In Thursday’s WTA action at the Australian Open, two former No. 1s face off under the lights of Margaret Court Arena, while a rising talent from Spain looks to fend off a former top-five star.

Caroline Wozniacki versus Victoria Azarenka

Occasionally, the misfortune of some can translate into the good fortune of others.  That is the case in the second-round match that will pit Caroline Wozniacki against Victoria Azarenka.  The two former No. 1 players are undoubtedly dismayed to be meeting at such an early juncture, but it is a battle that could prove a treat for many fans.

The sole reason a match of this caliber is occurring so early is that Azarenka entered this Australian Open unseeded.  The Belarusian finds herself ranked outside the top 40 due to a dismal 2014 in which injuries saw her sidelined for much of the season.  Her 2015 has also gotten off to a rocky start.  After losing her opening match in Brisbane, she was denied a wildcard in Sydney, so she came into Melbourne relatively cold.  Azarenka secured a routine victory over Sloane Stephens in her opening round, however, and she will be keen to use that as a springboard to further success at this event, where the two-time champion has compiled many fond memories in recent years.

Of course, Azarenka is not the only one to have earned happy memories at this venue.  Wozniacki has also enjoyed her fair share of success in Melbourne, including a semifinal run in 2011.  Additionally, she comes into this match on the back of far more impressive results than Azarenka.  The Dane reached the final of the last year’s US Open, and she finished runner-up in Auckland before arriving in Australia.  She definitely should have better rhythm than her fellow former No. 1.

The fact that Wozniacki has that rhythm could be decisive in this match.  Both women are excellent off both wings, but with her lack of match play, Azarenka could struggle to negate Wozniacki’s ability to track down a lot of balls.   That said, Azarenka is still the typically more aggressive of the pair, and she was particularly impressive with some of her net play against Stephens.  If she can find her way to the forecourt with any regularity, she may not have to rely on staying in as many long rallies with the Dane and be the one to dictate play.

Tactics will be a big part of the picture in determining the outcome of this match, but arguably the biggest factor will be who can best mentally cope with the pressure.  The edge has to go to Wozniacki, but just by a hair.  She holds the slight lead in her head-to-head with Azarenka at 4-3, and as previously noted, has lately had a lot more to celebrate in terms of her game and results.  She also is no stranger to success at the Australian Open.  Then again, although Wozniacki has put together some memorable runs in Melbourne, it is Azarenka who captured the title here twice.  Furthermore, Azarenka gets to come into this match as the underdog, so the pressure will all be on Wozniacki’s shoulders.  In the big moments, Azarenka’s freedom to swing away may prove critical.

There are plenty of intangibles that could determine how this match unfolds.  No matter which woman grabs the victory, however, they should put on a spectacular show.  It may only be the second round, but there is no reason why they cannot give fans an early taste of what is to come in Week 2 of the Australian Open.

Garbine Muguruza versus Daniela Hantuchova

Many major sports stars will say that for all the effort that goes in to breaking into the top of their profession, it is not the initial breakthrough that is the hard part.  It is staying there that is.  Garbine Muguruza is not yet a top-10 player, but she has played well enough to land a spot on the radar of many fans and pundits.  She is now tasked with maintaining and building on that momentum, and she can do that by defeating her second-round opponent, Daniela Hantuchova, to continue her stay in Melbourne.

Muguruza enjoyed a breakthrough Down Under last season when she won her maiden title in Hobart before going on to reach the second week of the Australian Open.  But people really took notice of the Spaniard at Roland Garros, where she dished out a routine defeat to Serena Williams in the second round.  She has firmly entrenched herself in the top 30 of the singles rankings and the top 20 of the doubles.  She possesses a nice all-around game that has many thinking she could be one of the next “great things” in tennis.

Muguruza’s opponent, Hantuchova, was previously touted as a future talent set to rule in the upper echelons of the game.  She was once ranked as high as No. 5 in the world, and she has earned some nice wins over the course of her career, as evidenced by her two title runs at Indian Wells in 2002 and 2007.  The veteran has since seen her results and ranking slide, but as she has shown during the course of the last few years, she is still capable of tapping into her best game every now and then to produce some scintillating tennis.

If Hantuchova wants to have a chance against Muguruza, she is going to have to be at or near her best.  Overall, the Spaniard hits bigger, and while Muguruza is not the greatest mover on tour, she still has a better set of wheels than the Slovak.  That said, Hantuchova does hit flatter, but she is going to have to keep the unforced errors down if she hopes to make any headway from the baseline.  Her better bet would be to find a way to net and use the deft touch and feel that once made Hantuchova a top-five doubles player. 

Muguruza should look to deny Hantuchova the chance to execute any drop volleys by keeping her pinned behind the baseline and moving the Slovak around the court.  Additionally, Muguruza needs to remain calm in the big moment and remember that she defeated Hantuchova in their lone meeting, which occurred just last summer at Stanford.  She is not the one who has to redline her game in order to advance.

How Muguruza handles this match could be a good indicator of how ready she is to take the next step in her career.  Hantuchova is someone who has the talent and weapons to challenge her, but it is still a match that the Spaniard should win.  If Muguruza can get through this contest with flying colors, then she will only further legitimize herself as one of the young guns to watch in the months to come.