Before each day's play Down Under, TENNIS.com editor Ed McGrogan will pick his three must-see matches.
Justine Henin [11] vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova [23] (Rod Laver Arena, second day match)
—Henin leads head-to-head 16-2
A head-to-head record as one-sided as this would normally preclude a match from being "must-see." But you never know what to expect from Kuznetsova, a two-time major winner who's made a career out of unexpected surges. She's breezed through the first two rounds, and a victory over Henin, who's played just two tour matches since last summer, isn't improbable. Henin has also been formidable, playing four strong sets after opening her Open with a hiccup against Sania Mirza. She would be wise to mix speeds against Sveta to keep the Russian out of rhythm. A good serving day would also benefit Henin tremendously. It's a lot to ask in just her third match back, but a career's worth of evidence has shown that, more often than not, Henin will rise to the challenge.
The pick: Henin in two sets.
Viktor Troicki [29] vs. Novak Djokovic [3] (Hisense Arena, first day match)
—Djokovic leads head-to-head 6-1
Serbian fans will be forced to pick a side when their Davis Cup heroes square off for a spot in the fourth round. Troicki's Cup-clinching effort should springboard his career, but it's unlikely he'll reach the heights required to beat Djokovic tonight. The world No. 3 cemented his place just behind the Big Two with his run to last year's U.S. Open final. But before he rose from the dead against Roger Federer and gave Rafael Nadal a bit to worry about, he needed five sets to dismiss Troicki in the opening round. Given Djokovic's current form, just getting to a fifth set would be an accomplishment for the Serbian No. 2.
The pick: Djokovic in three sets.
Kei Nishkori vs. Fernando Verdasco [9] (Hisense Arena, first night match)
—First career meeting
A popcorn match, as Brad Gilbert would say. Speaking of Gilbert, he's recently become part of Nishikori's team, a move that tennis observers have almost universally endorsed. I also like Verdasco's decision a while back to work with Gil Reyes, whose dedication and fighting spirit has rubbed off on his pupil. Verdasco came from two sets down to beat Janko Tipsarevic in the second round, but he never had his game completely in sync. Both players can wallop the ball, but Verdasco is just a little better in almost all areas. For Nishikori to win, he'll need to play well—and hope Verdasco is still working out the kinks.
The pick: Verdasco in four sets.