Jannik Sinner is one of the favourites to win the 2024 Australian Open, and he's going to have to go through last year's semi-finalist Karen Khachanov.
The Russian played a really strong event last year, making his way to the semi-final, where Stefanos Tsitsipas ultimately beat him. He's a really solid player capable of doing a lot of damage in conditions like these, but that's the case for Sinner as well.
He's been playing really well for a couple of months now, so much so that people consider him the second most likely behind Novak Djokovic to win the tournament. He's played well in Melbourne, though he hasn't faced anybody really tricky until now.
His track record in Melbourne is pretty solid, as he made the quarter-final before but was beaten by Tsitispas. The two protagonists of this fourth-round match have that one thing in common, as both of their most impressive runs here were stopped by Tsitsipas.
Head-to-head:
We've seen this matchup a few times, and Sinner is leading it so far. Khachanov's only win over the Italian came at the 2020 US Open, and it was a five-set win for the Russian. He also nearly beat him in Miami in 2021, which was the last match they played, so it's a matchup he can do damage in.
The thing to remember, though, is that Sinner is a far better player than he was a few years ago. Khachanov is more consistent, too, so it's now about who will do better.
| Jannik Sinner | Karen Khachanov | |
| 2 | H2H | 1 |
| 4 | Rank | 15 |
| 22 | Age | 27 |
| 3-0 | 2024 W/L | 3-1 |
| 193-74 | Career W/L | 247-181 |
Prediction:
I do think that Sinner is the better player because, in the end, the matchup will be determined in the rallies. Both can serve well as Sinner improves in that regard, but the hitting part of the sport is by far on the side of the Italian.
Prediction: Jannik Sinner to win in four sets.
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