Australian Open Day 6 must-see matchups

MATCHES TO WATCH ON DAY SIX OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN:

* 18-Ashleigh Barty (AUS) v Naomi Osaka (JPN)

Another day, another power-hitter for Barty to play. Australia’s last remaining female contender overcame stern tests from Aryna Sabalenka and Camila Giorgi on her way to round of 32. While Barty has never made it past the third round at Melbourne Park, the odds suggest she should account for Osaka and set up a potential fourth-round date with world No.1 Simona Halep. But it would be a mistake to underestimate 20-year-old Osaka, who backed up her first-round victory over Angelique Kerber at last year’s US Open by defeating Venus Williams in Hong Kong.

* 29-Richard Gasquet (FRA) v 2-Roger Federer (SUI)

Title favourite and defending champion Federer’s bid for a 20th grand slam crown is going swimmingly, the Swiss maestro cruising past Jan-Lennard Struff in the second round. Early defeats for Milos Raonic and Sam Querrey mean that Gasquet looms as the biggest remaining threat – and the last seeded rival – in Federer’s quarter of the draw. Federer has a 16-2 advantage over the elegant Frenchman with wins in their last eight matches, including the 2015 US Open quarter-final. But the three-time grand slam semi-finalist has plenty of tricks up his sleeve and will be out to cause a major upset.

* 21-Angelique Kerber (GER) v Maria Sharapova (RUS)

A mouth-watering showdown between two former champions. Five-time grand slam winner Sharapova has barely raised a sweat in her first major since her doping ban. But Kerber has also been in cruise control and is determined to return to the top after a disappointing 2017. Along with last year’s French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, Kerber and Sharapova are the only grand slam winners left in the women’s field after a streak of opening-week upsets.

* Hyeon Chung (KOR) v 4-Alexander Zverev (GER)

Will this be the year German prodigy Zverev steps up to challenge the big four on the major stage? The 20-year-old beanpole has six ATP titles and victories over the likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic to his name. But he’s yet to advance past the third round at Melbourne Park, having lost to Rafael Nadal in five sets last year. He will come up against another rising star in Chung, who saw off Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in the second round. Six-time champion Novak Djokovic could await the winner in the fourth round.

* 19-Tomas Berdych (CZE) v 12-Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)

Playing at Melbourne Park for the first time in four years, 2009 US Open champion del Potro looms as a dark horse in the men’s field. The towering Argentinian has been on the up and up since injury-wrecked years in 2015 and 2016. He comes up against a perpetual grand slam contender in Berdych, who defeated fellow-old stager Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in four sets in the second round. Del Potro has a 5-3 record against his Czech rival and won their only previous grand slam meeting at the 2012 French Open.

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