Day Nine of the 2012 Australian Open sees the quarter-final action get underway with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki in action.
Federer takes on Juan Martin Del Potro in the pick of the men's quarter-finals. Federer enjoys a 7-2 lead on the head-to-head and sizzled against Bernard Tomic on Sunday but Del Potro has played himself into form in this event. The faster daytime conditions may suit Federer a little more though so we're picking the four-time champ to go through.
Nadal should have an easier time against Tomas Berdych. The hard hitting Czech should have the power to trouble Nadal especially in the cooler night session which tends to suit the players who can hit through the court. However Berdych has a bit of a mental block against Nadal. He's lost their past nine matches and hasn't come close to beating him since 2006.
Could this be the year when Caroline Wozniacki finally silences the doubters and wins a slam ? She's been playing more aggressive tennis this fortnight and was hugely impressive against Jelena Jankovic on Sunday. She's got Kim Clijsters who played the match of her life to beat Li Na from four match points down but sustained a gammy ankle in the process. Wozniacki's going to keep her out there all day and will probably outlast the injured Belgian.
Victoria Azarenka has been many people's pick for the title after her first week performances and she's got her first serious test on Tuesday against Agnieszka Radwanska. Both are naturally dogged defensive players but Azarenka has a bit more firepower and should pull through.
