Day 4 Preview: Djokovic Confronts Tsonga Threat

If Novak Djokovic was hoping to ease his way into the 2019 Australian Open, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is not the man he would want to meet in the second round. So expect the World No. 1 to be on guard when the pair walks out for Thursday’s feature night match on Rod Laver Arena.

Tsonga, the 16-time ATP Tour champion and a 2008 Melbourne finalist, is arguably the most dangerous floater in the draw. He has the firepower to take it to the world’s best and comes into the tournament in good form, having beaten Alex de Minaur en route to the Brisbane semi-finals.

“He’s another great player, champion, someone that has been very successful in the past, an established Top 10 player who has played a Grand Slam final,” Djokovic said of the 33-year-old. “[He’s] just very powerful, serve, forehand, big weapons. I’m really optimistic, but also respectful, trying to do whatever I can to win it. “

Ranked 177 after missing more than seven months due to knee surgery last April, Tsonga has given Djokovic trouble both times they have met at the Australian Open. The Frenchman pushed the Serb to a fourth-set tie-break in the title match in 2008, when Djokovic captured the first of his 14 majors. In 2010 Tsonga avenged that defeat with a five-set victory in the quarter-finals.

Djokovic, of course, will still enter the match as a strong favourite. He is chasing a record seventh title at Melbourne Park, where he boasts a 61-8 record. The Serb, who suffered a surprise semi-final defeat to Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the Doha semi-finals in the opening week of the season, began his Melbourne campaign with a confident straight-sets win over American Mitchell Krueger.

Earlier in the day on Rod Laver Arena, 2014 Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka takes on 16th seed Milos Raonic. Fortunes will largely depend on the Raonic serve, which brought Nick Kyrgios to his knees in their first-round battle. “Never seen serving like that in my life,” Kyrgios said. “I was just watching it literally going side to side.”

Three-time Grand Slam champion Wawrinka takes a 4-2 FedEx ATP Head2Head lead over Raonic into the match, but the Canadian has won their past two meetings, including a straight-sets win in the US Open third round last year.

Fourth seed Alexander Zverev looks to reach the third round for the third straight year when he tackles Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, against whom he holds a 2-1 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.

At 39, Croatian Ivo Karlovic is looking to become the oldest man to reach the third round since Ken Rosewall did it aged 44 in 1978. But the ace king must find a way to beat eighth seed Kei Nishikori, who in the first round rallied from two sets down to defeat Kamil Majchrzak.

More Matches To Watch On Thursday

No. 7 Dominic Thiem (AUT) v (WC) Alexei Popyrin (AUS)
No. 11 Borna Coric (CRO) v Marton Fucsovics (HUN)
No. 12 Fabio Fognini (ITA) v Leonardo Mayer (ARG)
No. 24 Hyeon Chung (KOR) v Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA)
No. 25 Denis Shapovalov (CAN) v Taro Daniel (JPN)