RICKY’S TENNIS PICKS FOR THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN DAY 6, DAVID FERRER VS. STEVIE JOHNSON, FELICIANO LOPEZ VS. MOUNTAIN OF A MAN BIG JOHN ISNER, ALSO ON COURT – ANDY MURRAY, STAN WAWRINKA & MILOS RAONIC & BERNIE TOMIC

Written by: Staff on 21st January 2016

RICKY'S TENNIS PICKS FOR THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN DAY 6, DAVID FERRER VS. STEVIE JOHNSON, FELICIANO LOPEZ VS. MOUNTAIN OF A MAN BIG JOHN ISNER, ALSO ON COURT - ANDY MURRAY, STAN WAWRINKA & MILOS RAONIC & BERNIE TOMIC

epa05115822 Bernard Tomic of Australia returns the ball to Simone Bolelli of Italy during their second round match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 21 January 2016. EPA/LUKAS COCH AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

By Ricky Dimon

Third-round action at the Australian Open will wrap up on Saturday. Only two Americans are still alive and they have tough tests against Spaniards on their hands. Steve Johnson will face David Ferrer, while John Isner is set for another date with familiar foe Feliciano Lopez. Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray are also aiming for spots in the last 16.

Picks:

(8) David Ferrer vs. (31) Steve Johnson: If their recent Vienna final is any indication, we are in for another good one. Johnson came within two points of his first ATP title last fall before Ferrer prevailed 7-5 in the third. The question is: is it an indication? It may be, because Johnson is suddenly in awesome form. He somehow lost to someone named Matthew Barton in Auckland, but so far in Melbourne he has destroyed Aljaz Bedene and Thomaz Bellucci. Ferrer, who ended Lleyton Hewitt’s career on Thursday, also has not yet dropped a set. Johnson will dip in and out of brilliant spells, while Ferrer will remain too consistent all the way through. Ferrer in 4.

David Ferrer of Spain in action against Peter Gojowczyk of Germany during their first round match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 19 January 2016. EPA/MAST IRHAM

(18) Feliciano Lopez vs. (10) John Isner: The last time these two guys played each other at the Australian Open (2012), Isner was coming off a marathon five-setter against David Nalbandian. He managed to take Lopez to five, but he had nothing left for the decider. This time around it is Lopez who just completed five sets, as the Spaniard played four straight tiebreakers against Guido Pella before finally prevailing 6-4. Isner, meanwhile, completely owned both Jerzy Janowicz and Marcel Granollers. Failing to conserve energy in the early rounds of slams is something Isner has often failed to do. He has done it this time around, and he should be rewarded for such efforts. Isner in 4.

Lukas Rosol vs. (4) Stan Wawrinka: Wawrinka has not lost to anyone except Novak Djokovic at this event since 2012, a stretch that includes a title in 2014. Well, it’s safe to say Rosol sure isn’t Djokovic. The Czech can catch fire at times when he is allowed to play offensive tennis, but that is something Wawrinka will not let him do. Count on the Swiss going on his way to another successful Aussie Open campaign while improving to 3-0 lifetime against Rosol. Wawrinka in 3.

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland plays a forehand to Dmitry Tursunov of Russia during their first round match for the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 19 January 2016. EPA/LUKAS COCH

(12) Milos Raonic vs. (21) Viktor Troicki: Both players have been pretty much on fire this season. Raonic upset Roger Federer for the Brisbane title match and Troicki triumphed in Sydney after outlasting Grigor Dimitrov in an epic three-setter. Each man has found a way to win while not at his very best in Melbourne. Troicki needed five sets to beat Daniel Munoz De La Nava (who?) in round one, while Raonic did not break Tommy Robredo until late in the third set on Thursday. The Canadian has a better chance of raising his game for this one, because Troicki may be running on fumes with all of this recent tennis. Raonic in 3.

(32) Joao Sousa vs. (2) Andy Murray: No offense to Sousa (and certainly not to Murray), but this going to be a pure snooze-fest. Murray is 6-0 lifetime against the Portuguese underdog and 15-1 in total sets. That will soon be 7-0 and 18-1. Sousa has done well to reach the third round, but this is simply a terrible matchup for him. Then again, Murray is a bad matchup for just about anyone these days. The guy is still riding the high of Great Britain’s 2015 Davis Cup title and he is always in great form Down Under. Murray in 3.

Andy Murray of Britain serves to Sam Groth of Australia during their second round match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 21 January 2016. EPA/LUKAS COCH

(16) Bernard Tomic vs. John Millman: Tomic somehow found a way to lose the third set to Simone Bolelli and go to 7-5 in the fourth with a hobbled Italian. Millman somehow found a way to upset Gilles Muller in five after being a set and a break down. These two Aussies turned in much different efforts in their respective second-round matches. Unfortunately for Millman, effort alone may not be enough to overcome the wide chasm in talent level in this matchup. If Tomic recovers both physically and mentally, he should not have too much trouble ending the run of a far less experienced opponent. Tomic in 3.