Before each day's play Down Under, TENNIS.com editor Ed McGrogan will pick his three must-see matches.
Janko Tipsarevic vs. Fernando Verdasco [9] (Hisense Arena, second match)
—Tipsarevic leads head-to-head 2-1
Fabulous second-rounder. Tipsarevic beat Verdasco here in 2008, also in round two. The Serb proved to me last season that he's a big-match player; he beat Andy Roddick on Ashe in the second round of the U.S. Open and won two singles rubbers in the Davis Cup semis. He didn't have much trouble with his first match Down Under, a 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 decision over Mischa Zverev. The key for Tipsarevic will be to hit through the ball, not to engage Verdasco in rallies. That's where the Spaniard could take over, by running Tipsarevic around with his heavy-spinning forehands. Although an upset isn't out of the question, I'll side with Verdasco, who reached the semis here in 2009. He hasn't scaled those heights since, but he's been pretty reliable in the early rounds of Slams.
The pick: Verdasco in four sets.
Rebecca Marino vs. Francesca Schiavone [6] (Margaret Court Arena, third match)
Through the tennis grapevine I've heard that Marino has a pretty good serve. I'd love to see it, but she'll probably need to be on the verge of an upset for this match to receive any television coverage. Both women advanced to the second round with three-set wins, a stat that should be of greater concern the higher-ranked Schiavone. If Marino can get Schiavone out of rhythm—the Italian thrives on feel—she could take down the No. 6 seed. How can she most easily do that? With her serve, of course. Of course, there's also something called nerve, and Schiavone has a major edge in that category.
The pick: Schiavone in three sets.
Viktor Troicki [29] vs. Nicolas Mahut (Court 18, third match)
—First career meeting
Whoever decided that this match be played on Court 18 is a genius. It was there, at the All England Club, that we watched Mahut serve, volley and dive for three days in the longest match of all time (the LMOAT). Mahut has won four matches here already, three in the qualifying draw. If he can get by Troicki, he'll be in the spotlight again, facing Novak Djokovic in Rod Laver Arena. That should be quite the incentive for the Serb, too. He did away with Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 and looks to be in fine form.
The pick: Troicki in five sets.