Angelique Kerber versus Naomi Osaka

In a battle of contrasting styles, Angelique Kerber will clash with Naomi Osaka with a berth in the fourth round hanging in the balance.  Not many folks may as yet be familiar with Osaka, but there is reason to believe that could change.  Aged only 20, the woman from Japan put together an incredible run to secure her first title ever this past spring at Indian Wells.  She is a talented, heavy-hitter with a booming serve that she has already used to great effect in order to start accumulating a number of impressive victories over top players. She has now cracked the Top 20 in the rankings and looking to continue her upward trajectory.  Standing in her way is someone certainly more familiar to tennis audiences in Kerber.  Although 2017 was a year to forget for the German, 2016 was one to remember.  She won both of her majors that season and reached the final here at Wimbledon.  She still sports some of the best defensive skills in the game and is one of the fittest on tour. 

She is at her most devastating though when she is able to balance her superior defense with stellar offense, and she will need to strike that balance on Saturday if she wants the victory.  Osaka definitely enjoys more firepower off the ground and on serve, but her movement, and subsequently her defense, are not up to the eleventh seed's level.  Kerber should be looking to either turn this into a track meet or be the one to get on top of the rallies early rather than relying solely on her own defense, and to do that, she has to remain committed to staying up on the baseline and consistently changing the direction of the ball when the opportunity arises.  If she can do that, this is her match to win.  If not, then Osaka could very well hit her way through to victory to even this rivalry at two apiece.

Nick Kyrgios versus Kei Nishikori

It is the season for fireworks, and there could be plenty of both the good and bad variety in this encounter between Nick Kyrgios and Kei Nishikori.  Both men are top talents, and the younger, mercurial Kyrgios is a man many believe could be a future major champion and World Number 1 if he can hold it together between the ears.  There is no question he has the talent.  He possesses quite a few tools in his bag of tricks, can go big off of either wing, and not only has a monster first delivery, but has the confidence and the fearlessness to do the same on his second.  He has demonstrated remarkable improvisation skills and has an innate instinct for what to do on the court when he is focused.  Similar things could be said of his opponent, Nishikori.  The veteran from Japan is also a flashy player that likes to go hard and flat with his groundstrokes, which helps him play bigger than his slight frame would suggest. 

He has a live arm that allows him to get good pop on his serve, and his exceptional quickness about the court often allows him to do something with the ball when he gets there.  The potential problem for Nishikori is that when at his best, Kyrgios does all of these things better.  The Australian is the more imposing and explosive of the pair and better positioned to determine the outcome.  That said, Nishikori has won all three of their prior meetings, and historically, he is the more even-tempered competitor willing to grind it out when things are not going well.  If he catches Kyrgios in a foul or lazy mood, there is no question Nishikori can make him pay and keep his perfect record against the fifteenth seed intact.  But if Kyrgios has come to play and can stay focused beginning to end, then he should advance.

Novak Djokovic versus Kyle Edmund

A match sure to be on the radar of many, and especially those of the home nation, is the match-up between Novak Djokovic and Kyle Edmund.  If at his best, the Serb, who is ranked lower but seeded higher than Edmund at this event, would be the clear-cut favorite.  There are no glaring weaknesses in his game, though his backhand under pressure does hold up better than his forehand.  His defense is impeccable, but he also does an excellent job of balancing it with great offense.  When playing at the zenith of his abilities, he smothers the opposition, which is what he has done to Edmund in three of their prior four meetings.  But Djokovic, although improving, is still not in his best form, and Edmund has improved as a player in the last twelve months. 

In the absence of Andy Murray, he has stepped up to fill his countryman's shoes, reaching the final four of the Australian Open this past January, breaking through to his first ATP final in the spring in Morocco, and he has cracked into the Top 20.  He has shored up his backhand, and his preferred shot, the forehand, is a force to be reckoned with.  He can rip it up the line or inside out, and he does well to create space to hit the ball from that wing.  He also owns an underrated net game and a serve that has only improved over time and is now earning him free points.  He crucially got a win on the board against the former Number 1 earlier this year in Madrid, and the home crowd will be hoping he can notch another one against Djokovic on Saturday.  Such a scenario is not out of the realm of possibility.  The Brit has the firepower to boss Djokovic around the court, particularly in the forehand-to-forehand exchanges.  But if Djokovic approaches this match with an offensive mindset and is able to find Edmund's backhand with any regularity, expect him to make good on justifying his higher seeding and keeping his hopes of winning a fourth title here in London alive.