A NEW Australian Open winner is set to be crowned in the women’s with a couple of other Grand Slam winners to take to the courts against a few players who have surprised plenty at Melbourne Park this year. In the men’s, we see a massive quarter final clash between the world’s best clay courters, while a former Aus Open champion takes on a potential future one.

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Rod Laver Arena – 11am

Age: 24 | 28
Height: 175cm | 168cm
Ranking: 31 | 3
Titles: 1 | 19
Grand Slam Titles: 0 | 2
Best Aus Open Result: R4 (18′) | F (18′)

The developing Estonian has made it to her first ever quarter final at Melbourne Park, and will look to make history by becoming the first Estonian to ever reach a semi-final. She has won just one title in her career and reached a career-high 14th in the world last year. She is currently 21st on the live rankings, and could move into 11th if she wins the tournament. For Halep, she has already taken full advantage of last year’s winner in Naomi Osaka and semi-finalist in Karolina Pliskova bombing out earlier than expected and losing their points from 2019. The Romanian two-time Grand Slam winner is up to number two in the world regardless of how the tournament ends, but even with a title at Melbourne Park, could not take home the coveted number one spot in the WTA Rankings. Halep is still very much in the prime of her career with 19 titles and two Grand Slam to her name. She will be keen to go one better than her finals loss to Caroline Wozniacki back in 2018 here at Melbourne Park and make it three different Grand Slam titles (French Open and Wimbledon the other two). These two players have played twice – both in 2017 – where Halep won convincingly in straight sets. It will take a special effort from Kontaveit to take down one of the tournament favourites in this clash, though she has been producing special efforts the past week. Halep is predicted to continue that trend of head-to-heads and win in straight sets, but as everyone has seen already in the Open, anything can happen.

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Rod Laver Arena – from 12.30pm

Age: 26 | 28
Height: 183cm | 178cm
Ranking: 31 | 30
Titles: 7 | 12
Grand Slam Titles: 2 | 0
Best Aus Open Result: QF (17′) | QF (19′)

There must have been something in the water of late for 30th seed Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova who made her third quarter final in four years at Melbourne Park. Prior to 2017, the Russian had won just two matches in four years, and in eight previous attempts never made it past the Round of 32. Aside from a disappointing Round 2 exit in 2018, she has now won through to the final eight since 2017, showing a great consistency in the Open. Now 28-years-old and still without a Grand Slam, Pavlyuchenkova hopes to win through to her first ever semi-final. However standing in her way is a player who is no stranger to going deep in Grand Slams, having won two of them at the French Open and Wimbledon. It has been three years since she took home a title, and with only one grand slam appearance stretching into the final eight since – a semi-final at Roland Garros in 2018 – Muguruza needs to step it up to show she is still very much in contention for a top 10 ranking. These two have faced off five times with Muguruza winning all four of the completed ones – the Russian won in Stuttgart, 2018 when Muguruza retired with injury. The former world number one triumphed in the most recent clash when she defeated Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets. It is hard to see Muguruza dropping this game, but Pavlyuchenkova is in some kind of form on hard courts, downing another former Grand Slam winner in Angelique Kerber, so you have to give her credit. It will possibly go to three sets, but expect Muguruza to move through to the final four.

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Rod Laver Arena – from 2.30pm

Age: 34 | 22
Height: 183cm | 198cm
Ranking: 15 | 7
Titles: 16 | 11
Grand Slam Titles: 3 | 0
Best Aus Open Result: W (14′) | 4R (19′)

In a match between past and future, 34-year-old Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka will take on 22-year-old up-and-comer Alexander Zverev. Wawrinka has been there and done it before, with just he and Nadal winning in between the dominance from Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic combining for 13 over the past 15-odd years. He seems to love Melbourne Park, playing his best tennis at the Grand Slam, and you can throw ATP Rankings out the window when it comes to the event, with Wawrinka easily a top 10 player when in full flight on his preferred surface. He has such versatility on court that he can play on any surface, though hard court is his speciality, and his backhand is something to behold. Zverev will be wary of Wawrinka’s ability to blow opponents off the court with his serve and shotmaking that is almost applauded by opponents. The seventh ranked German also has tricks though, with his serve hard to break when he is on, though when he is off it can be awful. Consistency is key for the youngster who enters his first quarter final at Melbourne Park, equalling his best in a Grand Slam – twice at Roland Garros. In the head-to-head, Zverev has won both matches they have played, of which came on hard court in 2016 and 2017. Both were three setters though indicating there is not much between them, with a nostalgia trip for Zverev fans who remember the St Petersburg final which was the German’s maiden title on the ATP Tour back in 2016. You have to lean towards Wawrinka for consistency, but expect this match to be a five-setter if Zverev is in form.

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Rod Laver Arena – from 7.30pm

Age: 33 | 26
Height: 185cm | 185cm
Ranking: 1 | 5
Titles: 84 | 16
Grand Slam Titles: 19 | 0
Best Aus Open Result: W (09′) | 4R (17-18′)

The two best clay courters in the world face off on hard court to start 2020, with world number one Rafael Nadal meeting fifth seed, Dominic Thiem in the final eight. These two have faced off in the Roland Garros final the past two years, but as has been the case with nearly everyone who has faced him in France, Nadal was just too strong, but the 26-year-old got closer last year compared to 2018, winning a set off the star in a 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1 loss. Just prior to that Thiem did manage to beat Nadal in the Spaniard’s home country at Barcelona, winning in straight sets. On the 13 occasions they have played, Nadal has won nine times, with all bar one coming on clay. In the quarter final at the 2018 US Open, Thiem pushed the Spanish star all the way and even stunned him with a 6-0 first set, before going down in an epic clash, 0-6 6-4 7-5 6-7 7-6 in a mind-boggling four hours and 49 minutes. The rivalry is one to behold and the fact that Thiem has managed to beat Nadal on clay four times is a credit to the Austrian. The hard court gives him a better chance, though Nadal has shown he is more than capable of going deep on hard court, but it is more being elite than unbeatable. Thiem only just got past Alex Bolt in the second round of the Open but has otherwise cruised through, while Nadal had to outlast Nick Kyrgios in the Round of 16 to book a spot in the final eight. This is set to be the best match of the day, so strap in for a beauty.