The editors of TENNIS.com preview all eight Australian Open quarterfinals.
What Azarenka needs to do to win:
The No. 3 seed hits a heavier ball and will try to use her power to push Radwanska behind the baseline. Radwanska serve is the most vulnerable shot in this match, and Azarenka must make the Pole pay for shallow second offerings. If she does, there’s a good chance she’ll reach her second semifinal in the last three majors.
What Radwanska needs to do to win:
A smooth ball striker with excellent court sense, Radwanska must use her versatility, ability to alter pace, and soft hands around net to unsettle Azarenka. If Radwanska can keep Azarenka off balance by varying her speeds and spins, and force the occasionally power-starved Belarusian to generate her own pace, she can reach her first major semifinal.
The Pick:
Azarenka in three sets. She stumbled slightly closing out her fourth-round win, and has committed 18 double faults in four matches—third highest in the tournament—but Azarenka has beaten Radwanska in four of their last five meetings. If continues to strike her baseline blasts with conviction, she should score another win, her 10th straight overall.
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