Australian Open 2014: Men’s Quarterfinal Predictions

David Ferrer (8) vs Tomas Berdych (7)

7th seed Tomas Berdych (L) will take on 3rd seed David Ferrer

David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych have also held up their ends of the deal as they both find themselves in yet another Grand Slam quarterfinal, eager for that step up which will make them Grand Slam champions. First though, they will have to get past one another, and an intriguing battle awaits.

Form: Ferrer finds himself in his ninth straight Grand Slam quarterfinal, a remarkable stat for a man who is still not seen as a major threat to any of the Grand Slam titles, perhaps through his own doing. Ferrer has had two straight set victories over Alejandro Gonzalez in the first round and Jeremy Chardy in the third round, with Adrian Mannarino and Florian Mayer briefly testing the Spaniard in the second and fourth rounds respectively, before he came through in four sets in those matches. Berdych, on the other hand, has had a rather comfortable path through to the quarterfinals, dispatching Nedovyesov, de Schepper, Dzumhur and his bunny Anderson in straight sets along the way.

What’s in store for them: Both Berdych and Ferrer have always been part of a group of players who have been touted as being able to stop the dominance of the big four at the Slams. With time running out for them, perhaps this is the stage where they will finally be able to make their mark. Ferrer leads Berdych 7-4 in the head-to-head, with Berdych winning their most recent encounter at the World Tour Finals last year. The Czech is serving great, being unbroken throughout the tournament, and will need his serve working on all cylinders against the man Roger Federer rates as the best returner on tour. After three straight quarterfinal defeats, Berdych would be keen to enter the semifinals for the first time and stop Ferrer from reaching his third semifinal at the venue.

Prediction: Ferrer to beat Berdych in five sets