta meanwhile, lives on and gets a shot at Na Li in the quarter-finals.

Li destroyed the Bourne GOAT, Ekaterina Makarova, 6-2 6-0 as she firmly put her marker down for the title.  Li was pushed all the way by Lucie Safarova in the third round, coming within a point from heading home.  I feel that Li has had her scare now and her eyes are firmly on the title.  Li and Pennetta are tied at 2-2 in their head-to-head, but I wouldn’t take much notice from it as they haven’t played since 2010.  Pennetta has done great and her ranking is going to bloom again after her semi-final run at Flushing Meadows last year.  Li though, is going to be a terribly difficult competitor to break down.

Prediction: Li to beat Pennetta in 2 sets