Before each day's play Down Under, TENNIS.com editor Ed McGrogan will pick his three must-see matches.
Juan Martin del Potro vs. Marcos Baghdatis [21] (Rod Laver Arena, second night match)
—Del Potro leads head-to-head 1-0
I liked what I saw from del Potro in his first-round win over Dudi Sela: A relentless arsenal of forehands. Some of them went awry, but the big man continued to hit his biggest shot, which paid off. But is del Potro's tank already nearing empty? In Sydney he played a great three-setter against Feliciano Lopez, only to go down meekly two days later to Florian Mayer. Baghdatis will prove an even tougher test. The 2006 Australian Open finalist appears on the rise, but he struggled to beat Grega Zemlja in the opening round, requiring five sets. Baghdatis never makes it easy on himself, but he often wins. Still, I think del Potro, who clearly wants to regain his once-lethal form, has enough petrol left to win an entertaining battle.
The pick: Del Potro in four sets.
Bojana Jovanovski vs. Vera Zvonareva [2] (Hisense Arena, third match)
Hockey fans should recognize the Serb's last name, but tennis fans are only beginning to see it. Steve Tignor took a close look at Jovanovski earlier this week and liked what he saw. Hopefully we get a bit of this match in the States. Not just because I'd like to watch Jovanovski play, but because I don't expect her to be out there for very long. Against all logic, Zvonareva is a sleeper pick as the No. 2 seed, but her recent record at Slams, discounting finals, is flawless. Playing outside the spotlight against a rookie, Zvonareva should handle this hurdle and move on.
The pick: Zvonareva in two sets.
John Isner [20] vs. Radek Stepanek (Show Court 3, fourth match)
—Stepanek leads head-to-head 1-0
Stepanek's quirky game will be tough for Isner to handle. Isner's serves are difficult for anyone to handle. Expect each set to be won by a solitary break of serve. Fitness shoudn't play a part in this one—the games will breeze by—unless it's boiling in Melbourne. Or unless it goes 183 games. I don't think it will, so I like Isner in a close call.
The pick: Isner in five sets.