Australian Open day ten predictions & tennis tips: Pliskova can pick off Pole

Free tennis tips, best bets and analysis for day ten of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Wednesday.

Where to watch

Live on Eurosport, 1.30am Wednesday

Best bets

Over 38.5 games in Ben Shelton v Tommy Paul
1pt 4-5 Betfair, Paddy Power

Aryna Sabalenka to win 2-1 v Donna Vekic
1pt 10-3 Hills

Karolina Pliskova to beat Magda Linette
2pts 8-13 Hills

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Day ten preview

Despite some early injury scares, Novak Djokovic remains in the hunt for a tenth Australian Open title, although the odds-on favourite faces his toughest test yet in the quarter-final against Andrey Rublev.

The other men's last-eight encounter provides a career-defining opportunity for one of Ben Shelton or Tommy Paul, with each American bidding to break new ground.

The women’s quarter-finals feature fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka, who takes on Donna Vekic, while two-time Grand Slam runner-up Karolina Pliskova meets Caroline Garcia’s conqueror Magda Linette.

Andrey Rublev v Novak Djokovic

Djokovic still had his left thigh strapped for his fourth-round meeting with Alex De Minaur, but it didn’t stop the nine-time champion blitzing the home hope 6-2 6-1 6-2.

That performance went some way to quashing any injury worries and the Serb hailed it as his best match of the year, saying he felt no pain throughout.

That stretched Djokovic’s winning run in 2023 to nine matches and he has dropped just two sets in that period, so Rublev may be fearing another Grand Slam quarter-final exit.

The Russian edged past rising Danish star Holger Rune in five sets to make the last eight of a major for the seventh time, but his previous six efforts have ended in defeat.

Ben Shelton v Tommy Paul

This is uncharted territory for Shelton and Paul and the American duo may mark the occasion with a marathon contest.

Shelton, featuring in the main draw of a Grand Slam for just the second time, has come through two five-setters in Melbourne and there’s potential for another epic against Paul, who needed a deciding set of his own in round two against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Given the potential for a few tiebreaks - Shelton has already been involved in seven - going over 38.5 games looks the play as both men taking a set would see that total go close.

Aryna Sabalenka v Donna Vekic

Sabalenka has obliged in straight sets in all four of her Australian Open assignments, but Vekic is a dangerous opponent who has given her problems in the past.

The Croat has won five of their six previous encounters, which must be of some concern to Sabalenka's backers given the sheer talent of the Belarusian.

Four of those six meetings went to a deciding set, however, and the raw power of Sabalenka, who has won all eight of her matches this year and appears to be maturing, means she can grind out victory.

Karolina Pliskova v Magda Linette

A Polish player was always expected to feature in the women’s quarter-final line-up, but top seed Iga Swiatek looked more likely to be involved than her world number 45 compatriot Linette.

However, Swiatek’s fellow countrywoman is there on merit and shouldn’t be underestimated following wins over seeded stars Anett Kontaveit, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Garcia.

That said, two-time Grand Slam runner-up Pliskova has eased to four straight-set successes in Melbourne and is showing some of her old sparkle, making her a backable odds-on favourite.

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