Alexander Zverev will battle newcomer Alex Michelsen for a spot in the round of 16 at the Australian Open. Hubert Hurkacz and Ugo Humbert will also take the court as third-round action wraps up on Saturday.
(6) Alexander Zverev vs. Alex Michelsen
On paper this seems like it would be an easy match to call. Alexander Zverev is ranked sixth in the world and he is a familiar figure in the business end of most events. Alex Michelsen is as green as they come. The American teenager has played exactly one major prior to this event (2023 U.S. Open). Michelsen is ranked 91st in the world.
Despite those facts, this match is far from a slam dunk for the German. First, Zverev didn’t play up to his usual standards in his first two matches. He was oh so close to losing his second-round match to 163-ranked qualifier Lukas Klein, and he dropped a set in his first match against countryman Dominik Koepfer. And then there’s the fact that Michelsen has all the makings of this year’s Ben Shelton. The 19-year-old has plenty of talent and he has already dispatched a seed (No. 21 Jiri Lehecka).
If Zverev goes off the boil even a little, or Michelsen forgets that he’s supposed to be nervous against a top-10 player, the underdog may well have chances at the upset.
Cheryl pick: Zverev in 5
Ricky pick: Michelsen in 4
(9) Hubert Hurkacz vs. (21) Ugo Humbert
Like the Zverev-Michelsen match, this has the makings of a real battle. Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz has a tendency to be streaky. He won two events in 2023, made the final in Basel, but also lost his opening match on the red clay of the Rome Masters to J.J. Wolf and had some all-too-early Grand Slam exits. The fact that the Pole has historically not played up to his seeding at majors is well known. He made the round of 16 last year at the Australian Open, tied for his second-best slam result behind a 2021 semifinal showing at Wimbledon.
Ugo Humbert from France is ranked a career-high No. 20 on the strength of his best-ever season in 2023. The 21st seed didn’t have a very successful warmup event. He got sick in Adelaide and had to withdraw before his second-round match against Jordan Thompson. He maybe hasn’t been at his best just yet in Melbourne; Humbert has dropped a set in each of his matches so far.
Hurkacz holds a 2-0 record over Humbert, but both of the matches were close. There is every reason to think that Saturday’s match will be similarly competitive.
Cheryl pick: Hurkacz in 5
Ricky pick: Hurkacz in 5
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